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[ OVERVIEW I THE RAILWAYS AND ESCOM I CONSTRUCTION I ELECTRICITY GENERATION I COAL SUPPLIES I CLOSURE I HOUSING AND FACILITIES I THE TOWN AND THE COMMUNITY I BIBLIOGRAPHY ] |
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OVERVIEWColenso Power Station was the first thermal power station to be operated by the
Electricity Supply Commission (Escom) although it was not originally an Escom undertaking.
The power station, sub-stations and transmission system, which constituted the Colenso
Undertaking, were constructed by the Railway Administration. The station was to supply
power for the electrification of the Natal main line between Glencoe Junction and
Pietermaritzburg, a route length of 274 km. Electrification of the line had been
authorised by Parliament in 1922 and the official opening of the line took place in June
1926. It was the second biggest railway electrification scheme in the world, second only
to the Chicago line. When Colenso Power Station was taken over by Escom in January 1927, the principal equipment installed consisted of five generators and eight chain grate boilers with a total capacity of 60 MW. In 1959 there were nine generators, nineteen boilers and three cooling towers, and the total installed capacity was 165 MW. The first six generators and their associated boiler house constituted what became known as Colenso No. 1 and the last three generators and the second boiler house, Colenso No. 2. The traction load in the year 1927 represented over 96% of the total sales and the
demand could fluctuate over a range of 20 MW within a few minutes. Two additional
boilers were installed to provide relief due to the fluctuating load, but by 1935 the
traction load continued to pose a problem, with fluctuations from 10 to 45 MW within
a few minutes. At times the power station would be "swamped" with load leading
to momentary interruptions in supply. These fluctuations "called for exceptional
vigilance" on the part of the boiler house staff and another two boilers were
installed. By the end of 1936 the electrified railway line extended 186 miles
[299 km] south-east from Colenso to Durban and a year later 135 miles [217 km]
northwards to Volksrust and 142 miles [229 km] towards Bethlehem. At that stage power
was supplied from Colenso Power Station for the whole of the railway traction load in
Natal. The first additional generator was ordered at the beginning of World War II
(1939-1945), but during the war and for a number of years after, there were serious delays
in the delivery of new plant. Due to growth in load at Congella Power Station at Durban,
commissioned in 1928, and which experienced even greater difficulties and delays in
obtaining additional plant during the war years, Congella was unable to supply traction
load until the end of 1948. The original five generators were decommissioned in 1973, and the sixth in 1980,
leaving only Colenso 2 in service with a station installed capacity of 80 MW.
Colenso, the longest serving station at that time, was finally taken out of service and
decommissioned in September 1985. The total net electrical energy sent out by Colenso from
take over by Escom at the beginning of 1927 until closure in 1985 was
21 043 GWh. The total quantity of coal burnt was 15,4 million metric tons.
(Figures from 1924, when the station started operating, until Escom took over in 1927 are
not available). Auxiliary consumption within the station amounted to approximately 5% to
7% of total (gross) generation, depending on the load factor.
THE RAILWAYS AND ESCOMBy 1912 the Railways were considering the possible electrification of the Natal railway line and had already made cost estimates when World War I (1914-1918) broke out. Sir William Hoy, General Manager of the South African Railways and Harbours, realised that since there was no other power station available, the Railways would have to build their own. With this in mind, Messrs Merz and McLellan, Consulting Engineers from Great Britain and world leaders in the field of railway electrification, were appointed, in 1917, to report on railway electrification in South Africa. In the latter part of the year Mr F Lydall, an expert from Merz and McLellan arrived in South Africa to conduct investigations and collect data, and a report was submitted to Sir William Hoy dated June 1919. Charles Merz (later Dr) arrived personally in South Africa on 16 August 1919. FW Mills, Chief Electrical Engineer of the South African Railways and Harbours, conducted him over the various sections reported on. The report was laid before Parliament in September of that year. Acting on the advice of Sir William Hoy, the Government had requested Merz and McLellan, in January 1919, to study the general question of electric power supply in South Africa and Merz devoted a portion of his visit to this subject. He submitted his report to the Prime Minister, Jan Smuts, in April 1920. Merz envisaged power networks springing up as offshoots of railway electrification, and advocated the concentration of power production in a small number of large generating stations. In 1921 the Government appointed a Committee under the chairmanship of Sir Robert Kotze to consider the Merz report. The deliberations of this committee resulted in Parliament passing the Electricity Act of 1922, and the establishment of the Electricity Supply Commission (Escom) on 1 March 1923. (The name Escom was changed to Eskom in 1987). Dr Hendrik Johannes van der Bijl
was appointed the first chairman. In their report of June 1919, Merz and McLellan reported on the possibilities and
advantages of the electrification of (among others) the Cape Town-Simonstown suburban line
and the Durban-Glencoe main line. The report pointed out the profitability of electrifying
the Durban-Glencoe line, which was expected to give a return on net capital outlay of
40,3%. It suggested a power station be erected at Durban (four 8 MW sets) and another
on the Buffalo River near Dundee, in the middle of the coal-fields (three 8 MW sets).
