Gareth Dwyer 🇳🇱🇨🇭🇿🇦
@sixhobbits.bsky.social
Bootstrapping Ritza.co - a technical writing agency. Follow me for slightly cynical takes on tech and marketing.
I mainly use BlueSky to post about Eskom data and loadshedding. See Twitter.com/sixhobbits for startup/tech stuff.
I mainly use BlueSky to post about Eskom data and loadshedding. See Twitter.com/sixhobbits for startup/tech stuff.
As always, more graphs on my site unofficialeskom.com and feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try answer.
Unofficial Eskom
Stats and information about Eskom, South Africa's electricity provider. Not endorsed or official.
unofficialeskom.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 AM
As always, more graphs on my site unofficialeskom.com and feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try answer.
I learned that we store all high-level waste on the Koeberg site itself, and that it's full, so we're buying expensive 'dry storage casks' from the US in order to store more, also on-site, but those are also full now?
www.businessday.co.za/bd/national/...
Maybe we'll build something by 2030
www.businessday.co.za/bd/national/...
Maybe we'll build something by 2030
Radioactive waste storage at Koeberg very close to full
Storage of such waste is a major environmental concern in the region, as SA looks to extend Koeberg’s life for another two decades
www.businessday.co.za
November 4, 2025 at 7:01 AM
I learned that we store all high-level waste on the Koeberg site itself, and that it's full, so we're buying expensive 'dry storage casks' from the US in order to store more, also on-site, but those are also full now?
www.businessday.co.za/bd/national/...
Maybe we'll build something by 2030
www.businessday.co.za/bd/national/...
Maybe we'll build something by 2030
not visible in the monthly graphs yet, but the other Koeberg unit is busy powering up again. AFAIK this is the end of the cycling/swopping of the two units for refurbishment and refuelling, so we should have both running simultaneously for the first time in years.
November 4, 2025 at 6:58 AM
not visible in the monthly graphs yet, but the other Koeberg unit is busy powering up again. AFAIK this is the end of the cycling/swopping of the two units for refurbishment and refuelling, so we should have both running simultaneously for the first time in years.
The big drop in supply and demand from last month was not a one-off.
November 4, 2025 at 6:56 AM
The big drop in supply and demand from last month was not a one-off.
Lowest imports, maybe ever?
November 4, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Lowest imports, maybe ever?
Using those diesel generators a bit more again as a result
November 4, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Using those diesel generators a bit more again as a result
As always all data and graphs from unofficialeskom.com. Feel free to let me know any questions or answers.
Unofficial Eskom
Stats and information about Eskom, South Africa's electricity provider. Not endorsed or official.
unofficialeskom.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:29 AM
As always all data and graphs from unofficialeskom.com. Feel free to let me know any questions or answers.
I'm not sure I totally understand each of these, but maybe it's because iOS includes transmission network faults.
The transmission network seems to be the bottleneck now instead of generation which everyone has been focusing on, as many people predicted?
The transmission network seems to be the bottleneck now instead of generation which everyone has been focusing on, as many people predicted?
October 3, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I'm not sure I totally understand each of these, but maybe it's because iOS includes transmission network faults.
The transmission network seems to be the bottleneck now instead of generation which everyone has been focusing on, as many people predicted?
The transmission network seems to be the bottleneck now instead of generation which everyone has been focusing on, as many people predicted?
but ILS (interruptible load shed) went down 🤔
October 3, 2025 at 7:27 AM
but ILS (interruptible load shed) went down 🤔
also weird, IOS (interruption of supply, a mechanism that lets Eskom cut off business users) went up a bit compared to last month.
October 3, 2025 at 7:27 AM
also weird, IOS (interruption of supply, a mechanism that lets Eskom cut off business users) went up a bit compared to last month.
Very low imports too. Is everything down.
Massive demand drop.
I need to go double check that I'm not missing data that causing this, because it looks sus.
Massive demand drop.
I need to go double check that I'm not missing data that causing this, because it looks sus.
October 3, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Very low imports too. Is everything down.
Massive demand drop.
I need to go double check that I'm not missing data that causing this, because it looks sus.
Massive demand drop.
I need to go double check that I'm not missing data that causing this, because it looks sus.
