Eskom continues its uninterrupted power supply streak, surpassing 257 consecutive days without loadshedding since 26 March 2024.
Story Summary:
Eskom power update for this week: Here’s what you must know
The Generation Recovery Plan has driven diesel savings of R16.99 billion year-on-year, marking a 70% reduction compared to the R24.27 billion spent during the same period in 2023.
Diesel usage remains well below the year-to-date budget.
Unplanned outages averaged 11,038MW over the past week, a significant drop from 14,475MW in the same period last year.
Currently, unplanned outages stand at 11,834MW, 1,166MW lower than the summer 2024 base case.
Planned maintenance has increased to 7,503MW, in line with Eskom’s summer maintenance strategy to prepare for winter 2025.
Here is the official loadshedding schedule:
| Date | 00:00 – 05:00 | 05:00 – 16:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 | 20:00 – 00:00 |
| Mon 9 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Tues 10 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Wed 11Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Thurs 12 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Friday 13 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Sat 14 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Sun 15 Dec 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
Readers from these metros can check the latest loadshedding schedule below:
- City of Johannesburg
- City of Ekurhuleni
- City of Tshwane
- City of Cape Town
- Nelson Mandela Bay
- eThekwini
- Manguang
- Buffalo City
What is the likelihood of loadshedding?
The likelihood of loadshedding this week remains low.
Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) averaged 59.4% last week and stands at 62.8% year-to-date.
Top-performing stations like Medupi and Majuba achieved EAFs above 70%, while four other stations maintained EAFs above 60%.
With a peak demand forecast of 25,830MW and an available generation capacity of 27,929MW for this week, Eskom is well-equipped to meet electricity needs.
The utility anticipates an additional 2,600MW to return online by Monday evening, further solidifying its capacity to sustain the loadshedding-free outlook through summer.
