The City of Cape Town has completed a R2,3 million electricity infrastructure upgrade in Lwandle, near Strand in the Helderberg area, replacing ageing equipment and introducing a ring-fed network configuration.
The project involved replacing existing 160 kVA pole-mounted transformers with two 500 kVA ground-mounted mini-substations, increasing electricity supply capacity in Lwandle. The city also installed gas-insulated ring main units and converted the local network to a ring-feed arrangement.
The ring-feed approach provides an alternative supply path should the main feed experience an unplanned fault, says Mayoral Committee Member for Energy in the City of Cape Town Xanthea Limberg.
The project is part of the city’s broader programme to strengthen electricity infrastructure and improve service delivery. “The city has dedicated R4 billion as part of its medium-term capital investment programme to improve its electricity distribution network across the city,” Limberg says.
Anti-theft and anti-vandalism technology solutions for streetlights and other infrastructure are being rolled out. “The Lwandle area faces several challenges including illegal connections, vandalism of community electricity infrastructure and severe encroachment where some dwellings have been built around public infrastructure, limiting access for repairs and posing great dangers to residents,” Limberg adds.
“We are also replacing copper cables with cables that have no scrap value to discourage theft and vandalism.”
