The City of Tshwane is investing R134m to refurbish the troublesome Wapadrand substation.

Mayor Randall Williams launched the refurbishment project on Thursday, saying it would see the substation “rise from the ashes”.

“I am pleased to announce that the City of Tshwane is delivering on its commitments to residents in the Wapadrand area who have experienced frequent power outages.”

The city had appointed a contractor for three years, “but the plan is to build this new substation within the next 18 months and we believe it is doable”.

The substation suffered two fires which subjected communities to prolonged power outages.

“It is common knowledge that the Wapadrand substation has been particularly vulnerable and it easily catches fire or suffers critical equipment breakdowns.

“We had our hands full last year and we worked round the clock when two fires broke out at the substation and plunged the surrounding areas into darkness for days on end. This was a difficult time for all and, as a city, we intend to ensure that we prevent further service interruption in future.”

Williams said work at the substation will be done in four phases and includes:

• demolishing the existing building damaged by fire last year;
• constructing a new substation building to house three 11kV panels;
• installing a 35MVA transformer;
• relocating supply cables to the newly built substation; and
• constructing a guardroom.

“This project reaffirms our commitment to prioritise refurbishment and maintenance of critical infrastructure to enable economic growth in Tshwane.”

TimesLIVE