Johannesburg: Eskom has recorded 420 days without the implementation of load shedding. This achievement marks a significant milestone for South Africa, with the nation experiencing uninterrupted power supply since May 16, 2025. During the previous financial year, supply interruptions were limited to just 26 hours over four days in April and May, as reported by Eskom.
According to South African Government News Agency, the power utility's enhanced performance is attributed to the Generation Recovery Plan and specific recovery initiatives executed across Eskom's fleet. The increase in the Energy Availability Factor (EAF), alongside reduced unplanned outages, has allowed Eskom to consistently deliver energy security and maintain the operational flexibility necessary for managing higher winter consumption periods.
Eskom's sustained progress with the Generation Recovery Plan has resulted in a stronger performance, with the EAF reaching 64.82% for the financial year-to-date. This is an improvement from 64.29% in the previous week and significantly higher than the 58.73% recorded in the same period last year, marking a 6.09% year-on-year improvement. Compared to three years ago, the EAF has improved by 9.89%, returning 5.0GW of generating capacity due to decreased unplanned outages and more reliable performance across the generation fleet.
In the past week, unplanned outages at power stations declined to approximately 8396MW, compared to 13,619MW during the same period last year. This reduction of 5223MW exceeds the generating capacity of a large power station like Kusile. The improvement is also reflected in the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), which improved to 17.49% from 28.67% in the corresponding period last year, highlighting the gains achieved through Eskom's Generation Recovery Plan.
Between July 3 and July 9, 2026, planned maintenance remained aligned with Eskom's objectives for reliability and sustainability. The Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF) averaged 9.15%, lower than 9.68% in the corresponding period last year. Eskom maintains additional system capacity, with 3530MW in cold reserve due to excess capacity, ensuring system adequacy.
Expenditure on diesel, selectively used during peak demand to power Open Cycle Gas Turbines, has reduced significantly to R796.57 million in the current financial year-to-date, compared to R5.25 billion in the same period last year. This reflects an 84.82% reduction in diesel costs, underscoring stronger generation performance and reduced reliance on diesel-fired generation. The reduction highlights both cost savings and operational improvements achieved through Eskom's Generation Recovery Plan, contributing to greater efficiency in system operations.
Eskom's Winter Outlook, published on April 22, 2026, for the period from April 1 to August 31, 2026, continues to project no load shedding.
