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 Dr. Ranajit Sahu and published by the Centre for Environmental Rights, analyzes emissions monitoring data from Eskom power stations between April 2016 and December 2017. The study identifies thousands of exceedances of Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) limits for particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), attributing these failures in part to a lack of modern pollution control technologies and unreliable reporting practices.

• Between April 2016 and December 2017, 14 operating coal-fired power stations owned by Eskom self-reported a total of 3,217 exceedances of daily Atmospheric Emissions Licenses (AEL) limits for particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
• Specific power stations showed chronic exceedances for particular pollutants: Lethabo and Duvha had PM exceedances in 100% of reported months (21/21), Matimba had SO2 exceedances in 100% of reported months (20/20), and Matla had the highest overall number of exceedances for any single pollutant with 482 for NOx.
• The report notes that many Eskom plants have AEL limits that are more lenient than the 2015 Minimum Emission Standards (MES). For example, Matla's PM limit was 125 mg/Nm3 and its NOx limit was 1200 mg/Nm3, while Kriel's PM limit was 125 mg/Nm3 and Tutuka's was 350 mg/Nm3.
• There is a correlation between the lack of fabric filters and frequent PM exceedances. Power stations without fabric filters—specifically Lethabo, Kriel, Kendal, Duvha, and Matla—had the most frequent PM AEL limit exceedances.
• The author describes Eskom's reporting as inconsistent and unreliable, citing instances of repetitive data and erroneous reports. For example, some Tutuka graphs were copied from previous reports with only the month names changed, and Grootvlei reports contained unreasonably high numbers for SO2 and NOx.
• The report concludes that the frequency of exceedances suggests that the underlying causes are not being addressed by Eskom, and that the current hardcopy reporting system is a major shortcoming that hinders quantitative analysis and public scrutiny.

APA

Sahu, R. (. (2019). 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/2020/08/Annexure-2A.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, 2019. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Annexure-2A.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=22 March 2019 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Annexure-2A.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sahu2019eskom, 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 = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Annexure-2A.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }