Electricity and Control June 2021

TRANSFORMERS, SUBSTATIONS + CABLES : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Replacing the Jabavu substation in Soweto

The destructive vandalism of the Jabavu substation in Soweto was reported recently in the news. Electricity + Control put some questions to Eskom about the extent of the damage and what is involved in the repair and/or replacement of such critical infrastructure. The destruction of the Jabavu substation saw commu- nities in Jabavu, Western Jabavu, Mofolo central, Molapo and White City in Soweto, having to go without electricity supply for days. Eskom reported the incident as one of the worst cases of vandalism it had ever encountered. The substation was damaged beyond repair – with dam- age to cables and panels and more as well as cables and substation batteries stolen – and had to be entirely replaced. Eskom was alerted to the problem when it started re- ceiving power interruption signals relating to that substa- tion at its control centre. Technicians were dispatched to the site to investigate and determine the fault – and to establish the extent of the damage. In cases like this, once the technical team has as- sessed the damages, Eskom sources the materials, equipment and resources required for the repairs. When these have been completed and there are no fur- ther faults or damages detected, supply is restored to

Illegal electricity connections also damage the supply infrastructure and create hazards in the community.

The Jabavu substation was recently vandalised and damaged beyond repair.

the substation and the areas it serves. The vandalised equipment is bypassed and demolished, allowing for the new installation to be reintegrated into the local distribu- tion network and reconnected to the grid. According to Eskom, depending on the extent of the damage, repairs can take days, weeks and sometimes months. The utility emphasises that illegal electricity op- erators also weaken the infrastructure by interfering with it, establishing illegal connections and bypassing me- ters, among other things. They create serious hazards in the community by exposing live power lines and spark- ing electrical interruptions, fires, or other damages.

For more information visit: www.eskom.co.za

Electricity + Control JUNE 2021

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