Power utility Eskom is expected to return at least 2,550MW capacity to the grid by evening peak on Monday as South Africa braces for severe winter conditions throughout the country this week.
The power utility said it is making “steady progress” in tapering down maintenance season with the Energy Availability Factor “fluctuating between 61% and 64%” last week.
“While system constraints are occasionally experienced, adequate emergency reserves are in place and are being strategically deployed to support demand during the morning and evening peak periods, particularly as the country prepares for a forecasted cold spell in the coming week.
“We plan to return a total of 2,550MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak [today] to further stabilise the grid,” the power utility said.
In May Eskom shared its Winter Outlook which covers the period from 1 May 2025 to 31 August 2025, noting that that load shedding would be avoided if unplanned outages remain below 13,000 MW.
If outages reach 15,000 MW, load shedding would be limited to Stage 2.
Eskom revealed that Medupi Unit 4 is in the last phases of recovery following damages sustained in 2021.
“Commissioning activities are currently underway and Grid Code compliance testing is expected to resume in the coming week. The unit is anticipated to return to service within June 2025.
“Diesel usage is expected to decline further as more units return from long-term repairs and maintenance activities are reduced, increasing available generation capacity.
“The Winter Outlook…covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that load shedding 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,” Eskom said.
The power utility has encouraged communities to “avoid illegal connections and energy theft” even as the winter period rolls in.
“These activities often lead to transformer overloads, equipment failures, and in some cases, explosions and extended outages, prompting the need for load reduction to protect the network.
