The blackout, which began on Saturday (21/2), has continued through Sunday, with no confirmed time for restoration. Centlec officials have confirmed the outage stems from a combination of equipment malfunctions, specifically involving transformer components and circuit breaker mechanisms. 

The disruption at the Bayswater centre has been attributed to critically low oil levels on the Neutral Earthing Resistor (NER) of Transformer No. 2. The NER is a safety component that limits fault currents, without sufficient oil for cooling and insulation.

Simultaneously, the Navalpark centre is facing a separate challenge. Authorities report the batteries at this site require urgent charging.

Technical teams have identified a faulty circuit breaker mechanism. The outage has impacted a vast geographic area, including critical infrastructure and residential hubs. 

Areas without electricity 

• Residential and mixed use: Bayswater, Noordhoek, Waverley (partial), Heliconhoogte, Navalpark, Hilton, Arboretum (partial), Westdene (partial), Dan Pienaar, Heuwelsig, Rayton, Pentagon Park, and Hillsboro;
• Infrastructure and industry: Naval Hill (Microwave & FM Tower), Noord Riool 1 & 2, Cold Chain, New Market, and Bram Fischer International Airport; and
• Peri-urban and rural: Olive Hill (partial), Vaalbank South, Vallombrosa, Roodewal, and Midway.

Restoration progress

Medium voltage electricians and specialised contractors are currently on-site at both distribution centres. While teams are working to stabilise the NER oil levels and restore battery functionality, the utility said they are unable to provide specific time frames for total restoration.

The complexity of the circuit breaker mechanism repair remains the primary bottleneck. Centlec has apologised for the inconvenience and has requested patience from residents as they work to ensure the grid is safe before re-energising the lines.

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