Eskom announced the suspension of loadshedding on Sunday, 9 March 2025, following the recovery of over 3,000MW in generation capacity and the replenishment of emergency reserves.
Eskom suspends loadshedding today: Here’s what the utility said
The state-owned utility confirmed that the improved performance of coal operations at Kusile Power Station and the return of previously offline units made it possible to suspend rolling blackouts.
According to Eskom, Koeberg Unit 2, which has been offline since Sunday, 2 March 2025, for planned maintenance, remains a priority. The utility assured the public that efforts to restore the unit to service are progressing well.
However, concerns remain about the long-term reliability of South Africa’s only nuclear power station.
Eskom further stated that maintenance outages continue as part of preparations for the upcoming winter months.
The power supplier remains optimistic, reaffirming its stance that structural improvements in the generation fleet have significantly reduced the need for loadshedding.
The company’s Summer Outlook, published in August 2024, remains unchanged, with Eskom insisting that loadshedding is “largely behind us.”
Energy expert questions reliability of Koeberg Unit 2
Despite Eskom’s assurances, energy analyst Anton Eberhard raised concerns about the stability of the national power grid.
In a social media post shortly before the announcement, Eberhard questioned whether Eskom had enough reserve capacity to sustain power supply without relying on emergency diesel-powered generators.
“Koeberg nuclear unit 2 has been offline since 2 March (despite a one-year refurbishment), and Eskom has been burning a lot of diesel over the past week. The system is tight. Does it have enough headroom to replenish emergency reserves?” Eberhard wrote.
His concerns were amplified when loadshedding was reinstated shortly after his initial comments.
He also suggested that South Africa’s National Transmission Company should take control of public communications about energy supply instead of leaving it in the hands of Eskom, which he claims is “conflicted” due to its role in both power generation and transmission.
Although loadshedding has been suspended for now, energy experts warn that the system remains vulnerable.
The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Eskom can sustain stable power generation or if further outages will be necessary.
