Johannesburg: Load shedding remains suspended as the power system continues to stabilize, with an expected return of approximately 2,600MW ahead of Monday's evening peak. The suspension has been in place since 22:00 on Thursday, 15 May 2025, according to Eskom's Friday announcement.

According to South African Government News Agency, the power system's stability has allowed for the continued suspension, although it remains constrained. Adequate emergency reserves are in place and strategically deployed to support demand during peak winter periods. The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), which measures unplanned outages, stands at 28.30% for the financial year-to-date, showing a slight improvement from the 28.47% recorded during the same period last year.

The average planned maintenance for the financial year-to-date has been 6,669MW, representing 14.26% of total generation capacity-an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous year. As the winter season begins, planned maintenance has decreased, averaging 5,407MW this week, slightly higher than typical winter maintenance levels in prior years.

Eskom reported that the Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor increased to 10.94% this week, compared to 3.87% in the previous week. The financial year-to-date OCGT load factor reflects a 2.8% decrease compared to the year-to-date figure from the previous week. Diesel usage is expected to decline as more units return from long-term repairs and maintenance activities are reduced, increasing available generation capacity.

The Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, remains valid. It indicates that load shedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages remain 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, as stated by Eskom.