fa72-report-prepared-by-sasol-infrachem-dated-april-2014-96a1d5f3cba39bb0.pdf

This April 2014 report is a draft motivation by Sasol Infrachem for exemption from the default application of certain Minimum Emissions Standards (MES) published in Government Notice No. 893 (GN 893) under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (NEMAQA). Sasol Infrachem argues that strict compliance with certain existing and new plant standards is technically or financially unachievable for specific point sources at its Sasolburg complex. The document proposes alternative emissions limits as license conditions and provides an Atmospheric Impact Report (AIR) to demonstrate that these alternatives maintain ambient air quality within National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

• Sasol Infrachem is applying for exemption from the default application of certain Minimum Emissions Standards (MES) in GN 893 because it is unlikely to comply for selected point sources during the remaining life of the facility.
• The company argues that postponement of compliance timeframes is inappropriate because the obstacles to meeting the standards will not be surmountable over time, even with a five-year delay.
• Sasol Infrachem proposes alternative emissions limits as ceiling limits to be included in its atmospheric emission licences, asserting that these limits do not increase emission levels relative to the current emissions baseline.
• The motivation for exemption is based on several constraints: the integrated nature of Sasol's activities, financial implications, technology limitations, unintended environmental impacts, and the challenges of modifying a brownfields operation.
• The Atmospheric Impact Report (AIR) indicates that predicted ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) from Sasol Infrachem are less than 10% of the NAAQS limit value, suggesting that strict MES compliance would result in negligible improvements to ambient PM10 levels.
• For sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), the AIR finds that measured ambient concentrations comply with the NAAQS, and the proposed alternative emissions limits would also result in compliance.
• The report notes that implementing certain abatement technologies to meet new plant standards, such as flue gas desulphurisation (FGD), could actually increase ambient NO2 concentrations by reducing the buoyancy of emissions.
• Non-criteria pollutants from the Thermal Oxidation plant, including manganese, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride, were found to have maximum predicted concentrations significantly lower than health screening limits.
• Sasol Infrachem commits to the Vaal Triangle Air-shed Priority Area (VTAPA) plan, which requires reducing its ambient impact on NO2, SO2, and particulate matter by 18%, 7%, and 1% respectively.
• The company is investigating alternative compliance mechanisms to meet VTAPA commitments, such as changing the operating philosophy of Steam Stations 1 and 2 to reduce boiler loads or replacing short stacks at Steam Station 1 with a single taller stack for better dispersion.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). fa72-report-prepared-by-sasol-infrachem-dated-april-2014-96a1d5f3cba39bb0.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FA72-Report-prepared-by-SASOL-Infrachem-dated-April-2014.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. fa72-report-prepared-by-sasol-infrachem-dated-april-2014-96a1d5f3cba39bb0.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FA72-Report-prepared-by-SASOL-Infrachem-dated-April-2014.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=fa72-report-prepared-by-sasol-infrachem-dated-april-2014-96a1d5f3cba39bb0.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FA72-Report-prepared-by-SASOL-Infrachem-dated-April-2014.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndfa72reportpreparedbysasolinfrachemdatedapril201496a1d5f3cba39bb0pdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{fa72-report-prepared-by-sasol-infrachem-dated-april-2014-96a1d5f3cba39bb0.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FA72-Report-prepared-by-SASOL-Infrachem-dated-April-2014.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }