matimba-health-risk-assessment_2-cb9029b2ff38c612.pdf

This report details the methodology and emissions inventory used for an air pollution health risk analysis concerning the existing Matimba Power Station and the proposed Project Alpha Power Station in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It describes the use of CALMET and CALPUFF dispersion models to simulate pollutant concentrations and the subsequent application of dose-response relationships to estimate health risks, specifically total non-accidental mortality and respiratory hospital admissions.

• The study utilized a combination of CALMET and CALPUFF dispersion models to simulate maximum hourly, daily, and annual average pollutant concentrations, accounting for complex terrain effects such as curved plume trajectories and spatial meteorological variability.
• The health risk assessment methodology involves superimposing predicted pollutant concentrations over 2001 Census spatial population data from Stats SA and applying international dose-response functions to estimate increases in 'total non-accidental mortality' and 'respiratory hospital admissions'.
• The existing Matimba Power Station is a coal-fired facility with a total nominal capacity of 3990 MW and a net maximum capacity of 3690 MW. While it employs particulate abatement technology that reduces emissions by over 99%, it has no abatement measures for sulphur dioxide (SO2) or nitrogen oxides (NOx).
• For the proposed Project Alpha Power Station, the study analyzed a configuration consisting of a 4800 MW pulverised fuel (PF) plant with a 220 m high stack and controls designed to achieve 90% sulphur dioxide control efficiency.
• The emissions inventory identifies several sources of air pollution in the study area beyond the power stations, including brickworks at Hanglip, household fuel combustion, coal mining at Grootegeluk Mine, and fugitive dust from ash dumps.
• Household fuel burning in the Lephalale Municipality wards within the study area relies heavily on wood, used by approximately 6,100 households, followed by paraffin (~1,100 households) and coal (~30 households).

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). matimba-health-risk-assessment_2-cb9029b2ff38c612.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Matimba-Health-Risk-Assessment_2.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. matimba-health-risk-assessment_2-cb9029b2ff38c612.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Matimba-Health-Risk-Assessment_2.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=matimba-health-risk-assessment_2-cb9029b2ff38c612.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Matimba-Health-Risk-Assessment_2.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndmatimbahealthriskassessment2cb9029b2ff38c612pdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{matimba-health-risk-assessment\_2-cb9029b2ff38c612.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Matimba-Health-Risk-Assessment_2.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }