Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile

This briefing note by the Centre for Environmental Rights assesses the potential health and environmental impacts if Eskom is permitted to operate three units at the Kusile power station without sulphur dioxide (SO2) control devices (Flue Gas Desulfurization or FGDs) from December 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025.

• Bypassing the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems at the Kusile power station would lead to a projected 6-fold increase in SO2 emissions and an approximate 40% increase in mercury emissions. The total excess emissions for the period are estimated at 280,000 tonnes of SO2 and 7,200 kg of mercury, with the excess SO2 alone representing nearly 20 years of emissions under normal operation.
• The proposed bypass of SO2 controls is projected to cause 670 excess deaths from air pollution compared to operating in accordance with the Atmospheric Emission License (AEL). Total air pollution-related deaths in the bypass scenario are estimated at 930, compared to 250 under normal FGD operation. These deaths are linked to lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, and stroke.
• Beyond mortality, the FGD bypass scenario is projected to result in 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 estimated societal costs associated with the health impacts of the proposed emission bypass are projected to be R16.8 billion, with a confidence interval ranging from R10.3 billion to 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} }