Eskom’s generation fleet is running at its best level in six years, with the power utility announcing on Friday that its Energy Availability Factor (EAF) for the financial year to date has climbed to 67.24% – the highest since 18 November 2020.
The milestone marks a powerful improvement of some 7.19 percentage points on the 60.05% recorded over the same period last year, and reflects what Eskom describes as the impact of sustained operational improvements and structural interventions across its generation fleet.
The Equivalent of a Whole Power Station, Back Online
The gains become even more striking over a longer horizon. Compared with the same period three years ago, Eskom’s EAF has improved by 11.9 percentage points – returning approximately 5.9GW of generating capacity to the national grid. More than 85% of the coal fleet is currently operating at EAF levels between 70% and 92%.
Unplanned breakdowns, long the bane of the power system, are falling sharply. Between 31 July and 6 August, average unplanned outages declined to 7 718MW, down from 10 758MW during the same period last year.
“This represents a reduction of 3 039MW, or 28.3% year-on-year. This reduction is almost equivalent to the size of the generating capacity of a power station such as Tutuka,” Eskom said.
The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor tells the same encouraging story, improving significantly to 16.12% from 22.60% in the corresponding period last year – continued gains that Eskom attributes to its Generation Recovery Plan.
Winter Demand Met, With Power to Spare
The stronger fleet has carried South Africa comfortably through the depths of winter. Eskom says the improvements have strengthened system reliability, supported a stable electricity supply and enabled the country to meet increased winter demand while maintaining energy security.
Remarkably, the utility currently holds some 3 360MW in cold reserve due to excess capacity – a buffer of spare generation standing ready that provides further assurance of system adequacy.
From Recovery to Reliability
For Eskom, the numbers signal something deeper than a good run of weeks: a progressive shift, in the utility’s own words, “from Recovery to Reliability and Sustainability”.
“Sustained improvements across the generation fleet are delivering a more dependable electricity supply, significantly reducing reliance on diesel generation and reinforcing South Africa’s energy security. Stronger plant performance and improved system resilience are enabling Eskom to meet demand more efficiently while creating lasting operational and financial benefits for customers, communities and the broader economy,” the utility said.
Less diesel burned, more capacity online and a healthy reserve in hand – for households and businesses across the country, the steady hum of a dependable grid is one of the most welcome sounds of 2026.
The performance figures were reported by SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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