A White Paper was laid before Parliament in June 1920, in which it was recommended that
funds be voted immediately for the electrification of the Cape Town-Simonstown and
Durban-Pietermaritzburg lines. Funds were provided, but the serious financial depression
which intervened necessitated postponement of the Cape Town-Simonstown line (the Salt
River Power Station would be built to supply power for this project). The original
intention in Natal was to commence electrification of the line from the Durban end and
work north to the coal-fields. However, rapid development in coal traffic in 1921 showed
that work should be started from Glencoe Junction, near the coal-fields, instead of from
Durban. The whole position was reviewed, together with the Consulting Engineers, in the light
of the changed conditions. Mr Lydall carried out fresh investigations and a further White Paper was submitted to Parliament in
February 1922. The Minister of Railways and Harbours (the Hon JW Jagger) stated in April
1922, that to delay improvement in the carrying capacity of the Natal line would be a
"national misfortune" as the line was nearing the limit of its capacity with
steam locomotives. It had become a question of doubling the line vs. electrification and
it was decided to electrify the Glencoe-Pietermaritzburg section, which was mainly a
single line of 171 route miles [274 km]. This decision, "during a period of
acute financial stringency was a momentous one, but, on the reports submitted, was more
than justified". The 71 mile [114 km] Durban-Pietermaritzburg section was
already a double line (the Clairwood-Mariannhill-Cato Ridge deviation with 10 tunnels had
been opened in February 1921) and electrification of this line could be postponed. Merz
and McLellan were appointed consulting engineers for the Natal electrification project,
which included construction of the Colenso Power Station on the Tugela River to provide
power, (and not Tayside on the Buffalo River, a few miles east of Glencoe, as originally
suggested). Excavation work at Colenso was commenced in September 1922, before Escom was
established, but it was anticipated that it would be taken over by Escom. The station
started operating at the end of 1924 and was operated by the Railways until January 1927,
when it was purchased and taken over by Escom. The scheme was the second biggest railway
electrification scheme in the world, second only to the Chicago line. The Railway Administration had chosen Colenso as the site for the power station because
its location was fairly central between Durban and Volksrust (near the Transvaal border).
It was within easy reach of the coalfields near Glencoe and it was at the point where the
railway line crossed the Tugela River. Being on the bank of the river ensured a supply of
water for boiler feed and the circulating water system. Colenso is situated at an
elevation of 962 metres above sea level. Power was first used for traction purposes on 9 October 1924. Commercial operation of the electrical service of the Natal main line was introduced in
several stages. In January 1925 a skeleton service of five electric trains per day was run
over 70 km of the Natal main line between Ladysmith and Estcourt. Due to floods and a
build up of silt at the intake to the circulating water pumps, the power station was
temporarily closed down in February 1925. The electric train service between Ladysmith and
Estcourt was recommenced on 20 April 1925. On 28 May 1925 a full service at
3 000 V dc was introduced between Ladysmith and Mooirivier. On 26 June
1925 the Electricity Control Board granted Escom a Permit for the resale of electricity
purchased from the Railway Administration, to consumers along the rail route served by the
Colenso Undertaking. Supplies to the Municipalities of Ladysmith and Estcourt were
commenced in March 1926. By the end of July 1925 a full commercial service was being worked from Glencoe to
Mooirivier, bringing the total route distance of electrical service to 182 km. The
operation of electric goods trains over the entire 274 km length of the line between
Glencoe and Pietermaritzburg commenced on the night of 18 April 1926. The first
electrically hauled passenger train "glided into Pietermaritzburg" at 15:04 on
14 June 1926, where a large gathering was assembled and Sir George Plowman,
Administrator of Natal, broke a bottle of champagne on the leading unit. On 24 December 1926 an agreement was reached between the Minister of Railways and
Harbours and Escom for the take over of the Colenso Undertaking. The date of the take-over
was subsequently fixed for midnight on 15/16 January 1927, and the undertaking became
known as the Natal Central Undertaking. The power station staff was taken over by Escom
with the Undertaking. The total amount payable to the Railway Administration was
£3,136 million but total costs to Escom, including water rights, licence, cost of
raising charges and other sundries was £3,419 million.
