| Athlone Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the Power Station, after the demolition of the cooling towers. | |
 | |
| 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 | 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]
- ^ "Study on future of Athlone Power Station site progressing well". 2009-11-02. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
- ^ "City of Capetown Plans to use Athlone Power Station for Utility Purposes". News24. 2021-08-07.
- ^ a b "City of Cape Town to Privatize the Athlone Power Station". 2002.
- ^ Steenkamp, Willem (2006-09-09). "Power station could be reborn as a cultural hub". Cape Argus.