RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE

A letter from the Life After Coal Campaign to the South African Minister of Finance, presenting findings from a University of Cape Town Energy Research Centre (ERC) study. The document argues that the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations are financially, socially, and environmentally harmful and should not be pursued.

• The ERC report indicates that the Thabametsi (557MW) and Khanyisa (306MW) coal-fired power stations would cost South Africa an additional R19.68 billion compared to a least-cost energy system. The study found that these coal IPPs are not necessary to meet medium-term electricity demand because wind, solar pv, and flexible gas generation are more economical.
• The coal IPPs are projected to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 205,7Mt CO2eq over the 30-year duration of the power purchase agreements. This increase would counteract the government's GHG mitigation efforts, including the Energy Efficiency Strategy to 2050, and would hinder South Africa's commitments under the Paris Agreement.
• The inclusion of the coal IPPs is expected to put additional pressure on Eskom by reducing the output of its existing fleet due to low demand, which could accelerate a 'utility death spiral' and endanger the South African economy. The ERC report notes that these plants are more expensive than existing coal plants.
• The Life After Coal Campaign asserts that the proposed power stations would have irreversible impacts on air, climate, and water, utilizing large volumes of scarce water and risking pollution. Furthermore, the technology proposed for these plants is highly emission-intensive, with an intensity nearly 60% higher than that of the Medupi and Kusile power stations.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Annexure-C-LAC-letter-to-Minister-of-Finance-re-ERC-report-15-June-2018.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Annexure-C-LAC-letter-to-Minister-of-Finance-re-ERC-report-15-June-2018.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE |date=15 June 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Annexure-C-LAC-letter-to-Minister-of-Finance-re-ERC-report-15-June-2018.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018relevant, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Annexure-C-LAC-letter-to-Minister-of-Finance-re-ERC-report-15-June-2018.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }