Eskom holds EAF at 67,78% and cuts diesel spend by R4,8 billion

Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF) reached 67,78% for the financial year to date, the period from 1 April to 10 September 2026, the highest financial year-to-date level in six years. The figure is set out in the utility’s own performance update, published on 11 September 2026.

That is 6,07 percentage points better than the 61,71% recorded over the same period last year, and 12,6% better than three years ago, when the generation recovery plan began. Measured against that three-year baseline, roughly 6 098MW of generating capacity has returned to the grid.

The number that carries the most weight for the fiscus is diesel. Expenditure on diesel-fired generation fell from R5,93 billion to R1,13 billion over the same period, a reduction of R4,80 billion, or 80,94%. Open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) generation stands at 146,81GWh, about 85,33% lower than a year ago, and the OCGT load factor has dropped from 7,56% to 1,11%, well below the annual target of 3%.

Eskom notes that the comparison is not uniform across every measure. Between 4 and 10 September 2026, EAF came in at 67,81% against 70,84% in the same week last year, which it attributes mainly to a higher planned capacity loss factor. Planned maintenance for the financial year to date averaged 5 965MW, or 12,6% of total generation capacity, up from 11,18% (5 219MW) a year earlier and 9,37% (4 402MW) three years ago.

Unplanned outages down, 483 days without loadshedding

Unplanned outages for the financial year to date fell to 19,43% on the unplanned capacity loss factor (UCLF), 7,18% lower than the same period last year. Average unplanned outages have come down by 7 026MW over three years, from 16 212MW to 9 186MW.

South Africa has now gone 483 consecutive days without loadshedding since 16 May 2025. Eskom maintains 6 019MW in cold reserve, and forecasts an evening peak of 24 485MW against available capacity of 28 992MW.

Twelve of Eskom’s fourteen coal-fired power stations are meeting their station-specific particulate matter emission targets.

On emissions, relative particulate matter improved to 0,32 kg/MWh sent out, against a financial year target of 0,35 kg/MWhSO and 0,96 kg/MWhSO at 31 March 2026, an improvement of about 67%. Eskom states it has performed below the 0,35 relative target since October 2025. Twelve of its fourteen coal-fired power stations are meeting their station-specific particulate matter targets, with interventions under way at the remaining two.

Load reduction down to 6,5% of customers

The Load Reduction Eradication Programme has restored about 1,2 million customers to normal supply, leaving 6,5% of Eskom customers affected. Seven of the nine provinces are free of load reduction. Of 971 targeted feeders, 571 have been removed, about 59%.

Progress is uneven by province. Limpopo and Mpumalanga have eliminated load reduction entirely, exceeding their combined target of 150 feeders with 163 removed. The Eastern and Western Cape hit 14 of 14, and the North West and Northern Cape 15 against a target of 9, with both pairs of provinces fully eliminated. The Free State has achieved full elimination within its 135 of 193 combined with KwaZulu-Natal. Gauteng sits at 244 of 604 feeders, or 40,4%.

An estimated 1 222 430 customers are no longer affected, about 72% of the 1,69 million targeted. Eskom says it remains on track to eradicate load reduction nationally by March 2027.

Smart meter installation has reached 513 022 units on load reduction feeders, about 89% of the 577 347 target for high-priority areas, with roughly 82% concentrated in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Eskom reports that resistance in some areas, including safety incidents, intimidation and work stoppages, has delayed more than 122 000 planned installations. It attributes the need for load reduction to illegal connections and meter tampering in localised areas.

Free Basic Electricity registrations stand at 546 576 customers, about 13% up on the 485 000 baseline and roughly 26% of the 2,1 million eligible customers.

Customers can report illegal connections and infrastructure damage on the Eskom Crime Line or by WhatsApp. Source: Eskom. Read the original item.