matla-additional-information-22229ac8c5c2f913.pdf

This briefing from Eskom to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) provides additional information regarding an application to postpone compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for the Matla Power Station. Eskom outlines its plan to retrofit the station with fabric filter plants and low NOx burners by 2024, while stating it has no plans to upgrade the station to meet the new plant SO2 emission limit. The document also presents ambient air quality monitoring data from the Elandsfontein and Kriel stations, noting non-compliance with particulate matter (PM) standards.

• Eskom intends to retrofit Matla Power Station with low NOx Burners and fabric filter plants, with completion expected in 2024. These upgrades are intended to bring the station into compliance with the 2020 'new plant' MES for NOx and PM. However, Eskom has no plans to upgrade the station to meet the 'new plant' SO2 emission limit.
• Eskom argues that full compliance with the MES by the 2015 and 2020 deadlines is not beneficial or practically feasible for South Africa. Consequently, the company is pursuing a phased and prioritised approach to compliance.
• Monitoring at the Elandsfontein station indicates compliance with ambient NO2 and SO2 standards, although 1-hour limit values for both were exceeded annually (though remaining below the allowed number of exceedances). No 24-hour SO2 limit value exceedances occurred between 2010 and 2012. However, there are indications of non-compliance with ambient PM2.5 and PM10 standards, though data availability for these is described as poor.
• At the Kriel monitoring station, which began operations in late June 2010, ambient NO2 and SO2 standards are compliant. However, the station shows non-compliance with ambient PM10 standards, with higher levels observed during the winter months from May to September.
• Eskom reports a lack of sufficient data to fully model the health and environmental impact of PM2.5 emissions from Matla Power Station because PM2.5 is not monitored at the Kriel station and data from Elandsfontein is sporadic. Despite this, Eskom asserts that PM2.5 emissions from Matla contribute only a very small amount to total ambient particulate levels and will become negligible after the fabric filter plant retrofit.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). matla-additional-information-22229ac8c5c2f913.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Matla-Additional-Information.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. matla-additional-information-22229ac8c5c2f913.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Matla-Additional-Information.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=matla-additional-information-22229ac8c5c2f913.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Matla-Additional-Information.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndmatlaadditionalinformation22229ac8c5c2f913pdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{matla-additional-information-22229ac8c5c2f913.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Matla-Additional-Information.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }