The Unlikely Turnaround Artist: Eskom’s Jaw-Dropping Comeback (
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In a shocking twist, Eskom, the embattled state-owned power utility, has managed to achieve a feat that seemed like a distant memory – topping 35GW of available generation capacity. And they did it without relying on those pesky diesel-burning turbines.
The miraculous turnaround is nothing short of astonishing. For four consecutive months, load shedding has been suspended, and over the past seven days, the utility has surpassed an energy availability factor of 70% – a significant milestone considering its dismal performance just a year ago.
“We didn’t think this was possible, especially during the harsh winter season,” said Eskom, trying to contain their excitement. “Our recovery plan is yielding results, and our operational efficiency is off the charts. Who would have thought?”
Six power stations have joined the ’70 Club’, with Medupi, Kusile, Matla, Matimba, Grootvlei, and Lethabo racking up EAF levels above 70%. A few others managed to scrape by with a score above 60%.
The real MVPs are the utility’s operators, who have somehow managed to keep unplanned outages at bay. “Current unplanned outages have averaged between 9.8GW and 12.4GW since 1 April 2024, the start of Eskom’s 2025 financial year. Today’s figure has reduced to 10.6GW, significantly below the winter 2024 forecast,” Eskom bragged.
Caution: The Party Won’t Last Forever
Eskom is warning its customers not to get too comfortable, reminding them that load shedding remains a possibility as winter slowly subsides. “The winter forecast anticipated a likely scenario of unplanned outages of 15.5GW and load shedding limited to stage 2 – this remains in force,” the utility ominously warned. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
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