At the time of the take over by Escom the undertaking consisted of:
(The transmission lines and rectification equipment which were exclusively used for traction purposes, were transferred back to the Railway Administration from April 1948). The initial plant installed at the power station consisted of five 12 MW turbo
alternators, which were designed to carry 20 MW for two minutes at a time. The steam
raising plant consisted of eight boilers, each of which had a normal evaporation of
60 000 lbs. of steam per hour [7,6 kg/s] but were capable of working
continuously at 25% overload if required. The Tugela River was used as the cooling water
system. On 29 June 1927 the Permit granted to Escom by the Control Board on 26 June 1925 was
substituted by a Licence "to acquire and carry on an Undertaking for the supply of
electricity in the Central area of the Province of Natal, and for that purpose to
..operate, use and maintain" the power station and the other assets taken
over.
CONSTRUCTIONThe Railway Administration appointed the British firm Merz and McLellan as consulting
engineers for the Natal electrification project. Excavation work for the power station was
commenced in September 1922 and by March 1923 the foundations were ready for the
steelwork. (This was the month when Escom was established). By the end of November 1923
good progress had been made with the engine room steelwork and by the end of January 1924
the first chimney had been erected. During March 1924 installation of the generators and
boilers was in progress and by the end of May 1924 the first four boilers were almost
complete. By the end of August 1924 boiler 1 had been completed and boiler 2 was
under steam pressure. By the end of September 1924 generator 1 had been run on test
and generator 2 was almost complete. By the end of November 1924 drying out of
boilers 7 and 8 was proceeding and generators 1 and 2 were being run for track
work and equipment tests. By the end of 1924, the buildings were completed and
generator 3 had been on test. During January 1925 generators 1, 2 and 3 were in service for track work and
erection of generators 4 and 5 was proceeding. A temporary closing down of the power
station was necessary from 7 to 20 February and 16 March to 14 April 1925, on account of silt having
accumulated in the intake to the circulating water pumps. During May 1925 the power
station was in continuous operation with the first four generators, and generator 5
was nearing completion. (At this stage HRH the Prince of Wales passed through the town of
Colenso by steam train). At the end of June 1925 generator 5 was on test and 5 of the
8 boilers were in commission with two others available. Note: The original water intake was set back from the river bank, adjacent to the power
station, and the earth between the pump house wall and the river was removed after the
suction pipes and the screens had been erected. To alleviate the silt problem, a new
intake was built in 1925/26, positioned further out into the main stream of the river, and
the Railway Administration entered into contracts for the construction of a barrage across
the Tugela River. This consisted of four gates each 40 feet [12 m] clear span and one
of 10 feet [3 m], erected about 4 000 feet [1,2 km] downstream, for the
purpose of regulating the flow past the intake. Escom later also installed rotary
strainers between the screening plant and the circulating water pumps. The traction load in the year 1927 represented over 96% of the total sales and the
demand could fluctuate over a range of 20 MW within a few minutes. Prior to the
acquisition of the Colenso Undertaking by Escom, the Railways had been considering
recommendations for extensions to the power station. In consultation with the Railways,
Escom decided to extend the boiler house to accommodate four more boilers and to proceed
at once with the installation of two additional boilers, similar to the existing boilers.