We're hardly using the OCGT backup generators any more, with very low average and max use (relatively speaking).
October 3, 2025 at 7:25 AM
We're hardly using the OCGT backup generators any more, with very low average and max use (relatively speaking).
I think the best EAF in september since 2018, top of the chart for my curve graphs as they don't go back that far.
October 3, 2025 at 7:23 AM
I think the best EAF in september since 2018, top of the chart for my curve graphs as they don't go back that far.
Overall Eskom deserves some of the crowing they've been doing recently (unplanned outages down = good), but in context things seem to be
a) similar to a year ago
b) a lot less pressure due to reduced demand
So I'm maintaining my cautiously optimistic stance about future stability.
a) similar to a year ago
b) a lot less pressure due to reduced demand
So I'm maintaining my cautiously optimistic stance about future stability.
September 15, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Overall Eskom deserves some of the crowing they've been doing recently (unplanned outages down = good), but in context things seem to be
a) similar to a year ago
b) a lot less pressure due to reduced demand
So I'm maintaining my cautiously optimistic stance about future stability.
a) similar to a year ago
b) a lot less pressure due to reduced demand
So I'm maintaining my cautiously optimistic stance about future stability.
I'm guessing that another bigger than (I) expected dip in demand is an important factor here. Generation is only slightly up year on year, but demand is way down.
September 15, 2025 at 11:28 AM
I'm guessing that another bigger than (I) expected dip in demand is an important factor here. Generation is only slightly up year on year, but demand is way down.
similar for diesel use, big improvement for the last few months, but similar to last winter.
September 15, 2025 at 11:27 AM
similar for diesel use, big improvement for the last few months, but similar to last winter.
EAF is up to best since July last year where it was slightly higher, but slightly better ratio of planned:unplanned since then so still a win.
September 15, 2025 at 11:25 AM
EAF is up to best since July last year where it was slightly higher, but slightly better ratio of planned:unplanned since then so still a win.
I'm still 'cautiously optimistic about progress with a side dose of something could blow up at any time'
August 4, 2025 at 10:51 AM
I'm still 'cautiously optimistic about progress with a side dose of something could blow up at any time'
Overall I'm surprised that things held together pretty well for July, usually the worst of winter I think. Koeberg unit 2 return got delayed again (not that unexpected, but was meant ot be July) and Medupi is only scheduled to get to full commercial operation in September.
August 4, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Overall I'm surprised that things held together pretty well for July, usually the worst of winter I think. Koeberg unit 2 return got delayed again (not that unexpected, but was meant ot be July) and Medupi is only scheduled to get to full commercial operation in September.
Kinda interesting pattern in Demand vs Generation here - demand is still dropping, so either SA is having a sunny winter or private solar isn't as big a factor as I hypothesized before in reducing demand (maybe the economy is just that dead?)
Hopefully we can get back at least to 2024 levels soon
Hopefully we can get back at least to 2024 levels soon
August 4, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Kinda interesting pattern in Demand vs Generation here - demand is still dropping, so either SA is having a sunny winter or private solar isn't as big a factor as I hypothesized before in reducing demand (maybe the economy is just that dead?)
Hopefully we can get back at least to 2024 levels soon
Hopefully we can get back at least to 2024 levels soon
Thermal (coal) is looking really flat, so I'm not sure where all that extra availability is coming from. Maybe we have coal plants that are working but switched off? Not sure exactly how they calculate that re planned maintenance.
Nuclear is also flat so it's not that
Nuclear is also flat so it's not that
August 4, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Thermal (coal) is looking really flat, so I'm not sure where all that extra availability is coming from. Maybe we have coal plants that are working but switched off? Not sure exactly how they calculate that re planned maintenance.
Nuclear is also flat so it's not that
Nuclear is also flat so it's not that
Diesel use also looking better - lowest since November 2024, but still twice as high as July 2024.
And we're still using these things up to 3GW at peaks, so the max is still very high.
And we're still using these things up to 3GW at peaks, so the max is still very high.
August 4, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Diesel use also looking better - lowest since November 2024, but still twice as high as July 2024.
And we're still using these things up to 3GW at peaks, so the max is still very high.
And we're still using these things up to 3GW at peaks, so the max is still very high.