Eskom says power-station availability reached six-year high

Eskom says the energy availability factor across its generation fleet rose to 67.78% in the first five months of its financial year, the highest year-to-date level in six years.

The energy availability factor, or EAF, measures the share of generating capacity available to produce electricity. It is one of the main indicators used to track the operational performance of Eskom's power stations.

The utility said unplanned outages declined to 19.43%, compared with 26.61% over the same period last year.

Eskom attributed the improvement to stronger fleet reliability and said about 3,500 megawatts of generation capacity had been returned to the grid.

The additional capacity had also reduced the utility's reliance on diesel-fired generation, Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said.

The figures are Eskom's operational measurements for the financial year to date. They do not represent a guarantee that unplanned breakdowns or electricity shortages will not occur.

Improved availability gives the system operator more capacity to meet demand and maintain operating reserves. Lower diesel use can also reduce the cost of running open-cycle gas turbines, which are generally used when the power system is under pressure.

EAF is calculated across the generation fleet rather than for a single power station. The year-to-date comparison therefore reflects the combined availability of Eskom units over the reporting period, while the unplanned-outage rate tracks capacity lost unexpectedly.

Eskom has been carrying out maintenance and recovery work across its coal-fired fleet after years of weak plant performance. The latest figures indicate an improvement over the comparable period, while the utility continues to manage ageing units and unplanned outages.