Author: Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe

From left: Daniel Greeff (Deputy Director Electro for Planning & Design in the Electrotechnical Services Directorate), Cllr Jacqulique Von Brandis (Portfolio Councillor for Civil Engineering Services: Capital Projects and BFI), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Dr Michele Gratz (George Municipal Manager), Thabo Yiga (Project Manager: Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality, Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Roland Appels (Sub-Contractor from MTDJ Projects), and Menno Sulsters (Main Contractor from SEM Solutions Pty Ltd).

The Outeniqua Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) which is situated in Pacaltsdorp, South of George, will be the first service plant of the George Municipality to be powered with solar energy following the PV installation of a 400-kilowatt peak (kWp) occupying an area of approximately 4 800 square metres.

Taking into regard the current energy crisis in South Africa that causes power supply interruptions due to Eskom’s loadshedding, this move by the George Municipality can certainly be seen as a quantum leap into an uninterrupted and reliable power supply, not only to Municipal facilities but to the advantage of the citizens of the City of George.

On Friday, 30 June 2023, the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services & Fleet Management, Nosicelo Mbete, Portfolio Councillor for Civil Engineering Services Jacqulique Von Brandis and the George Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz, visited the plant that is situated in Pacaltsdorp.

“We are thrilled to have this Solar PV plant installed and are working towards getting operational to provide electricity to our Wastewater Treatment Works by the end of July this year. Meanwhile, we are also busy finalising a tender process for roughly 4.8 Megawatt hours (MWh)’ worth of battery energy storage that we are going to be implementing, and that 4.8MWh will be split between various installations and treatment works around George to compensate for load shedding and any other unexpected power outages,” said Mayor van Wyk.

“Once operational we will be able to power most of the Wastewater Treatment Works electrical loads during the daytime. It is essential that we make use of renewable energy along with a battery pack which will be added in due course so that we can have the Power to operate our sewerage at all times,” Mayor van Wyk added.

The director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality, Bongani Mandla said that this is amongst the multiple solar installations planned for the City of George, particularly, the essential facilities such as Water and Wastewater Treatment Works and then other Municipal Buildings.

‘Solar PV to reduce consumption from the grid and bulk purchases’ – Electrotechnical Services

“The purpose of the installation of Solar PV is to reduce our facilities’ consumption from the grid, which will reduce our bulk purchases. The facility will mainly be supplied through the use of clean energy and a battery energy storage system will also be installed to further make the facility more resilient,” Mandla said.

The system, according to Thabo Yiga, the project manager in the George Municipality’s Electrotechnical Services, will comprise 738 panels, with each panel rated at 545 Watts. “Then we have the inverters that convert the DC power from the panels into AC electricity that’s required by the loads. We have a total of eight (8) inverters, with each inverter rated at 50 kilo Watts (kW),” Yiga said.

“The system will be grid-tied with no storage. However, it will allow for the integration of battery storage to be installed in the next financial year. The power generated will be fed into the facility’s main low-voltage distribution board where the loads (pumps and motors) required to operate the wastewater facility are connected,” Yiga added.

‘A more stable energy supply to the WWTW during periods of power outages’ – Civil Engineering Services

The expected annual energy yield is 678 680 kWhs, and at a rate of R 1.60 per kWh, the cost of the annual energy generated is R1 085 888. The calculated payback period of the system is Seven (7) years. The lifespan of PV systems is 25 years. The system’s total cost, including a 24-month operation and maintenance period and training of 4 municipal staff, is R7,8 million (inclusive of VAT). The carbon emissions that will be avoided using energy generated from a clean and renewable source is 12 809 tonnes over 25 years period.

In addition, the PV system will have a weather monitoring station equipped with four sensors to measure parameters such as irradiance, wind speed and wind direction, humidity, ambient temperature, PV panels temperature, etc. This data, including the PV production date, will be sent to a cloud, and then pulled off from there and displayed on the SCADA system, for remote monitoring (in near real-time).

The Civil Engineering Services of the Municipality, as the beneficiary says the PV installation will enhance service delivery. “The PV system will provide a more stable energy supply to the Wastewater Treatment Works during periods of power outages and ensure power supply continuity is necessary to ensure quality compliance of the final effluent by not causing interruptions to the treatment process,” said Lindsay Mooiman, deputy director for Infrastructure Planning and Project Management Unit in the Civil Engineering Department.

Please watch the visit to the 400-kilowatt peak PV Solar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrfXVWOlz-o

PV installation of a 400-kilowatt peak occupying an area of approximately 4 800 square metres

Visit to Glenwood transformer from left: Daniel Greeff (Deputy Director Electro for Planning & Design in the Electrotechnical Services Directorate), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Dr Michele Gratz (George Municipal Manager, and Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality).

In its endeavours to supply its citizens with electricity, the George Municipality has recorded a milestone in the electricity network in the George Municipal area as it begins the process of installing three transformers, two in Thembalethu Substation and one in Glenwood Substation in the past two weeks.

On Friday, 30 June, the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk, accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services, Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe, and the George Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz visited the recently delivered transformers which are currently being installed in Thembalethu and Glenwood.

