3 days ago
Rooiwal comeback to ease Tshwane's energy load
In a major move to increase local energy supply, the Tshwane metro is planning to reactivate the Rooiwal and Pretoria West Power Stations.
This will increase the availability of power in the metro by 480 megawatts, with 300 megawatts coming from Rooiwal and 180 megawatts from Pretoria West.
MMC for Utilities Frans Boshielo said that although the metro is not in an electricity crisis, there are significant challenges that need urgent intervention.
He said that reviving the two power stations was critical to meeting Tshwane's growing energy demands and ensuring supply stability across all regions of the metro.
'We have to go to the market and get people who will be able to help us reactivate the two aforesaid power stations,' said Boshielo.
He added that a task team has already been established to drive this process forward.
A transaction advisor will also be brought on board to guide the technical and financial aspects of the reactivation process.
The MMC said power supply in the metro will be sourced through mixed generation, combining municipal power stations with other forms of energy to ensure a consistent and adequate supply.
Several studies on electricity generation methodologies have already been reviewed as part of the metro's roadmap.
'In our budget for the City of Tshwane, we have allocated more money towards the maintenance of electricity infrastructure.
'Our plan is to stabilise all electricity substations that keep tripping. We have identified them and we are going to refurbish them.
'Another issue that is crippling us is the illegal connection of electricity, and we are working with law enforcement agencies in the municipality to disconnect those illegal connections,' said Boshielo.
Boshielo also announced the launch of a programme titled Electricity For All, which aims to provide legal connections to households currently accessing power illegally, in response to the widespread issue of electricity theft in informal settlements.
'At the moment, informal settlement dwellers are stealing the metro's electricity, but with this programme they will pay for the electricity they are using, and this will increase the municipality's revenue,' he said.
To tackle cable theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure, the metro will be rolling out both static and technological security measures, including CCTV cameras and beams at key substations.
Boshielo said the energy agenda would now be firmly housed under the energy department, after the previous administration had misplaced it under the Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA).
He admitted that the metro had been delayed in reactivating the power stations but reaffirmed that progress is now being made under the new administration's leadership.
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