Sustained improvements in plant performance enable Eskom to maintain stable power system

Friday, 30 January 2026: Eskom’s power system continues to demonstrate stability, driven by sustained advances under the Generation Recovery Plan and further improvements in the Energy Availability Factor. Together, these developments are enhancing operational reliability and supporting South Africa’s long-term energy security.

The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) further increased to 64.95% year to date (1 April 2025 to 29 January 2026), underscoring the progress made in restoring reliability and enhancing system stability. The fleet has now achieved or exceeded the 70% EAF mark on 64 occasions (un-audited figures).

The improvements in EAF demonstrate both recovery and sustained improvement in EAF performance, reinforcing energy security, grid stability and security of the national electricity supply.

Between 23 and 29 January 2026, average unplanned outages decreased to 8 362MW from last year’s level at this time of 12 993MW. This represents a significant improvement of 4 630MW.

Over the same period, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) reduced to 17.27%, a significant improvement of 9.90% compared to 27.17% recorded during the same period last year.

During the same period, Eskom’s Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF)—essentially planned maintenance—averaged 10.46%, compared to 15.82% in the previous financial year. This reduction is consistent with Eskom’s maintenance schedule and reflects our strategy to enhance plant reliability, strengthen operational stability and support long-term fleet performance.

The reduced maintenance requirements are the result of the intensive maintenance programme implemented last year, which exceeded historical levels over the past three years and focused on restoring fleet reliability.

The benefits of this approach are already evident in the continued decline of unplanned outages.

The ongoing improvement in EAF has greatly reduced Eskom’s reliance on expensive diesel generation, enabling a stronger focus on more cost-effective primary energy sources.

In addition, 6 202MW is currently in cold reserve due to excess capacity.

After five consecutive weeks with no diesel expenditure for (Open-Cycle Gas Turbines) OCGT operations, diesel spend of R1.61 million was recorded this week, with 0.285GWh of associated energy send-out. Despite this, the total diesel expenditure remains R4.26 billion lower than at the same point last year. This sustained reduction reflects both significant cost savings and ongoing improvements in operational performance driven by Eskom’s turnaround initiatives. Overall, the trend underscores the increasing stability, efficiency and resilience of the power system.

Year-to-date, diesel expenditure remains consistently below budget.

South Africa has now experienced 259 consecutive days without an interrupted supply, with only 26 hours of loadshedding recorded in April and May 2025, during this financial year.

To further ensure a stable electricity supply, Eskom will bring 2 200MW of generation capacity online ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 2 February 2026. Evening peak demand is forecast at 23 014MW, with 28 565MW of available capacity, providing a healthy reserve margin above current demand.

Eskom published the Summer Outlook on 5 September 2025, covering the period 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026, which projects no loadshedding due to sustained improvements in plant performance from the Generation Recovery Plan.

Key Performance Highlights

• Year-to-date, the UCLF further reduced to 23.22%, reflecting a week-on-week improvement of 0.13% and remaining below last year’s 25.36%.

• Year to date, planned maintenance was at an average of 5 367MW, accounting for 11.41% of total generation capacity, slightly less than last week’s 11.43% and lower than the 12.47% over the same period last year.

• Between 1 April 2025 and 29 January 2026, Eskom generated 1 049.67GWh from OCGT plants at a diesel cost of R6.231 billion. This is significantly lower than the 1 714.25GWh generated during the same period last year (1 April 2024 to 29 January 2025), which incurred costs of R10.491 billion. This represents a 38.8% reduction in energy generated from OCGTs and a 40.6% decrease in diesel expenditure year-on-year. Notably, diesel usage has declined consistently on a month-on-month basis since May 2025, and with only marginal burn recorded this week, the month-to-date load factor stands at 0.01%.

• The year-to-date OCGT load factor has further decreased to 4.21%, reflecting a 0.10% improvement from the previous week. This is lower than the 6.88% recorded during the same period last year and remains below the set target.

