The Gauteng provincial government has remained mum on allegations that the claimed 50 megawatts (MW) recommissioned John Ware open gas turbine substation in Fordsburg, Johannesburg have not yet materialised.
This is despite Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and former Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda promising that the substation, which was unveiled in April this year, would bring 50MW to the province’s electricity grid by the May this year.
Information obtained by the Sunday Independent states that only one unit is currently running at the John Ware open gas turbine substation and it produces 9MW.
”The two units cannot run simultaneously to pump out 50 MW in the absence of a governor (which is now only being procured as at October 2024), contrary to media reports of April 2024 that it was generating 50MW,” the source said.
A governor takes control of the speed and the electrical power of the turbine generator.
According to the information, the Gauteng cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department and the general public was misled.
During his August opening of the provincial legislature address following the May 29 national and provincial elections, Lesufi expressed his happiness that the John Ware open cycle gas turbine, with a capacity of 50MW, was commissioned in April 2024 and the Durban Street open cycle gas turbine was expected to be operational by August 30.
A month earlier in July in his budget speech, Gauteng infrastructure development and Cogta MEC Jacob Mamabolo also assured the province’s residents that the John Ware open cycle gas turbine was completed while the Durban Street open cycle gas turbine is now more than 90% finished.
In his last state of the city address in May before he was ousted as mayor in August, Gwamanda also said the John Ware open gas turbine substation has been brought back into operation, enabling the infusion of a noteworthy 50MW into the network.
In his speech, Mamabolo said the legislative mandate on energy does not reside with the province, Gauteng Cogta was committed to providing and facilitating support through the establishment of an energy technical task team.
In the last financial year, the department successfully executed a R440 million project aimed at mitigating the energy crisis in the province with five municipalities benefiting, according to Mamabolo.
The project included the installation of 60 transformers, 3 351 smart meters, and 45 solar high masts and the upgrade of the Robertsville plant to ensure a stable water supply during load shedding.
The provincial government is also piloting a microgrid at the Marasta informal settlement in Alexandra to provide alternative energy to improve the quality of life for residents.
”In the 2024/25 financial year, our department has been allocated a further R430m to continue the implementation of the emergency energy response plan. This significant allocation will enable us to build on our progress and further enhance our capacity to address the energy challenges facing our province,” he said at the time.
Johannesburg’s power utility, City Power, is the implementing agent of the Gauteng provincial government’s emergency energy response plan.
Lesufi’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla did not respond to questions from the Sunday Independent despite undertaking to do so.
However, Johannesburg’s power utility, City Power, denied the allegations, saying they were untrue and lacking both basis and factual support and that it was pleased with John Ware’s performance.
"We are not running the engines at John Ware at maximum capacity, the reason is that there are no capacity issues at this stage because there is no load shedding. We refurbished and fired up these turbines as part of our load-shedding mitigation strategy. Depending on the load requirements at any given time, we can operate them at a capacity ranging from one to 50MW,” City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said.