Eskom boosts grid by 2,550MW as cold front hits Gauteng

Eskom has returned at least 2 550MW of generation capacity to the national grid as severe winter weather grips the country.

According to the South African Government News Agency (SAnews.gov.za), the power utility is making steady progress in reducing maintenance operations, with the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) currently fluctuating between 61% and 64%.

“While system constraints are occasionally experienced, adequate emergency reserves are in place and are being strategically deployed to support demand during the morning and evening peak periods,” Eskom said.

The utility warned that this week’s cold front may drive up electricity usage, putting additional strain on the grid. The return of 2 550MW to service by June 9 is part of efforts to stabilise supply during peak hours.

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Progress is also being made at Medupi Unit 4, which was damaged in 2021. Commissioning activities are underway, and Grid Code compliance testing is expected to resume within the coming week. The unit is anticipated to return to service by the end of June.

As more units return from long-term repairs, Eskom expects a reduction in diesel use, improving overall grid performance this winter.

According to Eskom’s Winter Outlook (until 31 August 2025), load-shedding may be avoided entirely if unplanned outages remain below 13 000MW. If breakdowns increase to 15 000MW, load-shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days over the 153-day period and restricted to Stage 2.

Eskom also appealed to communities to avoid illegal electricity connections and energy theft, which often lead to transformer damage, equipment failure, and prolonged outages.

“These issues force us to implement load reduction to protect the network,” the utility said.

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Customers are urged to buy electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors and to register for Free Basic Electricity through their local municipalities.

To help manage household consumption, Eskom encourages residents to use its online Residential Calculator at eskom.co.za