THE nine-day power outage at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal in 2014 cost the coal industry close to R2-billion; and since then the City of uMhlathuze has been pulling the purse strings to ensure no further blackouts cripple big business.
City Mayor Mduduzi Mhlongo stated R100-million has been set aside for a massive upcoming project to replace the 40-year-old oil filled cables that failed in January that year, with high voltage 132kV cables.
The main customers of the new lines will be RBCT, the Port of Richards Bay, Bidvest Reatile Island View Storage and Joint Bunker Services.
‘We lost hundreds of millions in electricity losses during the nine-day shutdown at RBCT and this project will ensure this crisis never reoccurs with this customer,’ said Mayor Mhlongo.
RBCT CEO Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane said the Terminal has been engaging with the municipality since the day of the power outage.
‘The City has given RBCT exceptional service since the incident occurred to ensure the reliability of the existing infrastructure is maintained and to eliminate power interruptions to the terminal.
‘We thank the City for implementing the cable upgrade project, which will ensure security of electrical supply to key customers within the port.’
City Communications Manager Mdu Ncalane said the municipality identifies the cables as among the key risks to the city, province and the country.
‘When the oil filled cables failed, it adversely affected coal mines, port operations and shipping industries.
‘The challenge was raising the R100-million.
‘The City built a 7km 132kV overhead line (OHL) during the outage, but while the OHL is well-designed and well-constructed, it is not a firm supply as per the contract to most customers in that supply area.
‘The biggest advantage once the project is commissioned is that the City will only have to come back to the new cables in another 40 years.’
