record-12.1-to-12.2-fe06178e46c2ed06.pdf

This executive summary, submitted to Eskom's Board Sustainability and Ethics Committee on 20 May 2016, details the company's environmental performance, compliance risks, and legal liabilities for the 2015/16 financial year. It highlights failures to meet emissions and water usage targets, significant financial requirements for air quality compliance, and specific legal breaches of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and the National Water Act.

• Eskom failed to meet its environmental performance targets for the 2015/16 financial year. Emissions were 0.36 kg/MWhSO, exceeding the target of 0.35 kg/MWhSO, which the document attributes to "delays in implementing required maintenance due to postponed MEE and poor operating practices at several power stations." Water usage was 1.44 /kKWhSO, worse than the target of 1.39 /kWhSO, driven by "Operational inefficiencies and the dry/hot conditions."
• To comply with the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act's 2020 Minimum Emissions Standards, Eskom requires an emission reduction strategy estimated to cost between R63 billion and R79 billion. Additionally, an air quality offset programme to improve ambient air quality in communities near power stations is estimated to cost approximately R4.2 billion between 2017 and 2025.
• Eskom faces significant risks regarding air quality compliance, including the postponement of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) implementation at Medupi unit 1 from 2021 to 2023. There are also concerns regarding whether revised technology choices will maintain particulate emission limits at the Matla, Duvha, Kendal, and Lethabo stations.
• Water compliance is a major issue, with 11 open breaches of the National Water Act and 175 individual non-compliances to Water Use Licence conditions at the end of the 2015/16 financial year. Addressing these issues at Generation stations requires an estimated R8.3 billion, of which R5.4 billion is funded and R2.9 billion is unfunded.
• Kendal Power Station is a high-risk area, having declared 24 NEMA section 30 emergency incidents in the last financial year due to ash backlogs in the Dust Handling Plant. Across Eskom, there were a total of 59 NEMA section 30 incidents during the year.
• In 2013, Eskom Distribution constructed a portion of the Ruigtevallei - Dreunberg 132kV line in the Eastern Cape on an unapproved alignment, violating NEMA environmental authorisation. This resulted in an administrative fine of R1 million in March 2016, and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and National Prosecuting Authority are investigating individual staff and the company for liability under NEMA section 34.
• Non-compliance with environmental legislation, including the National Environmental Management Act, Air Quality Act, Waste Act, and Water Act, can lead to fines of up to R10 million, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both. Failure to implement required retrofits could result in Eskom losing its licence to operate.
• Eskom plans to implement an environmental behavioural enhancement programme to address shortcomings in compliance culture. This initiative includes leadership messaging, mandatory 3-hour sessions for E-Band and MPS employees in high-impact areas, and empowering environmental practitioners to be more assertive.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). record-12.1-to-12.2-fe06178e46c2ed06.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-12.1-to-12.2.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. record-12.1-to-12.2-fe06178e46c2ed06.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-12.1-to-12.2.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=record-12.1-to-12.2-fe06178e46c2ed06.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-12.1-to-12.2.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndrecord121to122fe06178e46c2ed06pdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{record-12.1-to-12.2-fe06178e46c2ed06.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-12.1-to-12.2.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }