Power utility Eskom has sought to assure the public of a steady electricity supply during the winter season.
Eskom management alongside Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, briefed the media on the national grid and the winter outlook in Sunninghill, Johannesburg on Monday.
According to group CEO, Dan Marokane, while they anticipate multiple units to return to service, a possibility of lower stages of load shedding is on the cards.
“In as far as winter 2025 is concerned, assuming there are 13-15 gigawatts of unplanned outages in terms of what we see from the performance coming from the grid, we see no load shedding for the winter period.
“In the case where unplanned outages reach the upper estimate of 15 gigawatts, then we predict no more than 21 days of up to stage-2 load-shedding,” Marokane explained.
He said they have also put measures in place to mitigate any operational setbacks, which have necessitated the recent implementation of rolling blackouts.
Marokane adds that ensuring accelerated recovery and operational discipline is key. The CEO highlighted Eskom’s winter environmental compliance and regulatory requirements.
“Plant availability improved to 61% in FY2024/25 up from 54.6% the previous year, a 6.5% year on-year improvement. Eskom projects a notable increase in the Energy Availability Factor (EAF), as it completes the outstanding actions in its recovery plan.
“Diesel consumption dropped by approximately 50% resulting in cost savings of approximately R16.51 billion year-on-year, reflecting reduced reliance on emergency generation,” said Moarokane.
Furthermore, Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo echoed Marokane’s sentiments regarding improving the return time of lost units.
He warned that delays from outage time cause Eskom’s fleet to be constrained and not to be able to accommodate the sudden loss of units.
