With several recurring power outages, particularly across Gauteng in recent months, State-owned power utility Eskom is taking a three-pronged approach to recover, stabilise and improve the performance of the electricity distribution network.
Illegal connections causing overloading, cable theft, vandalism and technical faults had led to a surge in unexpected power outages in recent months.
Eskom said it would focus on the early detection of faults, the prevention of their occurrence and the execution of a suitable response to each fault, along with the establishment of 24/7 specialised technical response teams to resolve interruptions.
“In Gauteng, we have repaired and replaced 61 transformers in areas such as Soweto, Sandton, Ekurhuleni, the Vaal and Tshwane,” the parastatal said in an update to the public on Monday.
“We have also upgraded and replaced damaged cables to improve the performance of the distribution network. Approximately 500 people are usually impacted when a minisubstation fails.”
While Eskom’s routine planned outages to undertake maintenance and upgrades also resulted in power interruptions, the utility assured that these were executed at night to minimise disruptions and were communicated in advance.
“We are proactively engaging with affected communities and are regularly communicating the occurrences of power outages and the status in terms of resolution of those faults,” Eskom concluded.