Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, is facing a significant challenge with load-shedding as its energy availability factor (EAF) continues to decline. The EAF measures the percentage of time a power station is available for use when needed and is crucial for a power utility’s performance.
G7 Renewable Energies, a South African power-project developer, is seeking to block Eskom’s new rules governing the connection of plants to the national electricity grid.
The developer argues that the rules, known as Interim Grid Capacity Allocation Rules (IGCA), are flawed and will hinder the addition of more generation capacity.
Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, has implemented six “defensive barriers” to prevent a national blackout despite its electricity generation challenges.
Professor Hartmut Winkler from the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Physics suggests that the decrease in instances of sabotage may be the reason for Eskom’s improved performance during winter.