Eskom
By Thobeka Makume
South Africa’s state-owned power utility, Eskom, has announced the implementation of Stage 3 load shedding from 14:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Monday, following the loss of 2,700 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity over the past 14 hours. The power cuts, which will continue throughout the weekend, are necessary to replenish emergency reserves and stabilise the electricity grid ahead of the new business week.
This latest development is attributed to ongoing technical failures at two major power stations—Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and Kusile Coal-Fired Power Station—along with high levels of planned maintenance aimed at preparing for the upcoming winter season.
The utility confirmed that it is working around the clock to restore 6,200 MW to the national grid by Monday’s evening peak. However, the constrained generation capacity and the reliance on emergency reserves have raised concerns about potential escalations in load shedding stages if further breakdowns occur.
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Koeberg and Kusile Power Stations at the Centre of the Crisis
The recent power supply challenges are exacerbated by issues at Eskom’s Koeberg and Kusile power stations, two key facilities in the country’s energy mix.
Koeberg Nuclear Power Station
Koeberg, Africa’s only commercial nuclear power plant, plays a critical role in South Africa’s electricity supply, contributing approximately 1,860 MW to the grid. However, Eskom reported that Koeberg Unit 2, which had just been brought back online on Wednesday, suffered an unexpected trip due to adverse weather conditions affecting stability in the area.
This setback follows Eskom’s December 2024 announcement that it had successfully reconnected Koeberg Unit 1 to the grid after extensive refurbishment. While the upgrade was expected to improve reliability, the delays in restoring full operational capacity at Koeberg have significantly affected the utility’s ability to meet demand.
Kusile Coal-Fired Power Station
At the same time, Eskom is grappling with operational issues at Kusile Power Station, one of its newest and largest coal-fired plants. While some of its units have been restored following a lengthy repair process, the two units currently offline have further strained South Africa’s power supply.
Kusile has been plagued by construction delays, cost overruns, and technical defects since its development began in 2008. Despite multiple interventions, the plant has struggled to consistently operate at full capacity, contributing to Eskom’s ongoing difficulties.
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Planned Maintenance and Emergency Reserves Under Pressure
Eskom stated that higher-than-normal levels of planned maintenance are currently underway as part of its winter preparation strategy. The company is working to meet regulatory and environmental licensing requirements, which has led to additional pressure on available generation capacity.
With several units offline, Eskom has been forced to increase reliance on emergency reserves, which cannot be sustained indefinitely. The current Stage 3 load shedding is intended to replenish these reserves before demand spikes again during the workweek.
Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, said in a statement that the company remains committed to ensuring that South Africa does not return to the severe load shedding levels of 2023. However, he acknowledged that the present challenges require urgent attention.
“We reiterate our commitment to ensuring that South Africa is in no way returning to the levels of load shedding that we experienced in 2023. Two years into delivering the generation recovery plan, we are at a challenging time, and the full force of our highly skilled engineering resources are deployed and focused,” Nxumalo said.He also confirmed that three additional units that have been on long-term outage will be returned to service in the coming weeks, bringing back 2,500 MW to the grid.
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Eskom’s Load Shedding Track Record and Year-to-Date Analysis
Despite these setbacks, Eskom highlighted improvements in its overall energy availability factor (EAF). The utility stated that from April 2024 to February 2025, it had managed to reduce load shedding hours compared to the previous year.
According to Eskom’s latest data:
• Load shedding was suspended for 325 days (7,871 hours) between April 2024 and February 2025, compared to only 32 days (2,103 hours) in the same period last year.
• Electricity supply was available 98% of the time, a significant improvement from the 9.6% availability recorded in 2023.
• The improvements were largely attributed to aggressive maintenance strategies and better plant performance.
Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, reiterated the company’s commitment to ending load shedding.
“Load shedding is a painful reminder of the past and situations such as this drive our resolve to double down and stay the course to end load shedding. We again apologise to the nation for this temporary setback. We have to keep our focus on intensive maintenance,” Marokane said.⸻
Government’s Response and Future Energy Plans
In response to the crisis, the South African government has reaffirmed its commitment to long-term energy solutions that will reduce dependence on Eskom’s aging fleet.
Potential Nuclear Expansion
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has been exploring plans to add 2,500 MW of new nuclear capacity, with discussions around the revival of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor project gaining traction.
Eskom has also been working on a feasibility study for extending Koeberg’s operational lifespan beyond 2045, ensuring continued nuclear power generation.
Boosting Renewable Energy and Private Sector Involvement
There has also been an increase in private sector participation in the electricity market, with renewable energy projects gaining momentum. The recent lifting of generation capacity limits for private producers has encouraged businesses and independent power producers (IPPs) to invest in solar, wind, and battery storage solutions.
However, while these projects are progressing, they will take time to fully integrate into the national grid.
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What Lies Ahead?
While Eskom has made progress in stabilising electricity supply, the latest disruptions at Koeberg and Kusile highlight the ongoing risks facing South Africa’s power system.
Eskom has maintained that load shedding will gradually become less frequent as more units return to service and maintenance efforts continue.
Dan Marokane reaffirmed Eskom’s confidence in its generation recovery plan, stating:
“We maintain our guidance that load shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet. While baseload capacity remains constrained, our generation recovery plan is addressing this challenge. Achieving our goal of a stable energy availability factor of 65%–70% will significantly reduce the risk of load shedding.”Eskom will continue monitoring the situation and providing updates as needed.
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