Petition calls for Sunnyridge substation overhaul after repeated outages

Residents of Ward 92 experienced days without power because of faulty cables at the Wesel Road Sunnyridge substation.

This led the ward councillor to submit a petition to the council, which has gained online signatures.

The petition asks the energy department and relevant MMC to consider conducting a full diagnosis to ensure the substation is safe; implement a full maintenance programme in the 2025/26 financial year to assist the substation; and reinstate the 2021 plan for a major upgrade by building a new substation next to the current one, allowing the substation to be decommissioned.

Ward 92 residents requested a written response within 90 days because of the ongoing outages and a fear of further issues.

ALSO READ: Dukathole plunged into darkness for over a month after substation blows up

Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro said the old Sunnyridge substation cannot handle the overload.

“The CoE disconnected some areas months ago because of this. The substation is important because it powers a nearby reservoir. If it loses power, the gravity-fed reservoir is affected.”

The petition received 1 156 signatures and Guerreiro submitted it to the council.

Guerreiro noted that criminals had previously vandalised the substation, and without security, it is at risk again.

The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) attributed the recent power outage to a cable fault, which caused an explosion in the outdoor yard of the substation.

“There was no extensive fire. The city restored all areas supplied from the Wesel Road substation after the recent outage,” said CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

ALSO READ: City of Ekurhuleni works to restore electricity after Dukathole substation fire

“The city maintains the substation equipment as per the CoE maintenance plan. There are no plans to refurbish or upgrade the substation, but it may be considered in future financial years.

“The energy operating expenditure (opex) budget is not allocated per substation but covers overall repairs, maintenance and refurbishment of the electricity network,” said Dlamini.

He said a full substation report was privileged information that might compromise the safety and security of the substation and the distribution networks it was supplying; therefore, they could not provide that information to the public.

“Primary substations are critical infrastructure with various components and circuits. When a fault occurs, the city officials conduct the necessary tests on the equipment and repair it before supply to the affected circuit/s can be restored.

“Previous fires originated in different sections of the substation. After each occurrence, the city officials repaired the faulted circuits,” said Dlamini.

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In response to a question about security to adequately protect the substation from vandalism, Dlamini said the city is in the process of hiring new security.

“Primary substations will have a preference for security measures that may include technology, guards or both.

“In the interim, the EMPD is assisting with the provision of guards and other security measures.

“The use of technology coupled with a quick response from security is the proactive approach that the city will deploy. Guards and patrols will complement the technology to limit incidents or attempts of theft and vandalism.”

The energy department’s engineers communicate information regarding outages to the call centre and internal media.

The communications department disseminates communication on the CoE social media platforms, and when required, publishes statements through channels such as radio, television and media. The CoE service delivery coordination team sends SMSes to all customers.

When asked if there are plans to conduct a thorough review of the substation’s infrastructure and equipment to identify potential vulnerabilities and areas for improvement, Dlamini said the energy department’s master planning division is identifying substations for upgrades under the master plan and in line with the available capital expenditure (capex) budget.

He added that Sunny Rock, Sunnyridge, Gerdview, Homestead, Primrose East, parts of Activia Park and surrounding areas are serviced from the Sunnyridge substation.

Regarding the reservoir, Dlamini said there is a backup generator at the reservoir and water tankers are dispatched should the situation worsen.

“The city also appeals to the public to report illegal connections, theft, vandalism and any suspicious activities around the facility,” said Dlamini.