Eskom Hails Sustained Grid Stability and Improved Energy Availability in October 2025, Slashing Diesel Costs
Pretoria, Gauteng – Eskom has reported strong progress in its power generation efforts, with the system running smoothly to meet South Africa’s electricity needs. The ongoing Generation Recovery Plan is boosting grid strength, cutting costs, and ensuring better energy security. Highlights include a rising Energy Availability Factor (EAF), fewer unplanned outages, and a sharp drop in diesel use, showing real gains in plant performance.
These updates come as the country enjoys over 161 days without load shedding, a big win after years of power cuts. Eskom’s focus on fixing units and adding capacity is paying off, giving hope for a more reliable supply ahead.
Year-to-Date EAF Climbs to 63.06%, Beating Last Year’s Mark
The year-to-date EAF has risen to 63.06%, just above last year’s 63.02% for the same period. This small gain shows steady improvement in how well power stations are running. In October 2025 alone, the EAF jumped to 65.9%, up 3.66% from 62.24% in October 2024, thanks to fewer breakdowns and more units back online.
Eskom credits this to its recovery plan, which targets key fixes at stations like Kusile and Medupi. These changes are helping keep lights on and building trust in the system.
Unplanned Outages Drop, UCLF Falls to 21.78%
The Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which tracks power lost to sudden breakdowns, fell to 21.78% in October 2025 – down 2.73% from 24.51% last year. This means fewer surprise stops, with an average of 8,768MW offline from 24 to 30 October 2025, compared to 9,837MW in the same week last year – a drop of 1,069MW.
Planned outages, measured by the Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF), stood at 12.01%, slightly better than last year’s 12.87%. This balance of fixes without too many blackouts is key to Eskom’s strategy.
Diesel Spending Plummets, OCGT Use Near Zero
One big win is the near-zero use of Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs), with the load factor dropping to 0.0001% from 0.23% the week before. Diesel costs for the past week were just R0.005 million, way down from R7.84 million last year.
From 1 April to 30 October 2025, Eskom spent R6.074 billion on diesel for 1,023.67GWh from OCGTs – still under budget and showing less need for emergency power. This shift to cheaper main sources like coal and nuclear saves money and eases strain on supplies.
Koeberg Unit 1 Back Online, Boosting Baseload Power
Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 rejoined the grid on Wednesday after long planned maintenance, adding reliable baseload power. Both units are now running, with Unit 1 ramping up and Unit 2 at 941MW. Once full, Koeberg will produce over 1,860MW, helping steady the system.
This return is part of Eskom’s push for safe nuclear ops, key for clean, steady energy in South Africa.
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