Eskom

Eskom

Earthlife Africa is challenging a variety of existing and planned coal-fired power stations. Eskom is the biggest South African producer of electricity. Eskom is a public company and even though this should make the company sensible towards the political developments into renewable energy, Eskom is still busy burning mostly coal to generate electricity. Hence, Earthlife Africa has taken it up to challenge Eskom over its unsustainable and harmful actions.

Challenging Eskom

• Our parther the Centre for Environmental Rights has made a submission on Eskom’s variation applications for 14 power stations. The accompanying submission on Eskom’s applications for postponement of compliance with the minimum emission standards as well as additional annexures to the submission were also handed in. The annexures can be downloaded as a ZIP file (9.1MB) or as individual files below:
• Annexure 1: Variation of Kriel AEL_11 Dec 2013 (1MB, PDF)
• Annexure 2: Variation of Kriel AEL_16 Jan 2014 (0.4MB, PDF)
• Annexure 3: Eskom BID_19 July 2013 (0.7MB, PDF)
• Annexure 4: Plan of Study_23 August 2013 (0.5MB, PDF)
• Annexure 5: Health impacts of Eskom applications 2014 (1.2MB, PDF)
• Annexure 6: Summary of current annual pollutant emission rates, estimated annual average stack concentrations and Eskom’s requested emission limits (0.2MB, PDF)
• Annexure 7: Eskom Pre-feasibility study Section 1 Executive Summary (1.3MB, PDF)
• Annexure 8: RoD Medupi Sept 2006 (0.3MB, PDF)
• In addition, groundWork, CER and Earthlife Africa Jhb made available a Fact Sheet (dated 2014-02-11) regarding Eskom’s submission.
• A Fact Sheet (dated 2013-09-26) has been provided by Earthlife and its partner groundWork on Eskom’s Coal-3 plans and the broader context of the 2013 Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
• The Centre for Environmental Rights sent a letter concerning the Air Quality Amendment Bill to Johnny de Lange, MP who chaires the Portfolio Committee on Water & Environmental Affairs.
• In a letter sent on the 5th of September, Earthlife Africa Jhb and groundWork request a meeting with Asad Alam, the World Bank’s Country Director in South Africa concerning Eskom’s bid to set aside air quality standards and Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD). This letter addresses the related point of what this means for the World Bank, its current energy policy, and the World Bank’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
• On September 4, Eskom provided its final scoping report concerning the environmental impact assessment process on Eskom’s proposed coal-fired power stations and their associated infrastructure in the Waterberg, Limpopo.
• On August 19, the Centre for Environmental Rights submitted a letter to MC Walters, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture & Environmental Planning commenting on the National Environmental Management Laws Second Amendment Bill.
• A letter to the World Bank and its Inspection Panel alerts them to an application by one of its borrowers: Eskom is trying to be exempt from and/or postpone compliance with certain emission standards prescribed for power stations. Thus, Earthlife Africa has requested the World Bank to intervene and/or advise in this matter.
• The document provided concerns Eskom’s application for the Komati Power Station in terms of Section 24G of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (NEMA).
  Eskom constructed and operated infrastructure and facilities around Komati Power Station without an environmental authorisation. Thus, Eskom was then asked to prepare what is essentially an environmental impact report (including public participation,e.g. by Earthlife Africa and its partner) and an environmental management plan (EMP).
• This document concerns Eskom’s application to be exempted from the Minimum Emission Standards (MES). Eskom also asked the MES timeframes for its power stations to be postponed. Thus, Earthlife Africa and its partners have requested documents from Iliso Consulting International for all of Eskom’s power stations.
  On the basis of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000 (PAJA), these documents will form the basis of Earthlife’s meaningful participation and to make submissions in response to the information presented. The documents should also provide Earthlife with the basis of Eskom’s application.
• On behalf of Earthlife and groundWork, the Centre for Environmental Rights has submitted comments on the background information document regarding Eskom’s application for its exemption from the minimum emission standards and the postponement of the minimum emission standards timeframes for Eskom power stations.