Eskom has reached a significant milestone with 243 consecutive days of uninterrupted power supply, marking the longest stretch of loadshedding suspension in five years.
Story Summary:
- Eskom maintains 240 days of uninterrupted power supply, achieving the longest streak in five years.
- Unplanned outages drop to 10,478MW, with planned maintenance at 8,402MW.
- No loadshedding expected as generation capacity exceeds peak demand projections.
Loadshedding outlook for this week: Here’s what to expect
The continued success of the Generation Recovery Plan has yielded year-on-year diesel savings of R16.33 billion—71.2% less than the R22.94 billion spent during the same period last year.
Unplanned outages have averaged 10,478MW over the past week, a notable reduction of 5,890MW compared to the same period in 2023. This improvement has enabled Eskom to increase planned maintenance activities, which currently sit at 8,402MW.
The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) averaged 64.5% this week, with top-performing stations such as Medupi, Kusile, and Matla exceeding 70% EAF, ensuring system reliability and meeting national electricity demand.
Here’s the loadshedding schedule starting Monday, 25 November 2024
Here is the official loadshedding schedule:
| Date | 00:00 – 05:00 | 05:00 – 16:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 | 20:00 – 00:00 |
| Mon 25 Nov 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Tues 26 Nov 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Wed 27 Nov 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Thurs 28 Nov 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Friday 29 Nov 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Sat 30 Nov 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Sun 1 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
Readers from these metros can check the latest loadshedding schedule below:
- City of Johannesburg
- City of Ekurhuleni
- City of Tshwane
- City of Cape Town
- Nelson Mandela Bay
- eThekwini
- Manguang
- Buffalo City
What is the average demand expected to be this week?
Loadshedding is unlikely this week. Eskom’s operational efficiency, demonstrated by reduced unplanned outages and an improved EAF, supports this positive outlook.
The current unplanned outages are 10,170MW—2,830MW below the summer 2024 base case.
Eskom has an available generation capacity of 29,157MW, comfortably exceeding the projected average peak demand of 25,954MW.
With structural improvements continuing across the coal-fired fleet and planned maintenance on track, Eskom remains poised to maintain stable electricity supply throughout the week.
