Eskom moves to raise exports as it closes in on 80% plant-availability goal

State-owned electricity producer Eskom says it is on course to achieve its stated goal of achieving an energy availability factor (EAF) of 80% well ahead of its 2021 target, reporting a steady recovery in the performance of its fleet of coal-fired power stations. As a consequence, the utility does not expect a return of growth-sapping load-shedding and is, instead, gearing up to increase export sales into the rest of the region. CEO Brian Molefe reported on Tuesday that the EAF recovered to 78.6% between April and June this year, a material improvement on the 69.6% reported for the corresponding period in 2015, when the slump in the EAF emerged as the main contributor to ongoing rotational power cuts. For 2015/16, the group achieved an EAF of 71.07%.