ABSA GROUP LIMITED’S ROLE IN FINANCING PROPOSED NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, calls on ABSA Group Limited to cease financing the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations. The CER argues that these projects are not 'procured' due to missing or challenged legal authorisations, including atmospheric emission and water use licences. The document asserts that the 2018 draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) incorrectly includes these projects despite a 'least cost' option consisting only of solar, wind, and gas. The CER highlights that the plants would be located in polluted air quality priority areas, causing severe health impacts and producing greenhouse gas emissions nearly 60% higher than the Medupi and Kusile stations. Financially, the CER claims the inclusion of new coal in the draft IRP would cost South Africa nearly R20 billion more than necessary, increasing costs for consumers.

• The Thabametsi and Khanyisa power stations are not 'procured' as they lack necessary legal authorisations and face ongoing High Court reviews of their environmental authorisations.
• The 2018 draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) acknowledges that the 'least cost' electricity option contains only gas, wind, and solar, and does not include coal.
• The proposed power plants are located in air quality priority areas where ambient standards are already exceeded, leading to severe health issues such as heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory infections.
• Thabametsi and Khanyisa are projected to have greenhouse gas emission intensities almost 60% higher than those of the Medupi and Kusile power stations.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). ABSA GROUP LIMITED’S ROLE IN FINANCING PROPOSED NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CER-letter-to-ABSA_Coal-IPPs-and-the-draft-IRP_12-September-2018.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. ABSA GROUP LIMITED’S ROLE IN FINANCING PROPOSED NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CER-letter-to-ABSA_Coal-IPPs-and-the-draft-IRP_12-September-2018.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=ABSA GROUP LIMITED’S ROLE IN FINANCING PROPOSED NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS |date=12 September 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CER-letter-to-ABSA_Coal-IPPs-and-the-draft-IRP_12-September-2018.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018absa, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{ABSA GROUP LIMITED’S ROLE IN FINANCING PROPOSED NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CER-letter-to-ABSA_Coal-IPPs-and-the-draft-IRP_12-September-2018.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }