Eskom could make history this year by completing winter without implementing any stage of loadshedding, a feat that has never been achieved since the start of planned power cuts.
Eskom loadshedding record on track for major winter milestone
This would mark a major turnaround for the power utility.
According to Eskom, the improved performance of its coal-fired power stations and overall power generation fleet has made it possible to avoid rotational blackouts since mid-May.
The utility reported that, from 1 April to 31 July 2025, loadshedding occurred for only 26 hours in total, and none at all since 15 May.
Loadshedding is used when Eskom cannot supply enough electricity to meet the country’s demand.
It involves cutting power in stages, rotating between different areas, to avoid a national blackout. But this winter, Eskom’s system has remained stable due to fewer breakdowns and better-performing power plants.
At least 57% of Eskom’s 14 coal-fired power stations are operating at more than 70% efficiency. Three of those are running at over 90%. Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) – a measure of how much electricity plants can generate versus how much they should be able to – has climbed above 64%, reflecting steady improvement.
The Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which tracks electricity lost due to breakdowns, fell below 20% for the first time in recent memory, standing at 19.94%. Eskom says this indicates fewer disruptions and better maintenance.
What the numbers say
Eskom currently has 30 882MW of available capacity. The highest demand this winter has been around 27 837MW.
That means Eskom has been able to meet demand without relying heavily on expensive emergency power options, such as diesel-fuelled turbines. In fact, diesel use for open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) has dropped sharply to a load factor of just 0.31%.
The utility also injected another 3 075MW of power on Monday evening, making it even more prepared to handle demand spikes.
Eskom’s winter plan assumes that loadshedding can be avoided if unplanned outages remain under 13 000MW. So far, outages have stayed well below this threshold. Even if outages rise to 15 000MW, only a limited number of Stage 2 power cuts would be expected.
However, Eskom has warned that protecting the power grid also depends on public cooperation.
Illegal connections and meter tampering cause local transformer damage and can lead to targeted power cuts in certain high-risk areas.