South Africa's state power company has maintained electricity generation without blackouts for more than 161 days while improving plant efficiency and cutting emergency fuel expenses. The utility operator achieved an Energy Availability Factor of 65.9 percent during October, representing a 3.66 percentage point gain from the same month in 2024 when performance stood at 62.24 percent.
Unexpected equipment failures declined as the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor reached 21.78 percent last month, down from 24.51 percent during the previous year's comparable period. The company reduced its reliance on expensive Open-Cycle Gas Turbines to nearly zero, spending only 0.005 million rand on diesel during the final week of October against 7.84 million rand spent in the corresponding 2024 timeframe.
The Koeberg nuclear facility's first reactor returned to service on Wednesday following scheduled upkeep, adding dependable generation capacity. Both reactors at the coastal plant operate simultaneously after the restoration, with combined output expected to exceed 1,860 megawatts when the first unit completes its power ramp-up process. These operational gains stem from the Generation Recovery Plan addressing maintenance backlogs at multiple stations across the national grid.
Unexpected equipment failures declined as the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor reached 21.78 percent last month, down from 24.51 percent during the previous year's comparable period. The company reduced its reliance on expensive Open-Cycle Gas Turbines to nearly zero, spending only 0.005 million rand on diesel during the final week of October against 7.84 million rand spent in the corresponding 2024 timeframe.
The Koeberg nuclear facility's first reactor returned to service on Wednesday following scheduled upkeep, adding dependable generation capacity. Both reactors at the coastal plant operate simultaneously after the restoration, with combined output expected to exceed 1,860 megawatts when the first unit completes its power ramp-up process. These operational gains stem from the Generation Recovery Plan addressing maintenance backlogs at multiple stations across the national grid.
