More than a decade after the Athlone Power Station was demolished and decommissioned, the site could breathe new hope in the midst of the load shedding crisis.
The City of Cape Town confirmed that the site would be earmarked for a potential energy footprint and economic growth. Currently, two operational Open Cycle Gas Turbines are being used during load shedding.
Mayco member for energy, Beverley van Reenen, said the site was a harvesting site for energy and it could be used for future plans.
“The City has, for some years, planned the decommissioning of the station and the re-purposing of the site,” she said.
Operations at the site were terminated in 2003 after it was found not to be economically viable.
“The City’s Energy Directorate sees huge potential for this site, which will assist in the transformation of the City’s energy footprint and support economic growth and the provision of basic services. The City continues to investigate all uses of the site.
“There are two operational Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) at the Athlone site, which contribute towards our current load shedding mitigation efforts. The City also makes use of the Steenbras Pumped Storage Scheme and has issued tenders for energy procurement from IPPs and for an aggregator to implement a demand response programme.”
It was situated along the N2 and had two 99m brick chimneys and two cooling towers, which fed water of nearby sewerage, and was commissioned in 1962 with six turbines and had a nominal capacity of 180 megawatts and was operated by the City of Cape Town.
During 1985 and 1994, it was used for standby power and was an emergency supply for power failures of the national grid.
Due to the age of the infrastructure, its lifespan was extended using additional reinforcement bands.
One of the bands of the tower collapsed, and the towers were demolished in 2010.
Van Reenen added other energy sources would also be explored, referring to solar energy and various tenders.
Lungile Mashele, Energy Specialist said the call to restore power plants across the country was being re-looked but that it came with a lot of challenges.
He added Athlone Power Station had been vital in supplying energy by not being dependent on voltage lines.
“There are numerous coal-fired power stations around the country, some of which are operational whilst others are decommissioned.
“Orlando, Rooiwal, Kelvin and Athlone come to mind. They played an important role in the latter part of the last century in producing power that was localised and not dependent on high voltage transmission lines.
“As Eskom expanded its coal fleet in the 80s and 90s, they became obsolete and were either decommissioned or placed in cold storage. As the electricity situation in this country became precarious, there was an increased focus on restarting these plants.
“To restart them, however, would be a monumental task because some parts and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) no longer exist. In addition to that, these are owned by municipalities who may not have the funds or resources to restart these plants.
“A more palatable situation may be to issue concession agreements to the private sector to return these plants to service. Give them time-lines, incentives and a cost-reflective tariff.
“There is also the possibility of retrofitting some of these plants with gas, which will be more efficient and cleaner.”
Jacques Moolman, President of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the Athlone Power Station would be a rescue for the energy crisis for now and the future, and is calling on the government to allow the private sector to assist balancing the scale.
“We welcome the utilisation of the existing Athlone facility, particularly if it could help alleviate the current energy crisis,” said Moolman.
“It is only fitting that the site, with its long history, should again be utilised for the benefit of the residents of Cape Town.
“The Athlone site is already connected to the grid and well-positioned on major transport nodes – and therefore convenient for future development of energy infrastructure, such as gas turbines.
“We welcome all energy procurement plans that might dilute the country’s current dependence upon Eskom.
“As a Chamber, we are calling on the government to enable a private sector-led response to the energy crisis.
“A diversified energy sector would promote efficiency and performance, in stark contrast to the current Eskom monopoly, which requires massive state bail-outs despite years of non-performance.”
Ahmed Manzoor Shaik-Emam, the leader of the National Freedom Party (NFP) in Parliament, also said the future would be re-looking at a coal initiative with power stations.
“We agree that it’s premature to decommission or shut down coal-fired power units in the absence of suitable alternative energy supply.”
In 2021, mayco member for energy and climate change Phindile Maxiti said the site was considered unsuitable for mixed use residential purposes.
The City said a financial bracket for plans was not yet set.
“It is expected that detailed cost plan estimates will be undertaken for each element of the site once the preferred scenario has been fully developed during the next stage of the project's planning process. This will determine the City’s next steps.”