Progress in ending load reduction: 115 860 customers no longer affected during peak periods.

Although the power system remains stable and generation capacity continues to exceed demand, illegal connections and meter tampering persist, causing infrastructure damage and posing serious safety risks. In response, Eskom continues to implement load reduction as a temporary measure in high-risk areas to protect both communities and the electricity network.

To address these challenges sustainably, Eskom has launched a phased programme to eliminate load reduction by 2027. The programme targets 971 feeders and will benefit approximately 1.69 million customers across all provinces, out of Eskom’s total customer base of 7.2 million. Key interventions include the rollout of smart meters, the integration of Distributed Energy Resources, and the expansion of Free Basic Electricity support.

Progress on key interventions

• Smart meter rollout:

To date, Eskom has installed 284 327 smart meters nationwide, of which 96 028 (approximately 33.7%) have been deployed on load reduction feeders. These installations empower customers with greater visibility and control over their electricity consumption, support accurate billing and significantly enhance the overall user experience.

Of the smart meters installed on load reduction feeders, 90% are concentrated in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu‑Natal, where network risk is highest.

The phased programme to eliminate load reduction programme targets the installation of 577 347 smart meters on load reduction feeders by March 2026, with full rollout on these feeders planned for completion in 2027. Current implementation represents approximately 16.63% of the total end-state target, with installations progressing steadily in line with the load reduction elimination programme’s phased rollout plan.

• Feeders removed from load reduction:

The total number of feeders removed from load reduction is 97. This includes:

• 13 feeders in Limpopo and Mpumalanga (35% of the target of 37),
  • 37 in Gauteng (29% of the target of 126),
  • 8 in the Eastern and Western Cape (53% of the target of 15),
  • 39 in Free State and KwaZulu-Natal (41% of the target of 94).

Nationally, the 97 feeders removed represent about 36% of the overall year-end target of 271 feeders to be removed from load reduction by March 2026.

Efforts are ongoing to accelerate feeder removals in order to meet both provincial and national targets. However, progress in the Northwest, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga has been negatively affected by community resistance during implementation. Eskom remains committed to addressing these challenges and is actively engaging with communities and local leadership to facilitate successful implementation.

• Customers benefiting from the elimination of load reduction programme

With the feeders removed from load reduction to date, an estimated 115 860 customers are now benefiting, comprising 28 992 in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, 48 876 in Gauteng, and 10 770 in the Eastern and Western Cape, 27 222 in KwaZulu-Natal. The remaining customers still due for load reduction removal by financial year end are 207 344 in both Limpopo and Mpumalanga, 96 606 in Gauteng, 14 740 in both Eastern and Western Cape, 100 624 in the Free State and KwaZulu‑Natal, and 44 181 in the Northern Cape and North West provinces.

Overall, 461 487 customers, representing 79.93% of the 577 347 target, still need to be removed from load reduction by March 2026.

• Free Basic Electricity (FBE):

Nationally, registrations are at 579 360 customers. The FBE beneficiaries figure fluctuates monthly, and the average for this financial year is 582 952 beneficiaries.The 579 360 figure reflects a 19.4% increase from the baseline of 485 000 customers and represents 27.6% of the 2.1 million eligible customers.

Eskom is harnessing technology, upgrading infrastructure and partnering with communities to ensure a safer, smarter and more reliable power network for South Africa.

Eskom calls on communities to report illegal connections, use electricity responsibly, and protect infrastructure. Any illegal activity affecting Eskom’s infrastructure can be reported to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.

Eskom data sources

The Eskom data portal provides a 24/7/365 snapshot of system performance. [Eskom Data Portal].

Since May 2024, Eskom has released a detailed power system update every Friday, providing a consolidated view of key areas of its generation performance through the Media Desk and across its social media platforms. This is a deliberate effort to improve transparency.

Eskom will provide its next update on Friday, 6 February 2026, or communicate any significant developments as they occur.

ENDS