Permanent load-shedding

Eskom will implement permanent load-shedding in South Africa for the next two years, the state-owned power utility's chairman Mpho Makwana has said.

“The global average for EAF is about 86%. - 70% EAF — end-March 2025 - 60% EAF — end-March 2023

Eskom will impose load shedding on a continuous basis for at least the next two years, board chairman Mpho Makwanan has warned.

Makwana said Eskom is focusing on “key levers” to address the problems facing the utility. Inculcating a high-performance culture will be key to turning Eskom around, Makwana said, without elaborating what the incentive scheme will look like. Eskom will impose load shedding on a continuous basis for at least the next two years.

That's according to Eskom chair Mpho Makwana and CEO Andre de Ruyter, who addressed media on current challenges facing the power utility on Sunday. Makwana said ...

Makwana said permanent load-shedding is needed to allow the utility time for much-needed maintenance to the constrained system and to provide consistency in outages for South Africans. He said the new board had met 50 times in its first 112 days in office and a new plan to boost its power plants was approved in December. South Africans should brace for permanent stage 2 and 3 load-shedding for the next two years.

Eskom clarifies its media briefing statement on rolling blackouts while the new Eskom board sets ambitious targets and hints at staff incentives to boost ...

When it came to internal staff motivation, Makwana said the power utility currently offered “no incentive for good performance”. “EAF has been on a downward trend for the last 10 years and it represents the average of 80 generators. “It will take at least two years to improve the energy availability factor (EAF) from the current 58% to 70%. Shuttling from one stage to another within a short space of time is not good for the business community,” he said. However, he said that realistically, the recovery of the Eskom coal fleet could not be achieved in the short term. “Eskom has considered implementing permanent stage two and three load shedding to give the public more predictability.

"The reality is that the recovery of the Eskom coal fleet, currently comprising 80% of our generation power mix, will not be achieved within the short term.

It will take at least two years to ultimately reach the perfectly-desirable energy availability factor. It will take at least two years to ultimately reach the perfectly-desirable energy availability factor." "The reality is that the recovery of the Eskom coal fleet, currently comprising 80% of our generation power mix, will not be achieved within the short term.

In a media call on Sunday, chairman Mpho Makwana confirmed that Eskom will implement permanent loadshedding for the next two years.

However, there is always an inherent risk, and for that purpose, we have to protect our diesel reserves,” said De Ruyter. “The global average for EAF is about 86%. This permanent loadshedding is part of Eskom’s plan to increase its Energy Availability Factor (EAF).

Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Kevin Mileham said that this was an unprecedented move that would place an onerous burden on the economy and on citizens.

Eskom has rubbished these claims and placed the country on permanent load shedding for two years with no guarantees after that." DA MP Kevin Mileham said that this was an unprecedented move that would place an onerous burden on the economy and on citizens. Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Kevin Mileham said that this was an unprecedented move that would place an onerous burden on the economy and on citizens.