This would provide relief due to the fluctuating load. This work was completed in 1928. Electrification of the Pietermaritzburg to Cato Ridge railway line was completed in
1931. By 1935 the traction load continued to pose a problem, with fluctuations from 10 to
45 MW within a few minutes. At times the power station would be "swamped"
with load leading to momentary interruptions in supply. These fluctuations "called
for exceptional vigilance" on the part of the boiler house staff. The Cato Ridge to
Durban section (approximately 70 km and which included the doubling of many miles of
track and ten tunnels in the hilly countryside) was officially opened on 1 December 1936.
The Hon. O Pirow, K.C., M.P., Minister of Railways and Harbours and of Defence,
performed the opening ceremony, arriving at 10:00 on the first electric train to enter
Durban station. Dr van der Bijl, Chairman of Escom, and Mr TH Watermeyer,
General Manager of the South African Railways and Harbours, were among the dignitaries who
had also travelled on this special train from Rossburgh to Durban. They were met by the
Mayor of Durban and a large crowd including a military band. Power was supplied from
Colenso Power Station for the entire 186 miles [299 km] of track from Colenso to
Durban. By 1938 the electrified railway line extended also 135 miles [217 km] northwards
to Volksrust and 142 miles [229 km] towards Bethlehem. Two boilers at Salt River
Power Station in Cape Town, similar to the Colenso boilers, were replaced by larger
boilers in 1936. These boilers were transferred to Colenso and were installed in 1938.
This would provide additional relief due to the fluctuating traction load. Electrification
of the old section of the Natal main line between Rossburgh and Hillcrest was started in
1938, but was later abandoned for the duration of World War II due to delays in
delivery of equipment. It is interesting to note that South Africa had
1 217 miles of electrified track in 1938, and approximately half was in Natal.
Electrified track in Great Britain was 857 miles. Note: Congella Power Station was built at Durban with the primary objective of
supplying the growing needs of the Durban Corporation. It was intended that the station
would be extended immediately the Railway Administration decided to electrify the
Durban-Pietermaritzburg line. The station was started up in July 1928 with two 12 MW
sets rated for 20 MW momentary traction load, as were the Colenso sets. The station
was extended in 1929/30, 1932, 1934 and in 1938, when installed plant capacity was
98 MW. But due to growth in load at Durban and later the non-delivery of two sets
during the war, Congella was unable to supply traction load until the end of 1948. Due to recirculation of the cooling water at Colenso causing excessively high
temperatures at the circulating water intake during low river flow, an alternative
discharge duct was constructed one mile upstream in the river during 1938. This would
provide a much larger surface area for cooling especially during the dry season water
level. As originally built, space had been provided for a sixth set in the engine room. A
25 MW generator was ordered in November 1939, but on account of delays due to
World War II (1939 to 1945), it was not expected to be in operation before the end of
1941. This set went into commercial operation only in July 1943. The installed capacity of
Colenso was then 85 MW and there were 12 boilers, including the two brought from Salt
River. Due to growth in load of other consumers, the traction load at that stage
represented about 80% of the total sales in the Undertaking. As further generation capacity would be required within the next two years, it was
decided to order an additional 25 MW set and two boilers rated at
180 000 lb/h [22,7 kg/s], ready for service in June 1947. The engine room
would have to be extended and another boiler house added. It was decided to make provision
in the new buildings for two further sets and four boilers. There would be a new control
room entirely separate from the original control room. The extension was virtually a new
power station and the old and the new sections were referred to as Colenso Nos. 1 and
2. The steam conditions at the turbine inlets in these stations were almost the same, but
the voltage of generation was 6,6 kV in the old station and 13,2 kV in the new
station. The increasing river water temperatures would necessitate erection of three cooling
towers, two of which would be provided initially. Each would have a normal capacity of
1,2 million gallons per hour [1,5 kl/s] with an overload rating of about
2 million gallons per hour [2,5 kl/s]. The towers would be arranged for
supplying the new extensions, and in an emergency, the existing station in order to
overcome the difficulties due to choking of pipes experienced at times of flood. The civil works and the turbine house steelwork were well in hand by the end of 1945
and the delivery of the boilers and turbine was expected late in 1946. Some items of the
new plant did arrive during 1946, but there were further delays in the manufacture of the
overseas plant, which was then expected only by mid-1948. Before the generator (no.7) was
commissioned, another 25 MW set (no.8) was ordered together with three boilers of
180 000 lb/h [22,7 kg/s] capacity. Generator no.7 was eventually
commissioned in February 1949 and the two boilers in June and August 1949. The traction
load at that stage represented approximately 70% of the sales in the Undertaking. There were also delays with the next additions. Material for the three boilers started
to arrive in March 1952. The costs of the extension estimated in 1948 at £0,981 million
were revised in 1952 to £1,425 million. The generator (no.8) was commissioned in July
1953 and the first boiler (no.16) in June and the second (no.18) in November 1953. The
"C" extension was completed the next year when the third boiler (no.15) was
taken into service in April 1954. This brought the installed capacity of Colenso up to
135 MW. The traction load was then about 55% of the Undertaking sales. By the end of 1956 a 30 MW generator had been ordered together with two boilers
rated at 200 000 lb/h [25,2 kg/s]. This was the "D" extension and
work was started during 1958 and the installation was completed during 1959. The station
then reached its final installed capacity of 165 MW with nine generators and nineteen
boilers. A summary of the principal equipment installed is as follows: (chain grate stokers on all boilers)
Data source: Escom Ten Years 1923-1933: 55; Escom Twenty-five Years 1923-1948: 40; Escom Annual Report 1950: 90; Escom Annual Report 1983: 49
ELECTRICITY GENERATIONNet generation in 1927, the year in which Colenso was taken over by Escom, was
106,7 GWh. In 1939 an interconnection between Congella Power Station and the Booth
Sub-station (on the railway route near Congella) made it possible for Congella and Colenso
to render limited assistance to each other in case of emergency. This interconnection, via
a 15 MVA 33/88 kV transformer, proved of great mutual advantage on many
occasions. From 26 December 1948, Congella supplied the traction load between Durban
and Cato Ridge (approximately 10 MW). In 1952 and in 1953, Colenso assisted Congella
with peak loading via the distribution network, and from March 1954 a 132 kV
interconnector between Colenso and Umgeni Power Station was in service. Generation at
Umgeni commenced at the beginning of April 1954, and Congella, Umgeni and Colenso were
operated in parallel. The Durban Undertaking then became the Natal Southern Undertaking. Annual net generation at Colenso increased steadily to 771,1 GWh in 1960, which
was the maximum during the operating life of the station. From 1960 Colenso operated with
Congella and Umgeni Power Stations of the Natal Southern Undertaking as pooled stations
and generation at Colenso was eased. The first set at Ingagane Power Station was brought
into service in 1963, and in 1964 the Natal Central and Natal Southern Undertakings were
amalgamated to become the Natal Undertaking. Traction load then represented less than 20%
of the total sales in the Natal Undertaking. For the ten years 1962 to 1971 annual net
generation at Colenso averaged approximately 655 GWh. After the Natal system became
linked up to the Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga) system via the 400 kV transmission
grid in October 1971, net generation dropped sharply to 285,7 GWh in 1972 and
132,1 GWh in 1973. Annual net generation averaged approximately 220 GWh for the
ten years 1975 to 1984, and in September 1985 the station was finally taken out of
service. The highest net maximum power produced (max demand sent out) was 160 MW and
occurred in the year 1971. The link-up with the 400 kV transmission grid was planned
to have taken place before the winter of that year, but on account of delays due to
shortage of steel and cement, the Natal stations were required to operate at maximum
output throughout the winter. The previous maximum had been 145 MW in 1959. Due to the steam pressure in use at Colenso being only 2,0 MPa (abs), the annual thermal efficiency exceeded 19% only five times throughout the operating life of the station. The highest thermal efficiency was 19,2% and was achieved in the year 1950. By comparison, Salt River 1 Power Station, which originally had the same boiler plant (two boilers were transferred to Colenso in 1936-38), achieved an efficiency of 21,7% in 1936 with its new boilers rated at 3,0 MPa (abs).
