RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING ESKOM – A STUDY BY MERIDIAN ECONOMICS

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, submitted a letter to the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs on 27 November 2017. The letter highlights findings from a study by Meridian Economics regarding Eskom's financial crisis and the viability of coal-fired power in South Africa, advocating for the accelerated decommissioning of specific power stations and the curtailment of new construction to save costs and improve air quality.

• A study by Meridian Economics suggests that Eskom could save up to R17 billion by accelerating the decommissioning of the Hendrina, Grootvlei, and Komati coal-fired power stations and by curtailing the completion of units 5 and 6 at the Kusile plant. The study asserts that these actions would not compromise the security of electricity supply.
• The Meridian study notes that Eskom's current construction programme is inflexible and has created a growing surplus of expensive generation capacity. Furthermore, the study suggests that a portion of the potential savings from decommissioning and curtailment could be used to support workers and communities through relocation, skills development, and retraining.
• Analysis from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Energy Centre indicates that in a 34-year, least-cost optimized plan, no new nuclear or coal-fired capacity should be built after Kusile, as solar PV and wind are the most cost-effective options for meeting new demand.
• A study by the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies at the Goethe-University in Germany confirms that an electricity system based on solar PV and wind can be 10%-30% cheaper than one based on new nuclear and coal, even when accounting for grid and transmission investments.
• The CER expresses concern over Eskom's non-compliance with ambient air quality standards, particularly in the Highveld Priority Area, and its requests for postponements regarding minimum emission standards (MES). The CER argues that stations unable to comply with MES or atmospheric emission licences (AELs) must be decommissioned.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING ESKOM – A STUDY BY MERIDIAN ECONOMICS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-27-11-17.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING ESKOM – A STUDY BY MERIDIAN ECONOMICS. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-27-11-17.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING ESKOM – A STUDY BY MERIDIAN ECONOMICS |date=27 November 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-27-11-17.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2017relevant, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING ESKOM – A STUDY BY MERIDIAN ECONOMICS}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-27-11-17.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }