- Eskom confirms that loadshedding remains suspended for now.
- The power system remains constrained but stable and supported by the strategic utilisation of emergency reserves to meet demand, especially during peak periods, and where necessary.
- Eskom implement stage 2 loadshedding on Wednesday after losing five generating units.
- Two of the the units were from the Cahora Bassa hydro dam in Mozambique.
The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), or unplanned outages, for the financial year-to-date, stands at 25.77%, improving from 32.39% in the same period last year. This reflects a ~6.6% reduction and signifies increased fleet reliability.
As of today, unplanned outages slightly increased to 13 733MW compared to the previous week, while available generation capacity is 27 106MW, sufficient to meet tonight’s forecasted peak demand of 25 652MW.
“We continues to maintain high levels of planned maintenance as part of its efforts to improve fleet reliability in preparation for the high winter demand, while also meeting environmental license conditions and regulatory requirements. This may necessitate the strategic use of emergency reserves, particularly during morning and evening peak periods. Currently, planned maintenance stands at 6 793MW.” the state owned utility said in a statement.
Four bouts of loadshedding in seven weeks
“The previous loadshedding events this year were primarily as a result of insufficient emergency reserves that needed to be replenished following extended delays in returning units to service after maintenance, that was not the case last night. With the currently constrained system and the planned use of emergency reserves to manage peak periods, the loss of five units prior to and during the evening peak yesterday introduced a generation capacity shortage within the peak period that unfortunately could not be replaced otherwise,” said Dan Marokane, Eskom Group Chief Executive.
“Once more, we offer an apology to the country as we navigate these challenges and for our inability to give a warning in advance. We are reviewing our protocols with the intent of striking a good balance in the timing of our issuing of warnings should it be necessary. We reiterate our commitment to ensuring that South Africa is in no way returning to the levels of loadshedding that we experienced in 2023, and our focus remains on delivering a more reliable, resilient, and sustainable power system for the country,” concluded Marokane.
Link to Eskom’s performance data portal HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
