The National Electrical Test Facility (NETFA) is a third party, independent testing facility within the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) Electrotechnical Cluster. This facility consists of three specialised groups of laboratories: Short Circuit, High Voltage, and Materials and Installations. NETFA is situated in Olifantsfontein (Johannesburg), next to the ESKOM Apollo Converter Station, and has been in operation for more than 50 years. The original High Voltage laboratory facility was built in 1972.
All the NETFA laboratories are accredited to SANS 17025:2018 (ISO/IEC 17025:2017) by SANAS. NETFA is also a member of ILAC Multilateral Arrangement and a Participating Member of the Short-Circuit Testing Liaison (STL) Group.
Interesting facts about NETFA:
NETFA has the only generator-driven High Power Test station in the Southern Hemisphere. The first 765 kV line in the world and transmission tower optimisation (the first cross rope towers in the world) were tested at NETFA. The High VoltageLaboratory is situated at an altitude of 1 540m, one of only a few in the world to be located above 1500m.
Short Circuit Laboratory
The Short Circuit Laboratory is capable of testing short-circuit and switching performance of a wide range of medium voltage power control and electrical distribution equipment. Among other features, the laboratory is equipped with two short circuit generators, with low impedances that can produce very high currents for short durations, at the High Power Plant.
The laboratory has the following test capabilities:
Short circuit tests up to 12kV/31,5kA/1sec. at the High Power Plant Short circuit tests up to 100kA at 500V at the High Current Plant Determination of temperature rise up to 10kA at the Temperature Rise Plant
High Voltage Laboratory
The High Voltage Laboratory is capable of performing a wide range of tests on electrical distribution, substation and transmission equipment. It is also used as a research facility, mainly for ESKOM’s new development projects. This Laboratory is situated at an altitude of 1 540m, and offers the opportunity of testing at high altitude.
This laboratory is equipped with the following major features and capabilities:
A fully screened indoor test facility with a height of 30 m and floor area of 30 m x 50 m Switching and lightning impulse voltages of up to 2.5MV and 3.2 mv respectively and discharge-free AC voltages of up to 650kV can be generated in the indoor facility This indoor facility is particularly suitable for partial discharge measurements down to levels as low as 1pC at 650 kV An outdoor extra high voltage (EHV) test facility capable of producing switching and lightning impulse voltages of up to 3.2MV and 4.0MV respectively and discharge free AC voltages of up to 1.3MV Phase to phase impulse withstand can also be conducted in this facility.
Materials and Installations Laboratory
The Materials and Installations Laboratory is capable of testing various types of electrical materials and accessories such as cables, conductors, phasing sticks, joints and terminations, portable earthing gear, plugs, switches, connectors, adaptors, etc. A full spectrum of tests can be conducted in this laboratory to ensure quality, safety and performance in accordance with international and national specifications.
NETFA has the only generator-driven High Power Test station in the Southern Hemisphere.
