Athlone Power Station | |
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![]() Aerial view of the Power Station, after the demolition of the cooling towers. | |
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Country | South Africa |
Location | Kewtown, Athlone, Cape Town |
Coordinates | 33°56′56″S 18°30′49″E / 33.94889°S 18.51361°E |
Status | Decommissioned |
Commission date | 1962 |
Decommission date | 2003 |
Owner(s) | City of Cape Town |
Thermal power station | |
Primary fuel | Coal |
Turbine technology | Steam turbine |
Cooling source | Reclaimed sewage |
Power generation | |
Units operational | 0 of 6 |
Nameplate capacity | 180 MW |
External links | |
Commons | Related media on Commons |
Athlone Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa. The site stopped generating power in 2003 and was decommissioned.[1] However, in 2021 plans were announced to re-use the site.[2]
Athlone Power Station was situated on the N2 freeway into the city, consisted of a large brick generation building, two 99m brick chimneys, and two cooling towers, fed by reclaimed water from a nearby sewage plant. It was commissioned in 1962 with 6 turbines with a nominal capacity of 180 megawatts, and operated by the City of Cape Town.[3] Between 1985 and 1994 the station was held on standby, but it resumed generating in 1995 with a reduced capacity of 120 MW. Between 1995 and 2003 it was used to generate power during peak demand periods or power failures of the national grid.[3] By 2003, significant investment was required due to the age of the power station, so generation ended.[4]