Friday, 28 June 2024: Eskom has proudly announced that load shedding has been suspended for 93 consecutive days. This period of stability is a testament to the utility’s ongoing efforts to enhance the reliability and performance of its coal generation fleet.
Recent Performance and Outlook
This streak of uninterrupted power supply is the longest since the period between 23 July 2021 and 6 October 2021. Eskom’s operational efficiency continues to exceed expectations, with current unplanned outages averaging 12,000MW, and today’s figure recorded at 10,839MW, well below the winter forecast.
Managing Peak Demand
Eskom is committed to effectively managing electricity demand during peak times. The strategic use of peaking stations, including Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs), has been instrumental in meeting heightened demand, particularly during evening peaks from 17:00 to 22:00. Notably, diesel consumption has remained below projected levels for this winter and is significantly lower than last year.
Key Performance Highlights
- Reduction in Unplanned Outages:
- The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) has decreased to 27.1% for the financial year to date (1 April 2024 to 27 June 2024), improving from 35.1% in the corresponding period last year. This represents an 8.0% improvement compared to the previous year.
- Planned Maintenance:
- The ongoing planned maintenance of 5,566MW aligns with Eskom’s winter maintenance strategy, bolstered by short-term maintenance to ensure continuous plant reliability.
- Sustained Energy Availability Factor (EAF) Improvement:
- The year-to-date EAF increased to 61.3%, a significant ~7% improvement from the same period last year, where the EAF was 54.3%. The weekly EAF has moved from 57.0% at the beginning of the financial year to 63.52% from 24 June to 27 June 2024.
Strategic Utilisation of Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs)
- OCGT usage has remained significantly lower than in the past two years. From 1 April to 27 June 2024, Eskom spent R3.13 billion on OCGTs, generating 453.95GWh—approximately 66% less than the R9.30 billion spent last year for 1,534.79GWh.
- The OCGT load factor for April 1 to June 27, 2024, was 6.30%, compared to last year’s 21.29%. For June 1 to June 26, 2024, the load factor was 10.35%, lower than last year’s 15.72%.
- Eskom’s diesel usage remains below its published winter forecast and year-to-date budget.
A total of 3,650MW of generating capacity is scheduled to be returned to service by Monday, 1 July 2024. Eskom’s projected evening peak demand for today, Friday, 28 June 2024, is 29,892MW.
Mitigating Network Overload and Ensuring Safety
With colder weather increasing electricity demand, Eskom is addressing the recurring challenge of network overloading in certain regions. This issue is largely due to illegal connections, vandalism, meter tampering, unauthorized network operations, theft of network equipment, and the purchase of electricity from unlicensed vendors.
Eskom encourages customers to moderate their electricity usage during the suspension of load shedding. It is imperative that customers verify their electrical connections are lawful and procure electricity solely from authorized vendors. Eskom urges the public to report any illegal activities to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3233.
Eskom will provide an update next Friday, 5 July 2024, or promptly communicate any significant changes as soon as they occur.
