A power crisis continues to affect parts of Pretoria East in South Africa's Tshwane municipality following an incident at the Watloo Substation. The City of Tshwane's Energy and Electricity Business Unit (EEBU) is working to stabilize the electricity network and restore power to affected customers. The disruption occurred on Tuesday, plunging several areas into darkness. The incident has been attributed to a fault at Watloo that caused a transformer at the Njala Infeed Substation to trip.
The Njala Infeed Substation supplies several primary substations in Pretoria East, including Watloo. The City has brought in the transformer’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to provide technical support and conduct further diagnostic testing on Transformer 1A at the Njala Infeed Substation. The transformer has been found to be faulty, with attempts by technical teams to re-energise it being unsuccessful. The unit has been described as being in a bad state.
As an immediate measure, technicians have implemented load rotation in several areas. The affected areas include Mooikloof, Lynnwood Highlands, Villeria, Wapadrand, Mamelodi 1, 2 and 3, and Heatherley. However, power has been restored to Mamelodi 1, 2 and 3, Willows, Wapadrand, and Heatherley. Technicians have also restored power to several substations and supply points, including Waltloo-Ford Sigma and Scientia 132kV.
The City of Tshwane has implemented a three-hour load rotation due to increased demand during Wednesday morning. The affected areas include Wapadrand, Mooikloof, Mamelodi 1, 2 and 3, Heatherley, Villeria, Highlands, Lynnwood, and Waltloo Stage 2. A detailed breakdown of the areas supplied by the affected primary substations is expected to be provided during the City's 3 pm update.
Technical teams are installing busbars and interconnectors to draw additional supply from the Kwagga and Rietvlei substations to assist the Njala Infeed Substation. However, persistent rain has delayed the work. The City said the technical team is on site and ready to proceed once conditions improve.
The City of Tshwane remains committed to restoring power to all affected consumers and has apologized for the disruption. A further progress update, including an estimated time of restoration, is expected by 8 pm on Wednesday. The incident has caused significant inconvenience to residents and businesses in the affected areas.
The power crisis in Tshwane highlights the challenges faced by the municipality in maintaining a stable electricity supply. The City's EEBU is working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Residents are advised to report any further disruptions or issues to the City's customer service team.
Key points
- The power outage in Tshwane has affected several areas, including Mooikloof and Lynnwood Highlands.
- The City of Tshwane has implemented a three-hour load rotation to manage demand.
- Technical teams are working to restore power to all affected areas by installing additional infrastructure.
