- Eskom reports that on Sunday, 6 July 2025, Unit 4 at Medupi Power Station was successfully brought back online.
- Once it reaches full capacity in the coming weeks, it will contribute 800MW to the national grid, marking a key milestone in strengthening South Africa’s energy security and improving supply reliability.
As of today, unplanned outages total 13 380MW, with an available generation capacity of 30 195MW and an expected electricity demand of 28 346MW for tonight. To further enhance grid stability, Eskom plans to return a total of 3 470MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 14 July 2025.
During the week of 4 to 10 July 2025, planned maintenance averaged 4 418MW. Over the same period, the EAF ranged between 60% and 62%, with the month-to-date average increasing to 62.07%.
The Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which reflects the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, has reached 29.44% for the current financial year to date (1 April to 10 July 2025). This represents an increase of approximately 2.4% compared to 27.03% recorded during the same period last year.
Burning diesel
The year-to-date load factor for open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) has marginally increased to 10.78%, reflecting a 0.08% increase compared to the previous week. This figure remains higher than the 5.87% recorded during the same period last year. Year-to-date, Eskom spent R5.26 billion on fuel for the OCGT fleet, generating 892.42GWh. This is almost double the 485.39GWh generated during the same period last year. The open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) load factor increased this week, reaching 11.92%, up from 2.41% recorded during the previous week (27 June to 3 July 2025).
Although diesel usage is within budget, Eskom confirms it is expected to decline as more units return to service, increasing available generation capacity. The Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2.
Link to Eskom’s real time performance data portal HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
