Thabametsi Power Station Limpopo Province Climate Change Study and Palaeontological Impact Assessment

This report presents the results of a climate change study, a climate resilience assessment, and a palaeontological impact assessment for the proposed 1200MW Thabametsi coal-fired power station near Lephalale in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The document evaluates the project's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, its vulnerability to future climate scenarios, and the potential for fossil material destruction during construction.

• The Thabametsi Power Station is projected to have a 'Very Large' magnitude of GHG emissions, with annual operational emissions estimated at 9,879,522 t CO2e for the full 1,200 MW plant. Over its 30-year lifetime, cumulative emissions are expected to be in the range of 296 Mt CO2e.
• The project's GHG emissions are estimated to represent 1.7% to 2.5% of South Africa's national emissions in 2021, potentially increasing to 2.3% to 4.7% by 2050.
• The plant's emissions intensity is estimated at 1.23 t CO2e / MWh generated. While this is higher than the overall Eskom coal-fired fleet average of 1.05 t CO2e / MWh (projected for 2021-22), it is similar to or lower than five specific Eskom plants scheduled for decommissioning before 2025, such as Camden (1.25 t CO2e / MWh) and Grootvlei (1.36 t CO2e / MWh).
• The overall significance rating for the project's GHG emissions is High (Negative). This rating is driven by the magnitude of emissions and the lack of carbon capture and storage (CCS) abatement technologies.
• Climate projections for Lephalale suggest temperatures will likely increase by 2-3°C by the 2050s relative to a 1961-2000 baseline, with an increase in heatwave events and dry spells between March and August.
• The climate resilience assessment identified three risks that remain 'High' after adaptation measures: plant efficiency losses due to rising temperatures, water shortages, and water quality issues.
• The project's technology choices—specifically the use of circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boilers and subcritical steam conditions—were influenced by the Department of Energy's (DoE) requirements for proven technology, a tariff cap of ZAR0.82/KWh, and the use of low-grade coal.
• The palaeontological impact assessment found that the probability of negative impacts on fossil heritage is 'medium' for the Swartrant Formation and 'low' for the Cenozoic regolith and the Eendragtpan, Lisbon, and Clarens Formations of the Karoo Supergroup.
• While no fossils were found during the site investigation, the report warns that any damage or movement of fossils in the Karoo Supergroup or Cenozoic cover would be irreversible and potentially high in scientific significance.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). Thabametsi Power Station Limpopo Province Climate Change Study and Palaeontological Impact Assessment. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Thabametsi-Final-Summary-Report-Jun17.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Thabametsi Power Station Limpopo Province Climate Change Study and Palaeontological Impact Assessment. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Thabametsi-Final-Summary-Report-Jun17.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Thabametsi Power Station Limpopo Province Climate Change Study and Palaeontological Impact Assessment |date=June 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Thabametsi-Final-Summary-Report-Jun17.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017thabametsi, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Thabametsi Power Station Limpopo Province Climate Change Study and Palaeontological Impact Assessment}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Thabametsi-Final-Summary-Report-Jun17.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }