REQUEST FOR MEETING TO DISCUSS WAY FORWARD ON ESKOM’S NON-COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSION STANDARDS

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) requested a meeting with the Department of Environmental Affairs to discuss Eskom's non-compliance with emission standards. Based on a report by Professor Eugene Cairncross analyzing data from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, the CER highlights widespread violations of PM10, NOx, and SO2 limits across multiple power stations and calls for stricter monitoring and reporting guidelines.

• An analysis of Eskom's compliance from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 indicates that 7 out of 12 power stations—Duvha, Grootvlei, Kendal, Komati, Kriel, Matla, and Lethabo—were "very likely or likely" to have exceeded their licensed PM10 limit values.
• Specific evidence of non-compliance includes 37 violations of licensed PM10 limit values at the Kendal station between May and September 2015, and regular exceedances of the 100 mg/Nm3 PM10 limit at the Duhva station during 2014/2015.
• The report identifies significant disparities in emission intensities: the three highest PM10 emitters (Tutuka, Kriel, and Grootvlei) emit 10 times more PM10 per GWh than the three lowest emitters (Hendrina, Matimba, and Majuba). Additionally, Matimba and Hendrina are the highest SO2 polluters, emitting 70% more than Matla and Majuba, while Kriel and Komati have NOx emission intensities approximately 2.6 times higher than Kendal and Matimba.
• The CER notes that Eskom has sought postponements for 2015 SO2 emission standards for Medupi and Matimba, despite previous refusals by the National Air Quality Officer and the requirement to apply for such postponements at least one year in advance.
• The document highlights that ambient air quality standards remain unmet in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) and the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area. Eskom is identified as the largest emitter in the HPA, where it operates twelve power stations, including Kusile.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). REQUEST FOR MEETING TO DISCUSS WAY FORWARD ON ESKOM’S NON-COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSION STANDARDS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-non-compliance_31-May-2017.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. REQUEST FOR MEETING TO DISCUSS WAY FORWARD ON ESKOM’S NON-COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSION STANDARDS. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-non-compliance_31-May-2017.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=REQUEST FOR MEETING TO DISCUSS WAY FORWARD ON ESKOM’S NON-COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSION STANDARDS |date=31 May 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-non-compliance_31-May-2017.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2017request, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{REQUEST FOR MEETING TO DISCUSS WAY FORWARD ON ESKOM’S NON-COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSION STANDARDS}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-non-compliance_31-May-2017.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }