Eskom eyes going a full year without load shedding

CAPE TOWN - Eskom has its sights set on going a full year without load shedding.

It's managed to keep the lights on for 300 consecutive days, a milestone last reached in June 2018.

The power utility said this was thanks to the implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan since March.

Eskom is firmly focused on reaching a year without load shedding on 26 March.

The power utility said it's possible because the Generation Recovery Plan had delivered sustained and ongoing structural improvement.

Eskom's Daphne Mokwena said that the past 300 days without load shedding had been characterised by the following factors.

"A significant reduction in unplanned outages, which have long been one of the biggest challenges, a notable improvement in the energy availability factor of approximately 7% and savings in diesel expenditure of R16.42 billion."

Eskom said that public sentiment was now shifting, as the concrete and ongoing delivery of the action plan boosted business confidence.