Latest news with #WinterOutlook
The South African
18-05-2025
- Business
- The South African
Eskom confirms load shedding remains suspended
With the continued suspension of load shedding, the power system remains stable and approximately 2 600MW are expected return ahead of Monday's evening peak. 'The power system is stable, allowing for the suspension of load shedding since 22:00 on Thursday, 15 May 2025. 'While stable, the system remains constrained and adequate emergency reserves are in place and strategically deployed to support demand during peak winter periods,' Eskom said. The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), which measures unplanned outages, stands at 28.30% for the financial year-to-date (1 April to 15 May 2025). This reflects a slight improvement of ~0.2% compared to 28.47% recorded during the same period last year. The financial year-to-date planned maintenance has averaged 6 669MW, representing 14.26% of total generation capacity – an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous year. 'As the winter season sets in, planned maintenance has been decreased, averaging 5 407MW this week (9 to 15 May) – slightly higher than the typical winter maintenance levels in prior years. 'The Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor increased to 10.94% this week, compared to 3.87% in the previous week (2 to 8 May 2025). The financial year-to-date OCGT load factor reflects a 2.8% decrease compared to the year-to-date figure from the previous week,' Eskom said. Diesel usage is expected to decline as more units return from long-term repairs and maintenance activities are reduced, increasing available generation capacity. Eskom said the Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. 'It indicates that load shedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, load shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2,' the power utility said. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
RTÉ News
09-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Electricity demand falls in April from winter peaks
Wind power met 27% of electricity demand in April, while solar power provided for 4% of electricity used across the country, new figures from grid operator EirGrid shows. 35.2% of electricity came from renewable energy last month, Eirgrid said. Gas was again the single biggest source of electricity generation for the month at 41.5%, and electricity imported via interconnection met 16.5% of demand. The provisional data from EirGrid also shows that electricity demand in April dropped to the lowest level since September after a winter period which saw new demand peaks recorded. Overall electricity system demand stood at 2,792 GWh (Gigawatt Hours) for April - one of the only months since September where demand fell below the 3,000 GWh mark, alongside February which is a shorter month. As forecast in EirGrid's annual Winter Outlook report, electricity demand was strong across the month, with peak demand passing the 6,000 MW (megawatt) mark for the first time on January 8 during a particularly cold period. Megawatt (MW) values provide snapshots of electricity demand at a particular moment in time, whereas Gigawatt Hours (GWh) reflects electricity use over a longer period. Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said the demand profile for electricity is changing somewhat as the warmer weather and longer days reduces the need for heating and lighting. "As we come towards summer we'll continue to rely on a mix of generation sources to maintain a stable supply of power on the electricity grid," he added.
IOL News
05-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Eskom's promising winter 2025 outlook: A future without load shedding?
Eskom forecasts improved winter power outlook for 2025 Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers Eskom, South Africa's state-owned power utility, has unveiled an optimistic power system update, projecting a significantly improved outlook for Winter 2025. For the first time in years, the utility anticipates no load shedding if unplanned outages are maintained below 13GW, solidifying a commitment to stabilising the nation's electricity supply. The outlook reveals a sharp contrast to previous winters, as the likelihood of load shedding escalates only to a maximum of Stage 2 under the condition that unplanned outages rise to 15GW. Last year, Eskom faced ominous predictions of Stage 5 load shedding. However, data shows a marked improvement with unplanned outages dropping by 3.1GW compared to 2024 figures, resulting in a forecast range of 13GW to 15GW, down from the previous year's range of 14GW to 17GW. Operational advancements According to Eskom's Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, the utility's operational performance has seen substantial enhancements, delivering energy 96% of the time in the last financial year compared to just 9.9% the year before. Additionally, diesel use was slashed by around 50%, translating to cost savings of approximately R16 billion, signifying a reduced reliance on emergency generation methods. 'This year's Winter Outlook prediction illustrates our operational improvement and efficiency,' Marokane noted, highlighting the operational benchmarks that underpin this year's forecast. Despite facing recently implemented load shedding in the first four months of 2025, Eskom is in the process of implementing a strategic plan aimed at bolstering operational discipline to recover from such challenges. Eskom group chief executive Dan Marokane. Image: Jennifer Bruce Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Projections and performance indicators Unplanned outages saw a significant decrease, offering a substantial boost to generation capacity with averages dipping below earlier projections. Planned maintenance activity has increased to 12.8%, marking an upward trend in organisational commitment to upkeep and efficiency. Plant availability improved from 54.6% to 61% year-on-year, indicating a healthier return to service for Eskom's generation fleet. Sales volumes rebounded, growing by 3.6% year-on-year, a sign of improved generation capabilities and stronger export activity. The successful reconnection of Kusile Units 2 and 3 is also a noteworthy achievement, now operational with the flue gas desulphurisation system in place, while Unit 1 is expected to return to service next month. Furthermore, the Koeberg Unit 2 has reintegrated over 900MW back to service as part of its long-term operational project.
