RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE COAL INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS (IPPS)

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations are unnecessary, economically damaging, and environmentally harmful. CER highlights that Thabametsi's climate impact assessment rated its GHG emissions as "Very Large" and that both plants would be located in air quality priority areas. The document asserts that these projects contradict South Africa's international climate commitments and that renewable energy offers a cheaper, cleaner alternative.

• The Thabametsi coal plant's climate change impact assessment estimated annual GHG emissions of 5,186,749 t CO2e after Phase 1 and 9,879,522 t CO2e after Phase 2, resulting in a "Very Large" magnitude rating and an overall significance of "High (Negative)".
• Thabametsi faces significant water security risks, as demand at the Mokolo Dam is predicted to exceed supply by 2019, and the project relies on the delayed Mokolo-Crocodile Water Augmentation Project Phase 2 (MCWAP2).
• The Khanyisa power station is proposed for the Highveld Air Quality Priority Area, where air pollution already causes significant health burdens; research indicates emissions from Eskom's coal plants alone cause approximately 2,200 equivalent attributable deaths annually.
• Coal IPPs are more expensive than renewable energy alternatives, with a price of R1.03 per kilowatt hour compared to 62c per kilowatt hour for the latest renewable IPPs.
• Research from the University of Cape Town’s Energy Research Centre (ERC) suggests that Thabametsi and Khanyisa would increase overall emissions by 155-177 Mt CO2eq to 2050 and add up to R4 billion in annual electricity sector costs to consumers between 2025 and 2027.
• The Minister of Environmental Affairs upheld the authorisation for Thabametsi by relying on the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2010), despite a court ruling that policy instruments do not exempt decision-makers from independent climate impact assessments.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE COAL INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS (IPPS). https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-22-May-2018.docx.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE COAL INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS (IPPS). 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-22-May-2018.docx.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE COAL INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS (IPPS) |date=22 May 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-22-May-2018.docx.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018relevant, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE COAL INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS (IPPS)}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-22-May-2018.docx.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }