Eskom Achieves Longest Stretch Without Load Shedding in Five Years

South Africa Celebrates Load Shedding-Free Streak

Eskom has reached an unprecedented milestone: 240 days without load shedding. This marks the longest period without blackouts in the past five years. Since March 26, 2024, South Africans have enjoyed uninterrupted electricity supply, a development hailed as a significant achievement in the nation’s ongoing energy crisis.

Government Interventions Drive Progress

Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, credited the success to the government’s Energy Action Plan and Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan. Speaking at a media briefing, Ramokgopa emphasized that while progress has been made, load shedding remains a concern.

“Load shedding is still an area that requires intervention. At the right time, when the conditions allow, we’ll declare it over, but I’m not in a position to make that firm pronouncement yet,” he explained.

Resilient Systems Build Stability

Dr. Ramokgopa highlighted the resilience of current interventions. He noted that the system is now robust enough to handle unexpected challenges, such as clusters of power unit failures, without triggering load shedding.

“This resilience provides a buffer that allows the system to maintain stability, even in less-than-ideal circumstances,” he said.

Significant Improvements in Energy Availability

The minister shared data showcasing Eskom’s progress:

• Reduced Downtime: The average unavailable capacity has dropped from 16,400MW in 2023 to 11,235MW in 2024.
• Improved Energy Availability Factor (EAF): The EAF increased by 7.3%, reflecting the system’s improved performance.
• 5,000MW Recovered: Compared to the same period last year, an additional 5,000MW is now consistently available.

Sustaining the Momentum

Ramokgopa expressed confidence in sustaining the current trajectory. He praised the efforts of Eskom and government stakeholders, noting that the system’s performance has exceeded expectations.

“We have drastically reduced the amount of unavailable megawatts. This progress is a testament to the effectiveness of our plans,” he said.

The Road Ahead for Eskom

Despite the progress, the government remains cautious about declaring the end of load shedding. However, the sustained improvement in South Africa’s energy landscape offers hope for long-term stability. Stakeholders continue to focus on bolstering energy availability and minimizing risks.

For now, South Africans can celebrate this historic milestone while looking forward to a future of more reliable power supply.