Brakpan North’s power supply explained
Henry Barnard, former Brakpan Town Council electrical engineer, writes: Hope this helps.
Henry Barnard, former Brakpan Town Council electrical engineer, writes:
With reference to Jacques van Schalkwyk’s letter in the Herald dated June 23, ‘Why no power cuts in Brakpan North?’
The following explanation could clear up his query:
In 1965, the council of Brakpan decided, after lots of research, to embark on a new 33kv scheme to provide for future expansion of the town to the south, necessitating the new scheme to cater for increased power requirements.
After various discussions with the council’s electricity supply authority, Eskom, it was found necessary to establish a new intake point to the south of town, the direction in which the town was expected to grow.
This was done and the town’s main supply is now established at the Van Eck Park Substation, which feeds power to the whole town south of Power Street, as well as its extensions to the south, exluding Tsakane (which has its own power intake).
The area to the north of Power Street, however, still gets fed from the old Eskom power supply point in Brakpan North and is an individually controlled power supply point, as is the Van Eck Park Substation.
This caused the problem of a double maximum demand reading on Eskom’s account to the council.
This problem was overcome after many meetings and discussions with Eskom, in which they accepted and agreed to average the two readings, thus a maximum demand reading as if in a single intake point.
Further to Jacques’ query, all and everything power-wise is for Brakpan’s very own taxpayers and is not in anyway connected to Springs – fair and square to all of us.
Hope this helps.
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