Eskom has announced that loadshedding will remain suspended for the weekend starting Friday, 12 July 2024.
Weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 12 July 2024
This marks a significant milestone as it is the 107th consecutive day without loadshedding since 26 March 2024, including 73 days since the onset of winter.
Eskom attributes this stability to the diligent efforts of its 40,000 employees and the successful implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan, which began in March 2023, alongside extensive planned maintenance.
Here’s a look at the provisional weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 12 July 2024:
Date | 05:00 – 16:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 | 20:00 – 00:00 | 00:00 – 05:00 |
Fri 12 July 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
Sat 13 July 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
Sun 14 July 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
What is the state of the power system?
The current state of the power system is stable and efficient, with Eskom surpassing its winter forecast.
Unplanned outages have averaged 12,500MW since the start of the financial year (FY25), with a recent figure of 12,011MW, which is significantly lower than the winter forecast of 15,500MW.
The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) has decreased to 26.99% for the financial year to date (1 April 2024 to 11 July 2024), compared to 34.78% in the corresponding period last year, representing a 7.8% improvement.
Eskom recorded another drop in Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) diesel expenditure, which saw a ~R7.65 billion decrease from 1 April 2024 to 11 July 2024 compared to the same period last year.
Planned maintenance of 4,801MW is currently underway, ensuring continued plant reliability.
The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has also improved, reaching 61.8% year-to-date, up from 54.76% in the same period last year.
The weekly EAF has increased from 57.0% at the beginning of the financial year to 66.44% from 8 July to 11 July 2024.
Will Eskom implement loadshedding this winter?
Eskom does not anticipate implementing loadshedding this winter, thanks to ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance the power system’s stability.
The strategic use of peaking stations, including OCGTs, has effectively managed electricity demand during peak times, particularly in the evenings.
Diesel consumption remains below projected figures and significantly lower than in the past two years.
Eskom’s expenditure on OCGTs between 1 April and 11 July was R3.33 billion, generating 487.16GWh, approximately 70% less than the R10.98 billion spent last year for 1,822.67GWh.
The OCGT load factor for 1 April to 11 July 2024 is 5.83%, compared to 21.81% over the same period last year. For the period from 1 July to 11 July 2024, the OCGT load factor was 2.74%, lower than last year’s 26.37%.
Eskom plans to return about 1,436MW of generating capacity to service by Monday, 15 July 2024.
The projected evening peak demand for Friday, 12 July 2024, is 29,737MW.