With load shedding hopefully behind us for good, Eskom ended 2025 on a high, with plant performance on the rise as the annual Energy Availability Factor (EAF) climbed above 65% amid a continued reduction in unplanned outages (breakdowns and partial load losses), despite a reduction in planned maintenance in 2025. Eskom said its power system remains stable and continues to meet electricity demand, supported by sustained and measurable improvements in generation performance despite the heavy rain experienced in December. “The Generation Recovery Plan is delivering clear results, and together with the intensive planned maintenance carried out over the past financial year, has strengthened the generation fleet, improved reliability, and enhanced Eskom’s overall operational resilience,” Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said.
According to the utility, the EAF was 69.14% in December 2025, representing a significant year-on-year improvement of 12.57% from 56.57% recorded over the same period in 2024. “Year to date, EAF has increased to 64.35%, with the fleet achieving or exceeding the 70% benchmark on 49 occasions. This performance confirms sustained recovery and reinforces confidence in the stability and security of the national electricity supply.” “These improvements are driven primarily by the reduction in unplanned outages, reflecting the effectiveness of the Generation Recovery Plan and the benefits of disciplined maintenance execution,” Mokwena said.
Mokwena said between 26 December, 2025 and 1 January, 2026, average unplanned outages declined to 6 822MW, less than half of last year’s level of 12 328MW, which was almost double the current figure. “This represents an improvement of 5 506MW. Today, unplanned outages stand at 6 662MW, a level last recorded in 2019, signalling a sustained and meaningful improvement in generation performance.” Mokwena said over the same period, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) further declined to 14.06%, a significant improvement of 12.06% compared to 26.12% recorded during the same period last year.
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“During the same timeframe, the average Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF) stood at 9.41%, compared with 19.08% in the previous financial year. The reduced level of planned maintenance follows Eskom’s intensive maintenance programme implemented last financial year – exceeding historical norms over the past three years – to restore fleet reliability.”
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