Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile

The document evaluates the consequences of bypassing Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems at the Kusile power station. It projects a six-fold increase in SO2 emissions and a 40% increase in mercury emissions, leading to an estimated 670 excess deaths and R16.8 billion in societal costs.

• Bypassing the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems would lead to a projected 6-fold increase in SO2 emissions and approximately a 40% increase in mercury emissions, as FGDs normally capture toxic mercury as a side benefit.
• The total excess emissions resulting from the requested exemption, compared to normal operation at the same utilisation, are projected to be 280,000 tonnes of SO2 and 7,200 kg of mercury. The excess SO2 emissions are equivalent to nearly 20 years of normal plant operations.
• The proposed variation of the Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) is projected to cause 670 excess deaths from air pollution (range: 430–950) compared to operating in accordance with the AEL. Total air pollution-related deaths in the bypass scenario are estimated at 930.
• Beyond mortality, the FGD bypass is projected to cause significant non-fatal health impacts, including 3,000 asthma emergency room visits, 1,400 preterm births, 720,000 days of work absence, and 900 years lived with disability due to stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• The societal costs associated with these projected health impacts are estimated at R16.8 billion, with a confidence interval between R10.3 billion and R24.4 billion.

APA

Myllyvirta, L. (2023). Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Annexure-4-CREA-Report.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Myllyvirta, Lauri. Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2023. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Annexure-4-CREA-Report.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Myllyvirta |first1=Lauri |title=Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=April 2023 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Annexure-4-CREA-Report.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{myllyvirta2023potential, author = {Myllyvirta, Lauri}, title = {{Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Annexure-4-CREA-Report.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }