Cape Town — Eskom has spent just under R6 billion in the past six months to keep load shedding away as South Africa approaches nearly 200 days of uninterrupted power.
In a statement on X, Eskom revealed that its Generation Operational Recovery Plan has kept load shedding away since 26 March 2024.
For the period from 1 April 2024 and 3 October 2024, the power utility spent R5.92 billion on Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) to generate 883 GWh, which is 66% less than the R17.62 billion spent in the same period last year (2 862.32Gwh), Eskom’s Daphne Mokwena said.
As of 4 October, the available generation capacity is 30 725MW, while an additional 4 430 MW will return to service by today (7 October).
Eskom announced that the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) stood at 25.4% between 1 April and 3 October, an improvement from 31.4% in the same period last year, while its operational efficiency improved by 3 562 MW, decreasing to 11 181MW from 13 743 MW from the same period last year.
“Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) averaged 61% over the past week and 63.2% year-to-date. Top-performing stations such as Kusile, Majuba, Camden, and the peaking stations maintained an EAF above 70%. Additionally, two other power stations sustained an EAF above 60%. Notably, Duvha Power Station achieved 81.9% EAF today, marking another milestone in the recovery plan,” Mokwena said.
Loadshedding suspension continues after 191 days of uninterrupted power supply, achieving R11.51 billion in diesel savings year-on-year pic.twitter.com/M2joRwcUaY
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) October 4, 2024
Additional key figures include 5.79% in the OCGT load factor, compared to 18.78% in the same period last year, while diesel usage rate also remains below the year-to-year budget.
“While loadshedding remains suspended, Eskom continues to face network overloading issues in certain local areas due to illegal connections, vandalism, meter tampering, unauthorised network operations, theft of network equipment, and purchasing electricity of unlicensed vendors,” Mokwena said.
Eskom added it will provide an update at the end of the week on any significant changes.
According to The Citizen, Eskom officially launched its electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the Eskom Academy of Learning in Midrand. The power utility said it was a significant step in its commitment to supporting the growth of eMobility in South Africa, while also contributing to the country’s broader goals in reducing carbon emissions.
The pilot project includes procuring 20 new electric vehicles including light delivery vehicles and light trucks for operational sue. It will also include installation of 10 charging stations at five Eskom sites in the country.
The utility said the sites will serve as the foundation for Eskom Distribution’s long-term strategy to electrify its entire fleet by 2040.
South Africa’s Eskom launches several electric vehicle charging stations pic.twitter.com/oS9su8za7O
— CGTN Africa (@cgtnafrica) September 29, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