The table below gives operating statistics for the following years:
* Calculated from Tugela river water usage
COAL SUPPLIESThe coal burned at Colenso was at first "steam coal" (3 to 19 mm) and later "bituminous mixed smalls" (0 to 25 mm). During the first years of operation the calorific value was sometimes over 29 MJ/kg [12 500 Btu/lb] but there was a gradual decrease over the years to below 28 MJ/kg after 1954, below 27 MJ/kg after 1958 and below 26 MJ/kg after 1971. (Escom Ten Years 1923-1933:55; Escom Twenty-five Years 1923-1948:40 and Escom Annual Reports – Tables of power station operating statistics). Coal was delivered by rail and there were several occasions when shortage of coal
caused "grave anxiety", with stocks barely sufficient for one day’s
requirements. On one occasion in 1949 the complete shut down of the station due to
shortage of coal was narrowly avoided. During that year "round coal" (above
35 mm) was sometimes supplied and required crushing before it could be used. (Note:
Between 1946 and 1951 similar problems were experienced at Salt River and Table Bay Power
Stations in Cape Town).
CLOSURE OF THE POWER STATIONDuring the second half of the 1960s, Escom began construction of a 400 kV
transmission system that would link all Undertakings throughout the country. With
increasing quantities of power being called for, the transmission of power at high voltage
from large power stations situated at the coal-fields in the Eastern Transvaal (now known
as Mpumalanga) was becoming a cheaper option than transporting coal to smaller power
stations built at the main load centres. An amendment to the Electricity Act allowed Escom
to establish the Central Generating Undertaking (the CGU) as from 1 January 1972, and
group together the power stations of the various previously existing Undertakings. This
would enable Escom to obtain the maximum benefit from pooling. The first 400 kV line
from Camden Power Station in the Eastern Transvaal to Chivelston, near Ingagane Power
Station in Natal, was completed in October 1971. Duplication of the 400 kV line
was completed in September 1972. This enabled the older and less efficient power
stations in Natal to reduce generation. Over 50% of the electricity fed into the Natal
system was imported from the northern power stations during the last three months of 1972.
Net generation at Colenso reduced from 560 GWh in 1971 to only 132 GWh in 1973
as a result of the 400 kV interconnection. The original five generators were decommissioned in 1973, and the sixth in 1980,
leaving the last three generators and six boilers in service with a station installed
capacity of 80 MW. Due to a decrease in the national rate of growth for the demand of
electricity, Eskom was experiencing a surplus of generation capacity in the second half of
the 1980s and thus the older power stations were no longer required. Colenso, the longest
serving station at that time, was finally taken out of service and decommissioned in
September 1985.
HOUSING AND FACILITIES PROVIDED BY THE STATIONSince housing was not available in the township of Colenso, the Railway Administration
had to construct quarters for their staff. In 1926 there were 36 brick residences.
However, this was insufficient, and ten wood and iron houses and two blocks of single
quarters, used during the construction period, had to be retained for the accommodation of
the permanent staff. When the power station was taken over by Escom in 1927, "the
single quarters and some of the wood and iron houses were not in a fit condition to be
occupied" and proper mess facilities were non-existent. It was decided that
additional brick houses for married men, and 28-roomed single quarters for the single men,
should be constructed as soon as possible. A recreation hall was also urgently needed as
staff was still using an old wood and iron building that had been used as a Railway
Institute for the construction staff. As the Colenso Township had no water supply scheme,
water for domestic and other purposes had to be carted from the Tugela River. An agreement
was reached between Escom and the Local Board in 1927 for water to be supplied in bulk to
the Board from Escom’s domestic water scheme. The Board undertook the reticulation of
water services in the Township other than to the Escom houses and quarters. By 1928 the first phase of houses for married men and single quarters had been completed and occupied. A new recreation hall was built which, besides providing boarding facilities for the single men, was designed to provide amenities for the employees and their families, which could not otherwise be enjoyed in a small town like Colenso. The official opening of the club-house was performed by one of the Escom Commissioners, Mr Karl Gundelfinger, and the old wood and iron buildings provided as a Railway Institute for the construction staff were taken down by the Railway Administration. A golf course and tennis courts could be used by staff, and a bowling green was laid and officially opened by Dr HJ van der Bijl.
