Peer Review of the Climate Change Study for the Proposed Thabametsi Coal Fired Power Station

This report is a peer review conducted by EOH Coastal & Environmental Services for the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) regarding the Climate Change Study and Palaeontological Impact Assessment (CCSPIA) for the proposed 1,200 MW Thabametsi Coal-Fired Power Station. The review evaluates the adequacy of the Greenhouse Gas Assessment (GGA) and the Climate Resilience Assessment (CRA), concluding that while the technical assessments are comprehensive and follow international best practices, there are discrepancies in the overall impact rating and omissions regarding the social cost of carbon.

• The Greenhouse Gas Assessment (GGA) is considered comprehensive and consistent with international guidelines, though it fails to quantify the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) due to uncertainty. The reviewer suggests that providing a range of SCC estimates would have been useful for the Competent Authority, noting that using the Carbon Tax Bill price of R120 per ton of CO2e could result in costs of approximately R30 billion over the project's lifetime.
• The projected emission intensity for the Thabametsi power station is 1.02 kg CO2/kWh, which the reviewer describes as relatively high. This is attributed to project-specific features such as the coal resource and the selection of subcritical technology, which appears to be driven by cost and the ceiling price specified in the Competitive Bidding Process for Independent Power Producers (CBIPPP).
• The reviewer suggests that the significance rating for GHG emissions should be elevated from HIGH to VERY HIGH (NEGATIVE). This is based on the fact that emissions are rated as VERY LARGE, have a high probability of occurring, and have limited opportunities for mitigation.
• The Climate Resilience Assessment (CRA) identifies water scarcity as a primary risk, noting that the Lephalale area is highly vulnerable to drought, as evidenced by severe droughts in 2015/2016. Three water-related risks—water shortages, water quality issues, and polluted water overflows from flood events—retain a HIGH significance rating even after the implementation of adaptation measures.
• There is a significant discrepancy in the CCSPIA's overall conclusion, which rates the project's overall impact as MEDIUM to LOW. The reviewer finds this rationale unclear and argues that this rating should not dilute the HIGH risk ratings associated with both GHG emissions and water scarcity.
• The reviewer notes that the Water Resource Review (WRR) indicates a failure to implement climate change considerations in regional water planning. Specifically, the National Water Resource Strategy (2013) is not yet being implemented in this regard, and the Limpopo Reconciliation Strategy (2017) excludes climate change due to uncertainty regarding its impact on water availability.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). Peer Review of the Climate Change Study for the Proposed Thabametsi Coal Fired Power Station. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-Peer-Review-Thabametsi-Power-Station-CCIA-14-Dec-2017.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Peer Review of the Climate Change Study for the Proposed Thabametsi Coal Fired Power Station. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-Peer-Review-Thabametsi-Power-Station-CCIA-14-Dec-2017.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Peer Review of the Climate Change Study for the Proposed Thabametsi Coal Fired Power Station |date=December 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-Peer-Review-Thabametsi-Power-Station-CCIA-14-Dec-2017.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017peer, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Peer Review of the Climate Change Study for the Proposed Thabametsi Coal Fired Power Station}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-Peer-Review-Thabametsi-Power-Station-CCIA-14-Dec-2017.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }