Eskom achieves Energy Availability Factor of 70.78%, suspends load shedding

While celebrating this progress, the Minister cautioned that more work lies ahead to ensure the entire fleet achieves similar levels of efficiency.

Eskom, South Africa's primary electricity supplier, has achieved an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 70.78%, a significant improvement last witnessed nearly three years ago, according to Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity. During a media briefing on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan, the Minister highlighted this achievement, noting that load shedding has been suspended for over a month, marking a major milestone in the country's energy sector.

Dr. Ramokgopa elaborated on the recent statistics that underpin this achievement, "The month-to-date statistics suggest that we are at 64.34% and the year to date we are at 59.92%. But we have breached the psychological mark of 70% as a result of this consistent performance." He attributed this success to a series of strategic interventions, including the appointment of a new Eskom board in October 2022, the unveiling of President Ramaphosa's Energy Action Plan in July 2022, and the stabilisation of the management team.

The Minister emphasized that the improved EAF stems from an aggressive maintenance-led recovery plan, which saw Eskom undertake the highest levels of planned maintenance in three years during the transition from December 2023 to January 2024. "We took out 18% of the total generating capacity into planned maintenance, and these units are coming back online," he explained.

Refuting claims that the improvement was due to increased usage of costly Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) which run on diesel, Dr. Ramokgopa clarified that the reliance on these turbines has significantly decreased, "The load factor of the OCGT [has decreased] from what was previously 19.13% to now what is 6.8%. So, we have reduced it by about 13 percentage points. What anchors this recovery is the performance of these coal-fired power stations.”

While celebrating this progress, the Minister cautioned that more work lies ahead to ensure the entire fleet achieves similar levels of efficiency. "We need to ensure that we bring other power stations to the levels of Kusile, Lethabo, Majuba, and Medupi so that across the entire fleet, when you use station by station, we should be above 70%," he stated.

This milestone in Eskom's performance is a positive indicator for South Africa's ongoing energy challenges, suggesting that sustainable solutions may be taking root under the current administrative strategies. However, the Minister's remarks also serve as a reminder that continuous efforts are required to maintain and improve this trajectory towards a reliable energy supply for the nation.