(Escom Annual Report 1928:16; Escom Megawatt No.25/1972:19-20, No.32/1974:35) When the Colenso No. 2 station was built in 1944/45, new workshops and a stores
building were constructed to replace the previous buildings, which were demolished to make
way for the new turbine and boiler houses. These buildings, and an adjoining personnel
block, including spacious mess rooms, a kitchen and change rooms with ample locker and
ablution facilities, were modernly equipped to provide adequate accommodation for the
maintenance and stores staff. Construction of twelve dwelling houses was commenced as part
of the larger housing programme to provide for immediate needs and for future staff that
would be required when the power station was extended. By 1948, sixteen houses had been
built and occupied. Orders were placed for a further twenty, which were completed and
occupied in 1949, and water-borne sewage was being installed to all houses. Escom
continued to supply potable water in bulk to the Colenso Town Board, which earlier had
assumed responsibility for water reticulation. Certain of the water mains, formerly the
property of Escom, were transferred to the Board. As more houses were required, plots were
purchased and another twelve houses built. These, and the sewage system, were completed in
1951. The office accommodation at the power station was extended in 1952 and new first aid
rooms provided. The mechanical workshops were moved to the old stores building, which was
suitably enlarged. Change room accommodation at the power station was improved and
additional accommodation provided. Further workshop additions were made in 1965. Twenty
more houses were constructed and occupied in 1966 and a bulk supply of electricity was
made available to the Borough of Colenso in October 1966, when the Council took over the
reticulation of electricity within its area. From the take over of Colenso Power Station,
Escom had undertaken to do so.
THE TOWN AND THE COMMUNITYThe village of Colenso was originally a wagon halt. The town was laid out in 1855 and
was named after Bishop JW Colenso (1814-1883), first Anglican Bishop of Natal. The
railway line reached Colenso in 1886. During the Anglo-Boer War there was heavy fighting
in the area on account of the strategic bridge over the river. Lt. Roberts VC,
son of Lord Roberts, was killed in the Battle of Colenso on 15 December 1899, and a
monument was later erected to his memory. The power station was built on the actual battlefield. When construction of the power station began in
1922, it was a lifeless village consisting mainly of Indian and Arab stores. It was hoped
that with the power station being built there, it might develop into a thriving industrial
town. It was proclaimed a township in 1926 and a borough in 1958. The town had a
population of 2 750 in 1969 and 3 620 in 1978. Note: Earl Roberts was the second British commander in chief (Dec.1899-Nov.1900) in the
Anglo-Boer War. In a skirmish near Colenso, Sir Winston Churchill, then a war
correspondent for The Morning Post of London, was taken prisoner by the Boers. In an article by FR Mitchell, who had been at the power station only six weeks
before it was taken over from the Railways, he reminisced about the effect the
construction of the power station had on Colenso. He remembered how the construction,
which began in 1922, transformed Colenso into a boomtown. The Electric Hotel was built and
many new shops were opened. The Tugela Hall was erected and this provided the first cinema
in Colenso. The existing school had to be extended due to the increase in the number of
children. While the power station was still in the commissioning stage, heavy rainfall and the
subsequent flooding of the Tugela River, resulted in a build up of silt at the power
station intake works. This necessitated a temporary shut down of the power station in
February 1925. The rains caused damage to the Onderbroekspruit Bridge between Colenso and
Harts Hill. It collapsed as a train passed over on the night of 21 March 1925,
resulting in the death, by drowning, of the engine driver, fireman and eight passengers. Mr HP Alexander, who managed Escom's operations in Natal for a considerable period of
time, mentioned the experience of the night shift-engineer who looked out at the swollen
river which was just below the top of the intake wall, and saw a dog apparently walking
over the water. When the engineer went out to investigate he attempted to submerge his
twelve foot measuring pole and found the water only two feet deep. Silt had been deposited
in the inflow tank. This caused the shutdown of the power station for about a month. On 2 June 1925, not long after the storm and the shutdown of the power station, the
Prince of Wales (Prince Edward) passed through Colenso on his way to Durban, having
stopped overnight on 1 June at Harrismith where he laid a wreath at the War Memorial.
