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Conco completes R62m Midrand substation

01 June 2010

Consolidated Power Projects (Conco) on Friday officially handed over the R62-million New Road substation, in Midrand, to City Power.

City Power GM Gerrit Teunissen described it as "big day for Midrand", as the utility could now sell power on the western side of the N1 highway, where development has been stalled because of lack of access to power.

"It is a job well done, and something we can be proud of. It opens the door for development in this area," he added.

The New Road substation was the third electricity supply intake station in Midrand, and it is a 132/11kV indoor cellular substation, which is currently operated at 88kV, but is ready for 132kV change over in future.

The contract was awarded in January 2008, with Conco as the main contractor, PSW Consulting appointed as consultants to City Power for the project, and Engcon as the main subcontractor.

Conco project manager for the New Road substation Mario Prasti explained that through this distribution centre, incoming power was transferred down to more manageable levels, and could distribute electricity to some 60 000 households or smaller point consumers.

The substation was said to embrace the latest technology in design and equipment, and boast numerous safety and efficiency features. It was also completed within budget, and one day before the final completion date.

Because the substation is located on a busy street in Midrand, next to shopping malls and businesses, the outside aesthetics of the substation, and making it architecturally pleasing, were important. Thus, an architect designed the housing of the substation, to ensure that it was not an eyesore, and blended in with the surroundings.

Conco business development manager Sheldon Bailey explained that site clearance for the project was obtained in March 2008, and bulk earthworks started in May 2008, while the electrical construction began in July 2009.

The switch-on of transformer one and two took place on March 23, 2010, and the substation has been energized and feeding consumers since then.

"The substation houses three 40-MVA transformer bays, a double busbar system and two 11-kV switchboards linked by through-wall busbars comprising 40 panels. Panels incorporating remote control protection, and supervisory features for both the 88 kV and 11 kV system are present," Bailey said.

Supervisory control and data acquisition has also been incorporated allowing future operation of the substation from central control at City Power. The safety and security features also include alarms, closed-circuit television cameras, and a pepper spray system.

All 88 kV equipment is contained within cells and access is only possible when a predetermined interlocking procedure has been followed, thus ensuring safe and correct operation of major equipment.

Prasti noted that while much of the equipment, such as cabling and transformers, were supplied by local manufacturers, some of the equipment was imported from Europe, and the protection systems were brought in by a US supplier.

Local suppliers CBI Electric, which manufactured the cables in Vereeniging, and Powertech Transformers also commended the project team, on the "impressive" extent of local content used in the project.

Besides the project constructing the New Road substation, an extension of the Grand Central substation took place, as well as laying 4,8 km of feeder cable from Grand Central substation to the New Road substation.

This portion of the project, which was estimated to cost some R10-million a kilometre, required a trench to be dug about 2,8 m wide, and 8 m deep. It was necessary to tunnel under the N1 highway, as well as under a river, and this had to be done while Gautrain construction was also taking place
 

 Mario Prasti's Interview with Creamer Media