For the past three years, Ventersdorp residents have had to bear the brunt of load shedding in winter due to various problems at a substation. This year there has been issues since the beginning of May due to a faulty transformer.

There seems now to be light at the end of the tunnel, with Eskom sourcing a 10 MVA transformer to replace the faulty unit.

This follows after residents petitioned NERSA to get JB Marks and Eskom on the same page to resolve the situation. Continuous engagement between JB Marks and Eskom has now brought more clarity to Ventersdorp residents.

According to Pieter Steyn, Freedom Front Plus councillor in Ventersdorp, the situation has been quite bleak for residents and businesses.

“We hope that, following the pressure the public themselves had to place on NERSA and Eskom, this nightmare will soon be a thing of the past and that the municipality will now assist with the local power lines, which have been plagued by ongoing problems for years. This is especially important as we are expected to experience further serious issues during the rainy season,” added Steyn.

The installation process is set to take a couple of weeks, until the end of September. Significant technical and infrastructure constraints have made it difficult to install the 20 MVA transformer, with the preferred choice being the 10 MVA transformer until upgrades can be made.

Eskom technical teams were on site to undertake the installation, commissioning and integration of the new transformer. Once fully commissioned and energised, the additional capacity will enable the electricity network to better accommodate demand in Ventersdorp and address the capacity constraints that resulted in load curtailment.

“The successful replacement follows a period of load curtailment caused by insufficient electricity supply capacity at the Ventersdorp Intake Substation. The replacement work included the removal of the faulty transformer, positioning and installation of the new transformer on the existing plinth, connection of the required cabling and associated electrical infrastructure, as well as the integration of the protection schemes between the Eskom Substation and the Municipal Control Room,” stated JB Marks Municipality spokesperson Jeanette Tshite.

“The Municipality acknowledges the significant inconvenience experienced by residents, businesses and other electricity users and appreciates their resilience and continued cooperation throughout the period of load curtailment,” said Tshite.

“We were surprised and relieved when the transformer finally arrived,” mentioned Steyn, who had been fighting a constant battle together with residents for solutions.