About 12 areas are without electricity supply, including Kariega, parts of Hume wood, parts of Swartkops, Khayelitsha in KwanoBuhle, Rosedale, Kamesh Spar, KwaZakhele, Algoa Park, Parts of Forrest Hill, Arcadia, Bloemendal, Sanctor and Salsoneville.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Electricity and Energy Directorate, said 30% of services were disrupted by last week’s floods in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
As a result, an electrical emergency preparedness plan was implemented.
Sithembiso Soyaya, Spokesperson of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, said the City’s electricity and energy directorate, response measures are prioritising High and Medium-Voltage Restoration.
“Restoration efforts initially focused on high and medium-voltage areas, given their extensive coverage and importance to city-wide electricity needs.”
In areas where floodwaters posed ongoing safety risks, sections of the network were de- energized to protect the residents and personnel. These parts of the network were evaluated and where conditions allowed, essential repairs were initiated.
Specialized low-voltage response teams were mobilized to address low voltage faults. Anticipating the potential for a rising number of low voltage issues due to water damage, teams worked proactively to manage and mitigate further disruptions. One of the main factors contributing to the widespread impact affecting roughly 90% of the electricity infrastructure was due to severe stormwater blockages. Flooded substations and compromised medium-voltage switchgear kiosks added to restoration challenges.
Soyaya said significant progress was made in restoration efforts since Sunday, with some residential portions of the remaining issues linked to underground cable faults.
“To expedite repairs, additional contractors and Eskom teams have been deployed to assist with fault location, excavations, and pole installations. Eskom’s Eastern Cape team also started work on-site to further support these operations. This repair and restoration work will continue overnight, with the aim of resolving widespread faults by 1st November 2024.”
Picture: Supplied