R110m Kentron substation handed over as Centurion blackouts set to ease

The refurbished Kentron substation in Centurion has been handed over and is already in use, with city officials saying the R110,743,739 rebuild will reduce persistent power outages in the area.

A key facility restored after 2014 fire

The city’s head of sub-transmission management, Itumeleng Shibisi, said the formal handover took place on Tuesday but the substation was already in service. “The total cost of the project was R110 743 739,” he said, and added the substation was refurbished after a fire in 2014.

Capacity and impact for businesses and households

Deputy mayor and MMC for finance Eugene Modise said the refurbished assets will ensure a steady supply of electricity for Centurion and its businesses. City official Frans Boshielo described the facility as a “state-of-the-art substation” and said the rehabilitation restored its full 120MVA capacity, calling the work a decisive intervention to address legacy challenges.

Reduced cascading faults

Boshielo said residents and businesses “are no longer going to experience constant power failures” and that the substation has the capacity to prevent faults from cascading into multiple power outages. He also announced: “Before the end of July, we will be handing over the Pyramid substation as well.”

Mayor emphasises reliability as the measure of success

City of Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya said Region 4 is an economic hub and warned that building infrastructure alone is not sufficient.

“If we can reduce the number of power outages, that will be the true measure. Yes, we can build new infrastructure, but if that infrastructure does not reduce the number of outages at a household level, I don’t think we can count ourselves successful.”

Planned interruption linked to Pyramid works

City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo reminded customers supplied from several 132kV substations of a planned power supply interruption scheduled for Sunday to allow safe execution of critical construction activities at the 132kV Pyramid substation.

Mashigo explained that contractors will install concrete slabs on the southern side of the substation and that this work “requires the use of a large crane operating beneath high-voltage transmission infrastructure.” She said electrical jumpers on the Kwagga-Parktown-Rooiwal transmission line at tower 119 must be isolated before the crane can be safely operated, and for this reason an outage is unavoidable.

Officials say work will benefit the local economy

Moya linked reliable electricity to the city’s economic activity in Region 4 and the ability to attract business, while Modise said the refurbished substation will deliver for the people of Centurion.

“We are delivering. The naysayers are going to fall flat, because the people of Centurion are now going to benefit from this refurbished substation.”