Nine years later, in 1934, Prince George (the King's youngest son) also passed through
Colenso on the White Train. On 29 May 1926 over 80 members of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers
and South African Institution of Engineers, travelling overnight from Johannesburg by
special train, made a visit to the Natal electrification works. Others who had made the
trip from Durban joined this group. Among them were some of the most distinguished
engineers in South Africa and overseas, including Mr Bernard Price, at that time
Chief Engineer of the Victoria Falls and Transvaal Power Company. Their visit included the
Colenso Power Station. Mr JA West, the Resident Engineer, conducted a tour of the
station. Note: Mr West came out from England to be the first Resident Engineer at Colenso,
taking over from the Resident Construction Engineer, Mr Hayes. He was later appointed
Local Manager of the Natal Central Undertaking and was followed by Mr HH Jagger as
Resident Engineer. Mr Jagger later became Manager of the Cape Western Undertaking. A policy of employing white labour for certain unskilled work previously performed by
blacks, was introduced at Colenso Power Station during the economic depression of 1930/31.
It was hoped that the men would qualify for promotion to more responsible work. With the
assistance of the Labour Department, suitable men were located and about 40 were employed.
Few discharges were necessary, but a large number of changes took place, mainly due to the
men obtaining better employment elsewhere. The average duration of service was
8 months. They were accommodated at a nominal charge in the wood and iron quarters
used by the construction workers, and a mess was organised providing a plain but
nourishing diet. But as the general prosperity of the country improved, it became
increasingly difficult to fill the vacancies that occurred as the men found employment
elsewhere that paid more. Escom made contributions towards providing secondary educational facilities at the
Government primary school for the children of the employees. The employment of an
additional teacher for the higher standards was subsidised. This continued until the
number of children attending secondary school had reached the necessary minimum laid down
by the Education Department to qualify for the provision of such facilities by the
Department. The Club House at Colenso Power Station provided for recreation which could "be
taken in the form of golf, football and tennis, and for indoor pastime…a billiard
room, reading rooms and a dance and concert hall fitted with sound motion picture
equipment". Mr Alexander said his wife grew up in Colenso after moving there at
the age of seven. According to Mrs Alexander, the community had to be completely
self-sufficient. If people wanted a social life, they had to join clubs. Sporting
activities were important to the employees of the Colenso Power Station. Tennis courts and
bowling greens were constructed. Many of the events were organised as part of annual
competitions with the Durban Undertaking. Some of the events included tennis, bowling,
badminton and soccer. The Colenso Club was successful in outside sporting competitions
e.g. winning the Prideau-Brown Shield at Bergville for bowls. A new event, which proved to
be quite successful was a flower, vegetable and garden show held for the first time in
1960. Mrs Alexander recalls that people brought in animals that they had found and
started a zoo in Colenso. The zoo was run by Eddie Pottinger and was closely supervised by
the Parks Board. It provided a constant sense of interest and amusement. Many people spent
their Sundays picnicking at the zoo. In 2003, the club still existed. When the power station was finally closed down, most employees were offered jobs elsewhere in Escom. According to Mrs Alexander, many employees chose to retire rather than face moving to a larger city or town, after living most of their lives in Colenso. The existence of the power station at Colenso had had an enormous effect on the town. Its construction transformed the village, whose greatest prior technological time of achievement had been the arrival of the railways in 1886. Colenso has never been the same since the closure of the power station. Economic activity has declined tremendously, and Colenso will perhaps never again see the kind of activity and energy experienced during the operating years of the power station.
BIBLIOGRAPHYThis information on Colenso Power Station was produced by Riashnee Pather, a historical researcher from the University of Natal and Dick Fowler, a retired Eskom employee.
Notes about the authors:
(South African Railways and Harbours Magazine 1919:737/8 and 1922:406-408 & 422; South African Who's Who 1927-1928; Escom Twenty-five Years 1923-1948:11; Escom: Golden Jubilee 1923-1973:11)
[ OVERVIEW I THE RAILWAYS AND ESCOM I CONSTRUCTION I ELECTRICITY GENERATION I COAL SUPPLIES I CLOSURE I HOUSING AND FACILITIES I THE TOWN AND THE COMMUNITY I BIBLIOGRAPHY ]
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