Eskom has assured the public that the national power grid remains stable and resilient despite increased electricity demand due to a forecasted cold front sweeping across South Africa.
The power utility said emergency reserves are being effectively managed to support demand, particularly during peak hours in the mornings and evenings.
This forms part of Eskom’s efforts to prepare for an anticipated rise in electricity usage as residents turn to heating appliances to cope with plummeting temperatures.
In response to the approaching cold spell, Eskom is preparing to return an additional 2,550 megawatts of generation capacity to the grid by the evening peak on Monday, 9 June. This move is intended to bolster supply and maintain grid stability as weather conditions deteriorate across the country.
Data from the utility shows an improvement in operational performance in recent days. Between 30 May and 5 June, Eskom reported a drop in its Planned Capability Loss Factor, which measures the impact of planned maintenance outages, decreasing from an average of 4,883 megawatts to 4,035 megawatts.
This improvement contributed to a higher Energy Availability Factor, which has fluctuated between 61 and 64 percent since Monday. For the month to date, the availability rate stands at 60.42 percent.
Despite these gains, unplanned outages remain a challenge. Last week, they averaged 14,644 megawatts, exceeding Eskom’s target base case of 13,000 megawatts.
As of 6 June, unplanned outages were slightly reduced to 13,855 megawatts, while available generation capacity reached 28,875 megawatts, not including Kusile Unit 6, which contributes 720 megawatts.
Fuel usage has also declined, with the load factor for Open-Cycle Gas Turbines falling to 6.31 percent this week, a significant drop from the previous week’s 12.70 percent. This reduction reflects decreased reliance on diesel-powered generation.
According to Eskom’s Winter Outlook released on 5 May, loadshedding remains unlikely provided unplanned outages stay below the 13,000-megawatt threshold. However, if they reach 15,000 megawatts, the utility may need to implement Stage 2 loadshedding for up to 21 days throughout the 153-day winter period.
In light of rising demand, Eskom is calling on the public to help protect infrastructure by avoiding illegal connections, which often lead to transformer damage and extended power outages.
The utility is also urging customers to purchase electricity only from approved vendors and encouraging eligible households to register for free basic electricity through their local municipalities.
Eskom is expected to provide its next system update on Friday, 13 June, or earlier if conditions change significantly.
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