JOHANNESBURG – Eskom on Sunday defended its proposed upgrades to Megawatt Park, its head office in Johannesburg, as a necessity despite the utility being under financial constraints.
“(These) are essential, they aren’t lavish upgrades,” spokesman Andrew Etzinger told Sapa.
He said the upgrades were necessary for the health and safety of staff, data security and the improvement of energy efficiency.
The Sunday Times reported that the upgrades would cost the power utility R500 million. Etzinger, however, could not confirm the costs. He said there was no trade-off between the health and wellness of staff and investments.
“Various components are in the process of going to tender but we can’t preempt the costs,” he said.
The Sunday Times reported that R3 million was earmarked for a VIP entrance and offices, plus R608,000 for curtaining. Landscaping would cost R1.4 million. The upgrades would also include an emergency generator installed at a cost of R8.5 million and a uninterrupted power supply systems for R6.7 million.
Another R81 million would be spent on airconditioning, heating and ventilation, the paper reported…
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