Athlone Power Station

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 / -33.94889; 18.51361
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
[edit on Wikidata]

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]