Eskom published the weekend loadshedding schedule starting on Friday, which forecasts suspended outages.
Weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 24 May 2024
In a statement, Eskom reassured South Africans that loadshedding will not resume this weekend.
The power utility has been addressing fake news circulating on social media about the return of loadshedding on Thursday, 30 May 2024.
Eskom’s recent Power Alert, issued on Friday, 24 May 2024, affirmed the continued suspension of loadshedding due to stable generation performance and successful implementation of their Generation Recovery Plan.
The Generation Recovery Plan, initiated in March 2023, has played a pivotal role in enhancing Eskom’s energy availability and reliability. Intensive planned maintenance has been ongoing, contributing significantly to the current stability.
Unplanned outages are averaging at 12,500MW, which is below the anticipated levels for the winter outlook.
This lower-than-expected figure is a positive indicator of the system’s resilience and effectiveness of the recovery efforts.
Eskom reported that four of its power stations are performing with an energy availability factor (EAF) above 70%.
The year-to-date EAF stands at 60.73%, showing gradual improvement. This improved performance is crucial in maintaining a consistent power supply and avoiding the need for loadshedding.
Here’s a look at the provisional weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 31 May 2024:
| Date | 05:00 – 16:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 | 20:00 – 00:00 | 00:00 – 05:00 |
| Fri 31 May 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Sat 1 June 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
| Sun 2 June 24 | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* | Suspended* |
Winter 2024 outlook
Eskom’s winter outlook, published on 26 April 2024, remains in effect.
The improved generation performance surpasses the forecast, which anticipated unplanned outages ranging from 14,000 MW to 15,500 MW, with loadshedding limited to Stage 2 if necessary.
OCGT usage has significantly decreased, with a load factor of 4.76% from 1 May to 16 May 2024, compared to 22.07% in the same period last year.
Eskom has also reduced its expenditure on OCGTs by 76%, spending R1.25 billion compared to R5.2 billion last year.
