record-13.3-pg-1-12-9b23b534bd7277b8.pdf

The Eskom Air Quality Improvement Plan (Unique Identifier: 32-1143, Revision 1) outlines a strategy to reduce particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and mercury emissions from Eskom's power stations to comply with South African air quality legislation and maintain its 'licence to operate'. Approved by the Board Social Ethics and Sustainability Committee on 9 September 2016, the plan focuses on operational improvements, emission abatement retrofits, air quality offsets, and legal applications for leniency regarding Minimum Emission Standards (MES).

• Eskom's air quality strategy targets four primary pollutants: particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and mercury, as these have a "significant impact on ambient air quality" and are regulated by South African law.
• The plan identifies significant financial and operational implications for its emission reduction program, including a CAPEX cost of R107 billion (FY2016 nominal cost excluding IDC) and annual OPEX costs of approximately R1.3 billion.
• The emission reduction plan is expected to increase water consumption by 5% (16 million m3/annum), increase CO2 emissions by 650,000 tons/year (specifically from the FGD process), and produce 2.7 million tons/annum of FGD by-product waste.
• Eskom has set relative emission targets to be achieved by FY2026: particulate emissions are targeted at 0.02 (from a FY2016 level of 0.34), SO2 emissions at 6.6 kg/MWhSO (from 8.1), and NOx emissions at 3.1 kg/MWhSO (from 4.1).
• The document notes that Eskom's current approach is "effectively doing the minimum possible at the latest possible time," and warns that scientific studies confirm emissions are "harming health and causing premature mortalities."
• Compliance with the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) is challenging; while gas turbine stations generally comply, all existing coal-fired stations cannot meet the new plant SO2 limit, and most cannot meet the new plant NOx limit.
• Strategic initiatives to achieve air quality goals include an emission abatement retrofit programme for high-emitting stations and air quality offsets to reduce domestic emissions in low-income areas, the latter being a condition of the MES postponement decision.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). record-13.3-pg-1-12-9b23b534bd7277b8.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-13.3-pg-1-12.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. record-13.3-pg-1-12-9b23b534bd7277b8.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-13.3-pg-1-12.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=record-13.3-pg-1-12-9b23b534bd7277b8.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-13.3-pg-1-12.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndrecord133pg1129b23b534bd7277b8pdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{record-13.3-pg-1-12-9b23b534bd7277b8.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Record-13.3-pg-1-12.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }