Highlights
- A total of 5 760MW of generation capacity is expected to be returned to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 26 May 2025
- While loadshedding remains suspended and electricity demand continues to rise during the winter period, Eskom urges the public to avoid illegal connections and energy theft
- May is National Energy Month, and Eskom urges the public to use electricity efficiently
Eskom’s Power System Remains Resilient Amidst Winter Constraints
Friday, 23 May 2025 – South Africa’s power giant Eskom has reassured the nation of a stable power system, emphasizing readiness to manage the influx of energy demand as winter’s cold fronts press in. Despite ongoing system constraints, Eskom has strategically activated emergency reserves to bolster electricity supply during peak usage hours.
Adding to the positive news, Eskom is set to reintegrate 5,760MW of generation capacity by Monday, 26 May 2025, fortifying the grid well in time for the evening peak. This measure is aimed at ensuring a seamless supply of power and enhancing the system’s resilience in the face of potential energy challenges.
Currently, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) shows a marginal improvement to 28.50% for the financial year-to-date, a slight but crucial reduction from last year’s 28.56%. Eskom’s commitment to maintaining a steady power supply is evident in its management of planned maintenance, which has seen a strategic decline to 4,482MW this week.
The Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor has decreased to 7.65% compared to last week’s 10.94%, with a projected continuous decline as additional power units recover from long-term repairs, augmenting available generation capacity further. Notably, the diesel expenditure remains on budget, underscoring Eskom’s prudent fiscal management.
Eskom’s Winter Outlook, spanning until 31 August 2025, conveys optimistic insights, indicating that loadshedding will be unnecessary if unplanned outages stay under 13,000MW. However, should outages rise beyond this threshold to 15,000MW, Eskom anticipates a maximum of 21 loadshedding days over 153 days, restricted to Stage 2.
Eskom has also issued a crucial alert against illegal connections, urging the public to refrain from activities that could cause transformer overloads, leading to equipment failures and extended outages. Households are encouraged to acquire electricity from bona fide Eskom-accredited vendors and register for free basic electricity with local municipalities.
Eskom calls upon its consumers during May’s National Energy Month to consciously conserve energy, reinforcing efforts towards a sustainable future. For assistance in managing household electricity consumption, residents are encouraged to utilize Eskom’s Residential Calculator.
The power utility is committed to keeping the public informed with updates on 30 May 2025, ensuring transparency and effective communication regarding any significant changes in the power landscape.
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