MINISTER’S DECISION TO UPHOLD THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR THE PROPOSED THABAMETSI COAL-FIRED POWER STATION

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has notified the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs of its intention to challenge the Minister of Environmental Affairs' January 30, 2018, decision to uphold the environmental authorisation for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station. The CER argues the decision is unreasonable and unlawful, as it relies on an outdated energy policy to justify a project with very high greenhouse gas emissions and water scarcity risks, contradicting a previous High Court judgment regarding the necessity of independent climate impact assessments.

• On 30 January 2018, the Minister of Environmental Affairs decided to uphold and confirm the environmental authorisation for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station, an independent power producer (IPP) project.
• A Climate Change Impact Assessment (CCIA) for the Thabametsi plant found that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 'very high' when compared to international lender standards and that emissions intensity was relatively high compared to other plants. Additionally, water scarcity was identified as a high risk.
• A peer review by EOH Coastal and Environmental Services suggested that the GHG emissions significance rating should be elevated to 'VERY HIGH (NEGATIVE)' due to the high probability of very large emissions and limited mitigation opportunities. EOH also noted that the selection of subcritical technology appeared to be 'very much cost driven'.
• The Minister justified the project by relying on the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2010 – 2030, stating that the benefits of additional energy generation capacity outweighed the harms of new coal-fired facilities, and noting that the IRP permits 6.3GW of new coal-derived capacity.
• The CER contends that the Minister's reliance on the IRP 2010 is unlawful because the policy is outdated and contradicts a March 2017 High Court judgment which ruled that energy policy does not exempt decision-makers from conducting independent assessments of a project's climate impacts.
• The CER asserts that the Thabametsi project would likely push South Africa beyond its 'peak plateau decline' (PPD) trajectory as defined in its nationally determined contribution (NDC), as emissions must decline from 2035.
• The CER cites modelling by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) via Meridian Economics, which suggests that no new coal-fired capacity is needed after Kusile, as demand can be met at lowest cost through solar PV and wind.
• Other proposed coal-fired power stations in the Mpumalanga Highveld, specifically the Khanyisa (600MW) and KiPower (600MW) projects, are also currently subject to High Court reviews for failing to adequately assess climate impacts.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). MINISTER’S DECISION TO UPHOLD THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR THE PROPOSED THABAMETSI COAL-FIRED POWER STATION. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-re-Thabametsi-16-2-18-1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. MINISTER’S DECISION TO UPHOLD THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR THE PROPOSED THABAMETSI COAL-FIRED POWER STATION. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-re-Thabametsi-16-2-18-1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=MINISTER’S DECISION TO UPHOLD THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR THE PROPOSED THABAMETSI COAL-FIRED POWER STATION |date=16 February 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-re-Thabametsi-16-2-18-1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018ministers, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{MINISTER’S DECISION TO UPHOLD THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR THE PROPOSED THABAMETSI COAL-FIRED POWER STATION}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CER-Letter-to-PCEA-re-Thabametsi-16-2-18-1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }