New transformers worth millions turn out incompatible

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IamCanadian

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Joburg’s electricity authority has “wasted millions” buying electrical transformers from Pakistan that nobody bothered to check could work with the city’s electrical system.

Now residents who rely on power from five substations at which the new transformers have been installed face lengthy blackouts if the incompatibility causes the old transformers there to fail.

Metro has established that at least 10 high-voltage transformers — giant steel components that weigh up to 100 tons each — were bought from Pakistan last May.

City Power, which bought them to upgrade the ailing electrical infrastructure, has refused to disclose how much they cost.

However, experts believe they could have set the city back between R20-million and R45-million each.
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http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=553226
 
seems like the only information we get on gov these days is through the sunday times .... maybe they should become the new gov watch dog :)
 
Unbelievable, and here in SA we MAKE these kinds of things...

Lemme guess, they didn't want to do business with a non-BEE company so they went overseas

OR

Lemme guess, they didn't want to pay the prices quoted and decided to go cheaper from overseas.
 
Or lemme guess ...

These things come from Pakistan. Hmmm. Anyone in procurement at Joburg’s electricity authority with the surname Mahmood, Nawaz, Khan, Akram, Younis or Akhtar?
 
JTech said:
Unbelievable, and here in SA we MAKE these kinds of things...

Lemme guess, they didn't want to do business with a non-BEE company so they went overseas

OR

Lemme guess, they didn't want to pay the prices quoted and decided to go cheaper from overseas.
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Or Overseas paid more bribe
 
One really has to scratch one's head at this level of buffoonary.

And the poor SA tax payer has been torn another hole for them to be raped with.
 
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As much as bad as this situation is,

However, experts believe they could have set the city back between R20-million and R45-million each.
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This is a lie,
A 40MVA transformer from a reputable international manufacturer like ABB or Alstom costs close to R6 million. The 40MVA is highest you can use in SA in terms of power output standards used by NER and SANS.

I can't blame them going for some obscure manufacturer because of shortages and long lead times on transformers worldwide. But someone should have gone to Pakistan and check those transformers before taking delivery of these units. A boo boo no less.
 
stepper said:
I can't blame them going for some obscure manufacturer because of shortages and long lead times on transformers worldwide.
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Sorry, I don't understand your logic.


How does spending money on non-functional and from the look of it, unsupported equipment achieve anything other than a loss of the money?
 
bekdik said:
Sorry, I don't understand your logic.


How does spending money on non-functional and from the look of it, unsupported equipment achieve anything other than a loss of the money?
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If understand him is that he says given that there are long lead times from ABB, SIEMENS etc, it only makes sense to look for other suppliers. I think he agrees that they should have looked and tested first before committing the expense.
 
qDot said:
If understand him is that he says given that there are long lead times from ABB, SIEMENS etc, it only makes sense to look for other suppliers. I think he agrees that they should have looked and tested first before committing the expense.
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It makes sense to look at the market. It does not make sense to purchase based on what? A Google search?

Incompetence plain and simple. If this is true the whole lot should be fired.
 
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