Johannesburg: Eskom has officially surpassed 365 days without implementing load shedding, marking a significant milestone for the power utility. The last time Eskom achieved this was nearly eight years ago in September 2018.
According to South African Government News Agency, this achievement has been three years in the making since the inception of the generation recovery plan. Eskom's employees have utilized their technical and institutional capabilities, built over decades of public investment, to reach this milestone. Eskom Board Chairperson, Mteto Nyati, expressed pride in the leadership demonstrated by the Eskom executive team, led by Dan Marokane, and the perseverance of Eskom employees following the state capture years.
Eskom's Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, emphasized the importance of cooperation from all stakeholders in reaching this achievement. He noted that the expertise of Eskom's 40,000 employees, along with the support from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and other partners, has been crucial. Government intervention through the Energy Action Plan has also played a significant role in Eskom's progress, aiding in the execution of South Africa's R2.23 trillion Integrated Resource Plan for investment in the energy sector.
Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom's Group Executive for Generation, highlighted the high morale within the power utility as they reach this milestone. He stated that this progress represents a stable platform for continued performance improvement, achieved through consistent maintenance and reliability enhancements across the system.
The power utility's sustained improvement has led to an increase in the Energy Availability Factor, a decline in breakdowns at power stations, and reduced reliance on Open Cycle Gas Turbines. This progress results from the implementation of the government's Energy Action Plan and Eskom's Generation Recovery Plan.
Since the start of the generation recovery plan in March 2023, the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) improved from 54.56% to 65.16%, with unplanned outages declining from 32.34% to 22.88%. Reliance on diesel-powered emergency generation has also decreased significantly, with expenditure dropping from approximately R33.3 billion to R6.4 billion, pending the finalization of the audit process.
Eskom has vowed to sustain these gains while supporting the long-term transition of the power system. In line with national energy policy, Eskom is applying an evidence-based approach to the timing and readiness of new generation capacity. A decision on the phased shutdown, repowering, and repurposing of older coal-fired stations is expected in the second quarter of FY2027.
Furthermore, Eskom is addressing affordability and ending load reduction, with over half a million households already benefiting from its targeted load reduction program. Notably, the Northern Cape and Western Cape have fully eradicated load reduction, demonstrating the impact of these efforts on people's daily lives.