The newly refurbished Mooikloof and Wapadrand substations were officially handed over on May 14.

The upgrades, described by the metro as state-of-the-art infrastructure, form part of the multiparty coalition government’s Capital Expenditure (Capex) Programme aimed at improving accountability, accelerating infrastructure delivery and strengthening service delivery across Pretoria.

The official handover was led by Dr Nasiphi Moya, Mayor of Tshwane, alongside Deputy Mayor and MMC for Finance, Eugene Modise, and MMC for Utilities, Frans Boshielo.

The metro said the upgrades were necessary because the east of Pretoria continues to experience rapid residential, commercial and mixed-use development growth, placing increasing strain on ageing substations and electricity supply infrastructure.

Boshielo said the projects also form part of the metro’s broader Electricity Stabilisation Plan, focused on improving reliability, stability, reducing outages, protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring the metro can meet growing electricity demand.

“These substations are strategically important to the stability and future growth of Pretoria east,” Boshielo said.

“They improve supply reliability, strengthen network resilience, restore critical capacity, and position the city to support continued residential, commercial and economic expansion in Region 6.”

He added that the completion of the projects addresses long-standing electricity supply challenges linked to outages, constrained maintenance capacity, poor reliability and limited network redundancy.

“These projects demonstrate the city’s commitment to infrastructure-led service delivery and to building a modern, resilient electricity network capable of supporting both current residents and future growth,” Boshielo said.

He said reliable electricity infrastructure remains fundamental to economic development, investor confidence, public safety, and restoring dignity to our communities.

The Mooikloof Substation, a 132/11kV primary substation supplied from the Njala Infeed Substation, supplies major residential and commercial areas. These include Woodlands Estate, Woodhill Estate, Mooikloof Estate, Moreleta Park, the Atterbury precinct, and important institutions such as Netcare Pretoria East Hospital and surrounding business nodes.

He said the substation experienced repeated fires over several years, with the latest major fire occurring on December 1, 2021, which resulted in severe infrastructure damage and ultimately necessitated a full refurbishment programme.

Planning for the project began in January 2021, the contract was awarded in December, and site establishment commenced in March 2022.

The total project value amounted to R70.3-million excluding VAT, with expenditure currently standing at 100%.

“The refurbishment included the reconstruction of fire-damaged buildings, installation of new 11kV and 132kV equipment, SCADA systems, batteries, CCTV infrastructure and associated network upgrades.”

Boshielo said despite several implementation challenges, including global equipment shortages, adverse weather conditions and even a third fire during construction, the project has now reached completion and entered its defect liability period.

He confirmed that all consumer supply cables are fully operational.

“The completed project restored the substation’s capacity from 70MVA to 105MVA and is expected to support approximately 7 000 households while unlocking additional residential and commercial development potential in Tshwane’s eastern corridor.”

He said the project also delivered socioeconomic benefits through the participation of 36 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers, about R3.5-million in SMME expenditure and the creation of around 70 jobs.

The Wapadrand Substation, also a 132/11kV facility, supplies several Pretoria east communities and economic nodes, including Silver Lakes, Faerie Glen, Wapadrand, Lombardy Estate, Koedoesberg, Willow Park Manor, parts of Equestria and surrounding residential and commercial developments.

Boshielo said the substation also supports significant economic activity and ongoing mixed-use development within the eastern growth corridor.

The facility suffered major fire damage on July 21, 2021, requiring extensive refurbishment and infrastructure replacement.

He said planning for the Wapadrand project commenced in January, the contract was awarded in October and construction began in November.

“The total project value amounts to R117.1-million excluding VAT, with expenditure currently standing at R108.8-million and overall completion reaching 93%.”

Boshielo said the project included the installation of new switchgear stages, upgraded control rooms, SCADA systems, protection systems and associated electrical infrastructure.

“Despite financial delays, adverse weather conditions and ongoing global equipment shortages, the project is now practically complete and operational.”

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