WCA May 2013

The Okahandja municipality in Namibia is among the local authorities having to deal with the problem of illegal power connections in informal settlements. An investigation of the Five Rand settlement by New Era found hundreds of illegal electricity connections, concluding that the entire settlement is so wired that the slightest mishap could lead to a disaster. Hundreds of illegal wire connections cross the pathways from one dwelling to another, and electrical cables “of all shapes and sizes” stretch hundreds of metres from one corrugated iron dwelling to the next. Residents have urged the municipality to provide them with safer electricity, because their lives are at risk as a result of the many illegal power connections, which could lead to a serious and widespread fire. “We do these illegal connections because we have applied for power since 2003, but until now we do not have any electricity yet,” lamented Fenny Mwahangeshapwa, a resident of the Five Rand informal settlement. Mwahangeshapwa said that money was deposited for the erection of an electrical power sub-station five years ago, but nothing has yet materialised. “We know this practice is very dangerous for all of us, but the situation has forced us to do this. We need power. We are tired of lighting candles that are likely to cause shack fires.” Connections risk injury

Right place, right time. . .

Zumbach Service provides the right solution in the right place at the right time. Since Nove- mber 2012, the company has been offering customers in Turkey local support from the newly opened customer service centre in Istanbul. The rapid growth in the customer base in Turkey prompted

Zumbach to open the new office, managed by Okür Abdullah. With this additional service centre, the company’s network now spans more than 20 service centres around the world. Zumbach Electronic AG – Switzerland Website : www.zumbach.com Southern Power submarine cable

❍ ❍ Okür Abdullah – manager of Zumbach Service in Istanbul, Turkey

The energy and water consultancy services (formerly Metoc) of Intertek has been awarded a contract for the supervision of testing and installation of the Ha Tien-Phu Quoc 110kV submarine power cable. The cable is a project of the Vietnamese utility Southern Power Corporation under Vietnam Electricity (EVNSPC), which will provide Vietnam’s first high-voltage submarine link. The new cable project will provide power to support tourism to Phu Quoc, an island approximately 50km offshore, which recently opened an international airport. Intertek will oversee factory acceptance tests in Italy, and supervise site tests, construction, installation and operation of the submarine power cable linking Ha Tien in south west Vietnam with Phu Quoc. Frank Beiboer, MD of Intertek’s energy and water consultancy services, said: “We are proud to support SPC in expanding their electricity supply in the region and look forward to working with them. “Having already established expertise in the offshore oil and gas sector within Vietnam [this will be] our first power cable project in the region.” Intertek – USA Website : www.intertek.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2013