Eskom of South Africa hopes to avoid power outages for the next four months

Eskom, the state utility of South Africa, stated on Monday that it was hopeful about the power outlook for the winter in the southern hemisphere and that, if outages remain at present levels, it hopes to avoid any power outages for the next four months.

For almost ten years, Eskom’s struggles to provide electricity to Africa’s largest economy have slowed economic progress. However, last year, the company’s plant performance improved, and there were no cuts for nine months, including the whole winter.

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane stated at a conference that if unplanned outages stay below 13,000 megawatts, which is its base scenario, there shouldn’t be any power disruptions until the end of August.

One day of disruptions would last until the end of August if unscheduled outages reached 14,000 MW, and 21 days if they reached 15,000 MW.

As of March 2024, Eskom’s nominal generating capacity was around 46,000 MW, primarily from coal facilities, although it also runs a nuclear power plant and a few smaller units that produce energy using water or diesel.

According to Marokane, the electricity system is now more dependable than it has been in previous years.

He claimed that electricity availability was improving and referred to the 14 days of power outages that occurred from January to April of this year as a temporary setback.

Marokane continued: “This year’s winter outlook prediction is built on an improvement in operational performance and overall efficiency.”