Eskom is still generating thousands of gigawatt-hours burning diesel
Although there were just four days with loadshedding in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year, Eskom generated more than 1 000 GWh of electricity using its open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs), which are powered by diesel.
OCGTs are used when there is a temporary spike in electricity demand or when there are delays in returning units online after maintenance.
Diesel is expensive, and OCGTs are among the costliest ways to produce electricity. According to Eskom’s latest annual report, generating one megawatt-hour (MWh) with an OCGT costs R6 084, compared to R546 for coal.
During South Africa’s worst year of loadshedding, Eskom’s OCGTs produced over 3 600 GWh. It cost Eskom R23.9-billion in diesel to run the plants in 2023/24.
Eskom explains that its continued use of OCGTs in the first half of 2025/26 is “aimed at maintaining system stability rather than sustaining prolonged generation shortfalls.”
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