Mayor van Wyk says he is delighted to see the progress that has been made so far to strengthen the capacity of the power supply in George. “The installation of these transformers solidifies the Municipality’s quest to capacitate and supply adequate electricity to the City of George while also catering for growth. We are constantly upgrading and increasing the electricity capacity in our substations and ensuring that our substations are up to standard and meet the required needs of the consumption within George and surrounds.

According to the Municipal Electrotechnical Services Directorate, the electricity demand for Thembalethu has increased significantly, to the extent that it reached a point where it is not efficient and reliable to supply the area from the 11 000 Volt network. “To increase the reliability and to establish sufficient capacity for future development, the Municipality needed to establish a 66/11kV substation. The 66 000-volt overhead line network was completed in previous years,” said Bongani Mandla, the director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality.

The Thembalethu substation includes 2 x 20MVA 66/11kV transformers. Each transformer cost in the order of R7.5m and the total project value is in the order of R50 million. The project is expected to conclude towards the end of 2023. This substation will assist with more reliable power to the Thembalethu area and reduce overloading problems on the 11kV network, which will assist with restoration times after a fault or load shedding.

The Glenwood transformer is also 20MVA 66/11kV and added to the existing 2 x 20MVA transformers to assist with the growing demand for the developments in the East of George / Kraaibosch areas and surrounds.

Please watch the visit to the Thembalethu Transformers: https://youtu.be/hjGwOEsjhlY
Please watch the visit to Glenwood Transformer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIH9nZLlIE

Visit to Thembalethu Transformers from left: Daniel Greeff (Deputy Director Electro for Planning & Design in the Electrotechnical Services Directorate), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Dr Michele Gratz (George Municipal Manager), Councillor Sifiso Ntondini (Ward 11 Councillor in Thembalethu) and Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality).  

Delivery process and installation of transformers on the plinths in Glenwood

Delivery process and installation of transformers on the plinths in Thembalethu

From 03 to 07 July, the City of George is host to the U18 Craven Week, taking place at Outeniqua Park stadium. This prestigious SA Rugby schoolboy’s tournament is regarded as an avenue into the sport on a professional level.

George is the proud host city of the U18 Craven Week 2023 tournament, which last took place in the city in 1999, in celebration of Outeniqua High School’s centenary.

While all of the teams will be enthusiastically received by the city, happy to have an influx of visitors, locals will of course be especially cheering on our very own SWD Eagles. Follow the SWD Eagles updates on their website and social media pages.

Tickets are available at the stadium gate and from Ticketpro online:
• Adults R50
• Scholars R20
• Parking R20 (Available at Heatherlands High)
• Week Pass R200 (Ticketpro)

Rugby enthusiasts can get in on the action with gates opening from 08:00 on Monday to Thursday, and at 07:00 on Saturday. See the fixtures and times below:

Ald Leon van Wyk, Executive Mayor of George

The municipality has recently communicated about the progress we have been making to erect 30 high mast lights in various areas across George. These lights will address inadequate lighting in high-density areas where there are high risks associated with safety at night as well as possible criminal activity that occurs under cover of darkness.

Installations are taking place in Thembalethu where 18 lights are being erected with Parkdene receiving five, Lawaaikamp four and Borcherds three. The lights are designed to each provide lighting covering a radius of 50-60 metres that will result in an area of roughly one hectare being covered by each light. A combination of grant and municipal funding amounting to R19 million is being utilised.

This lighting will provide additional safety for our citizens, some of whom live in informal settlements in these areas. Many of our informal dwellings do not have access to electricity. Often electrical connections are made illegally which are dangerous and unsafe. During periods of loadshedding, personal safety and security risks increase dramatically for these vulnerable citizens. Under cover of darkness, incidents of cable theft also increase.

The municipality has been undertaking projects to provide electricity to informal settlements in terms of priority criteria approved by the Council within budget constraints. This is a costly exercise that includes the installation of pre-paid meters. A pilot project is being undertaken to explore the use of solar PV panels to provide power to small clusters of dwellings. If this is successful, it will enable a more rapid roll-out.

It is expected that additional high mast lights will be erected shortly in other areas as part of a corporate social responsibility project. In some areas, criminal elements regularly embark on vandalism of street lighting and damage to electrical kiosks which go unreported. It is critical that our citizens take ownership of the efforts to improve services and collectively work together towards combatting and reporting incidents of illegal dumping, cable theft, and protecting essential infrastructure against theft and vandalism for the greater good of the community. Churches, schools and other community groups could all assist in these efforts.

The recent stormy weather has kept many of our municipal staff very busy in clearing, cleaning and maintenance operations as a result of damage caused by high winds and the heavy rains. In addition, there have been vehicle accidents and damage caused to infrastructure by contractors. There have been power outages caused by more than 100 trees falling on powerlines in forested areas. This clearing and repair operation in the Witfontein area was no doubt difficult and dangerous. We thank and applaud the work of the disaster, technical, community safety, cleaning and repair teams as they have quickly restored services.