EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION

The Centre for Environmental Rights submitted two expert reports to the South African government detailing severe particulate matter (PM) limit exceedances and associated health impacts at Eskom's Kendal power station. Dr. Ron Sahu's analysis found 2,712 PM exceedances between April 2016 and March 2020, noting that electrostatic precipitators are failing. Dr. Andrew Gray's report estimates that emissions caused between 61 and 144 premature deaths annually between 2018 and 2019 and severely exceeded WHO air quality guidelines for SO2, PM2.5, and NOx in the Highveld Priority Area, particularly affecting sensitive receptors like primary schools.

• Between April 2016 and March 2020, Kendal power station recorded 2,712 exceedances of its atmospheric emission licence (AEL) limit of 100 mg/Nm3 for average daily particulate matter (PM).
• PM exceedances increased in frequency starting in April 2018 and reached a peak in January 2020 with 151 exceedances. In 2019, 83% of exceedances were twice the PM limit, 35% were four times the limit, and 10% were 12 times the limit.
• Analysis of March 2020 data shows that even with Unit 5 shut down, remaining units exceeded the PM limit 88 times, with Unit 6 emitting PM at 10 times the limit (over 1000 mg/Nm3) on 24% of operating days.
• The electrostatic precipitators across all units at Kendal power station are not functioning correctly, regardless of purported maintenance completion.
• Emissions from the power station were linked to between 67 and 144 premature deaths in the Highveld Priority Area during 2018, and between 61 and 130 premature deaths from November 2018 to October 2019.
• In 2018, the station caused Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 10-minute average levels to exceed the WHO-recommended maximum by over four times at Hlanga Phala primary school and over two times in Ogies; daily average SO2 levels were over five times the WHO maximum at Ogies and Phola.
• In 2018, PM2.5 daily average levels reached half of the WHO-recommended maximum at Leandra, Ogies, Phola, and Laerskool Panorama. In 2019, NOx 1-hour average levels reached twice the WHO maximum at Ogies and Phola, and more than half the maximum at 21 sensitive receptors, including Kinross, Delmas, Secunda, and Witbank.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2020). EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter-to-Minister-Creecy-re-health-impacts-due-to-Kendal-power-station-emissions_28-April-2020.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION. 2020. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter-to-Minister-Creecy-re-health-impacts-due-to-Kendal-power-station-emissions_28-April-2020.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION |date=28 April 2020 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter-to-Minister-Creecy-re-health-impacts-due-to-Kendal-power-station-emissions_28-April-2020.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2020expert, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter-to-Minister-Creecy-re-health-impacts-due-to-Kendal-power-station-emissions_28-April-2020.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }