The City of Windhoek has started a 12-month audit of its electricity network to determine which infrastructure is ageing, what needs to be replaced or upgraded and where future investment should be prioritised as electricity demand increases.
The municipality has appointed EMCON PSE Consultants to assess its electricity sub-transmission and distribution assets across the City’s entire electricity supply area.
In practical terms, the exercise will give the municipality a detailed picture of the electricity infrastructure it owns, where each asset is located, its physical condition, its value and how much useful life it has remaining.
City spokesperson Harold Akwenye told The Brief that the consultants will identify and physically verify infrastructure before assessing its condition and value.
“The exercise will therefore provide the City with a clearer and more accurate understanding of the location, condition, value and lifecycle of its electricity infrastructure,” Akwenye said.
The audit is expected to help the City identify transformers, substations, power lines and other electricity assets that are approaching the end of their useful lives and determine where upgrades or replacements will be required.
This means the municipality will be able to base future electricity infrastructure spending on the actual condition and capacity of its network rather than relying only on existing asset records.
“An accurate and reliable asset register will enable the City to identify ageing infrastructure, determine future replacement requirements and prioritise capital investment based on verified information,” Akwenye said.
The assessment comes as Windhoek’s electricity network faces pressure from growing demand and illegal connections.
The City says electricity infrastructure is designed to handle predetermined loads based partly on the number of households expected to use the network. Illegal connections add unplanned demand, potentially overloading equipment and shortening its lifespan.
“Electrical infrastructure is designed based on pre-determined loads, such as the number of houses in a specific area. Therefore, illegal connections put an extra burden on electrical infrastructure as the infrastructure wasn’t designed for such a load,” Akwenye said.
He said overloading can contribute to premature deterioration of infrastructure and unplanned power interruptions.
Illegal electricity connections are also costing the municipality an average of N$2.7 million annually in lost revenue because the electricity consumed is generally not metered or billed.
“Electricity consumed through unauthorised connections is generally not metered and billed through the City’s formal systems, resulting in revenue losses and making it difficult to accurately account for electricity purchased and distributed,” Akwenye said.
The City plans to continue removing illegal connections in September while simultaneously expanding formal electrification, particularly in informal settlements.
Akwenye said new connections must be introduced without exceeding the capacity of the existing network.
“Electrification must be undertaken in a manner that ensures installations comply with applicable safety and technical standards and that the electricity network has sufficient capacity to accommodate additional demand,” he said.
The audit could therefore influence the City’s future electricity capital budget by identifying where infrastructure needs to be replaced, reinforced or expanded to accommodate additional demand.
For residents, the exercise does not itself mean immediate upgrades or electricity tariff changes. Rather, it is intended to provide the technical information the City needs to plan future investment, reduce the risk of infrastructure failures and determine where network capacity needs to be strengthened.
