Eskom Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) Limit Values for PM, SO2 & NOx During April 2016 to December 2017

This report, authored by consultant Dr. Ranajit Sahu, analyzes emissions monitoring data from Eskom power stations between April 2016 and December 2017. The analysis identifies thousands of exceedances of Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) limits for particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), while highlighting significant deficiencies in Eskom's reporting practices.

• Between April 2016 and December 2017, Eskom's coal-fired power stations reported 3,181 violations of their applicable air emissions limits for particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
• Certain plants showed chronic exceedances for specific pollutants: Lethabo and Duvha had PM exceedances in 100% of reported months (21/21), Kriel in 95% (20/21), and Matimba had SO2 exceedances in 100% of reported months (20/20).
• Several plants operate with AEL limits that are higher than the 2015 Minimum Emission Standards (MES), which are 100 mg/Nm3 for PM, 3500 mg/Nm3 for SO2, and 1100 mg/Nm3 for NOx. Examples include Matla's NOx limit of 1200 mg/Nm3 and Kriel's PM limit of 125 mg/Nm3.
• The magnitude of some exceedances was significantly higher than the AELs, with PM exceedances reaching at least 500 mg/Nm3 at Duvha and Lethabo, 600 mg/Nm3 at Kriel, and 1500 mg/Nm3 at Grootvlei.
• The author concludes that the reported number of exceedances is a conservative underestimate due to incomplete and unreliable data, including 14 missing or incomplete monthly reports and instances where plants replicated graphs from previous months.
• The report recommends a transition to electronic reporting (e.g., Excel or ASCII) and the inclusion of daily energy production (MWhr) and average load levels (MW) to allow for the normalization of emissions data against capacity.

APA

Sahu, R. (. (2018). Eskom Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) Limit Values for PM, SO2 & NOx During April 2016 to December 2017. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Annexure-2-2.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Sahu, Ranajit (Ron). Eskom Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) Limit Values for PM, SO2 & NOx During April 2016 to December 2017. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Annexure-2-2.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sahu |first1=Ranajit (Ron) |title=Eskom Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) Limit Values for PM, SO2 & NOx During April 2016 to December 2017 |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=15 November 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Annexure-2-2.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sahu2018eskom, author = {Sahu, Ranajit (Ron)}, title = {{Eskom Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) Limit Values for PM, SO2 \& NOx During April 2016 to December 2017}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Annexure-2-2.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }