The Highvelder has recently had a question-and-answer session with Mr Mandla Zwane, spokesman for the Msukaligwa Municipality about the unplanned power outages in Ermelo. This is what he had to say:
Q: We noted complaints from residents about the 88kV substation with regular outages especially after load shedding. What is the problem with this substation and does the municipality have a plan of action for a permanent solution to the problem?
A: The 88kV substation consists of nine panels feeding approximately 90 mini-substations including switching stations. Within these mini-substations we have a lengthy cable network which is susceptible to cable faults due to recurring load shedding.
Q: Is it always the same issue at the substation?
A: No, it is not, it’s the main supply cable from the 88kV substation that is affected, but individual cables within the network cause the substation to trip.
Q: Is it only the substation that is faulty or is it a specific cable?
A: Different cables are affected within the network due to age and the sizes thereof, since these cables are underground, obviously a cable fault location instrument is used which therefore prolongs the repairs of the faulty cable.
Q: Can residents expect any improvement soon, if yes, when? And if no, what are the challenges?
A: The power interruptions are mainly caused by the recurring load shedding, cable theft and ageing infrastructure. Should Eskom minimise load shedding, an improvement will be realised. The municipality has improved maintenance stock. We are busy with maintenance to minimise these interruptions.
Q: What areas are affected by the 88kV substation?
A: The following areas are supplied by the 88kV substation:
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De Bruin Park
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John Vorster Park
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George Botha Park
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Netherland Park
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Ext 14 and Ext 18
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Ext 34 Substation which supplies Ext 32, 33, 34 and a portion of Netherland Park
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Industrial Area
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CBD
Q: Does the municipality have spares for the substation or is it ordered on demand?
A: Substation maintenance is specialized and the parts thereof are manufactured upon request. However, the municipality has the basic spare parts for the daily operations and maintenance.
Q: How many electricians are available within the Msukaligwa Municipality and how many are on stand-by?
A: 12 Electricians in total and five stand-by teams operate per week in different areas. i.e:
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Ermelo Town
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Wesselton
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Breyten & KwaZanele
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Lothair
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Davel
Q: Why is it not possible to always give residents an estimated response time?
A: Switching between mini-subs takes about 2 hours to isolate the affected area. Thereafter the actual fault tracing begins which cannot be estimated. When eventually the fault is traced, trenching and repairing also takes about 2 hours, depending on the nature of the damage and inclement weather.
Q: What areas are most prone to outages and why?
A: It varies from time to time. Mostly we experience cable thefts as a result of load shedding, which also then causes cable faults in various areas.
Q: Resident were without electricity on 29 January for almost the whole day, yet the municipality only updated the resident at about 19h25, why is that?
A: As mentioned above, we experience multiple thefts/faults in the network at a time. The information is sent to the community once concrete diagnosis is done to avoid misinformation. We are improving our communication system to ensure constant redress to the community. Residents are also updated on a number of platforms on plethora of municipal services. These platforms includes but are not limited to the call centre, various WhatsApp-groups, councillors, Facebook inbox-messages and two community radio stations. The municipality posts on Facebook to reach out to many people when possible, to amplify a certain message. The social media etiquette is to read the earlier post of that day or the previous day.
Q: The outage on 29 January was according to the municipality due to a faulty transformer, what was the problem with the transformer and was this permanently fixed?
A: Due to faults in the network the transformer failed and caused a leakage, the in-process of working on power restoration consists of the transformer having to be cleaned/purified and tested which resulted in the prolonged outage and yes the transformer was fixed.
Q: On the municipality’s Facebook page, residents suggested that the transformers in Ermelo are at a stage where they can no longer be fixed and the municipality should replace the faulty transformers, does the municipality have the necessary funds to replace some of the transformers?
A: Transformers are replaced depending on the nature of the damage, but maintained where possible.
Q: Was there money set out in the budget for the maintenance of power sources in Ermelo, how much money was set out and what is the municipality’s plan for maintenance of power resources?
A: There is an overall budget on electrical maintenance which covers all aspects of the electrical network for emergencies as well as maintenance-related.
Q: What is the cost for the municipality to replace a transformer, and how many transformers are there in Ermelo?
A: It varies depending the nature of the damage and the different sizes of transformers. There are approximately 135 mini-substation and 110 pole transformers in our network.
Q: Seeing that supply vs demand is a problem, why does the municipality continue to connect people to an already overloaded grid without upgrading?
A: The physical infrastructure is available, but aged. Only during winter periods, where the consumption exceeds the license contracted with Eskom on one of our substation, the load will be balanced between the two substations to accommodate growing demand during winter.
Q: Are illegal connections perhaps the main reason for the supply vs demand equation?
A: Yes. Furthermore, demand is driven by the climate. In the winter, demand is high while low in summer.
Q: If illegal connections are the problem and since the municipality is working with local police authorities, how many people have been arrested?
A: Perpetrators have been arrested and apparently charged with “malicious damage to essential infrastructure” however, due to substantial evidence, the cases did not see the light of day in court. The municipality is currently in the process of reviewing the by-laws which will also assist in bringing the culprits to book.
Lastly the power outages and Eskom Rotational load shedding put a lot of strain on all of us.
The municipality therefore appeals for patience while resolving the problem of incessant power outages.
The municipality apologies to its community for the prolonged power outages.
