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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.
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Document type: Report
APPELLANT’S SUBMISSIONS TO THE MINISTER IN TERMS OF REG 60(4) OF THE 2010 EIA REGULATIONS IN RESPECT OF ACWA POWER KHANYISA THERMAL POWER STATION RF (PTY) LIMITED
This document is a cover letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs, submitting further arguments on behalf of groundWork to appeal the environmental authorisation for the ACWA Power Khanyisa Thermal Power Station.
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Document type: Statement
SUBMISSIONS ON DRAFT CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THABAMETSI IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted comments on the draft Climate Change Impact Assessment (CCIA) and Palaeontological Impact Assessment (PIA) for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station. The submission argues that the draft CCIA significantly underestimates greenhouse gas emissions, ignores the social cost of carbon, and fails to adequately address severe water scarcity risks in the Lephalale area. The authors contend that the project is not in the national interest due to existing excess energy capacity and that the most appropriate recommendation is a 'no go option' to avoid irreversible environmental and social harm.
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Document type: Statement
FIRST TO THIRD RESPONDENTS’ WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
This document contains written submissions by the First to Third Respondents (representatives of the South African Department of Environmental Affairs) in a High Court case brought by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg. The respondents argue that the grant of an environmental authorisation to the Thabametsi power project was lawful and rational, despite the absence of a comprehensive climate change impact assessment (IA) at the time of approval.
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Document type: Briefing
OBJECTIONS TO THE INTEGRATED WATER USE LICENCE APPLICATION FOR PROPOSED IPP THABAMETSI POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted formal objections on 20 January 2017 to the Integrated Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) for the proposed 1200MW coal-fired Thabametsi power station near Lephalale, Limpopo. The submission argues that the application is fatally flawed due to outdated data, failure to account for climate change, risks to groundwater and wetlands, and a lack of guaranteed water availability for the project's 40-year lifespan.
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Document type: Statement
OBJECTIONS TO THE INTEGRATED WATER USE LICENCE APPLICATION FOR PROPOSED IPP THABAMETSI POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted formal objections on 20 January 2017 to the Integrated Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) for the proposed Thabametsi power station, a 1200MW coal-fired project near Lephalale, Limpopo. The objections argue that the application is legally flawed, relies on outdated data, fails to secure a sustainable water supply for the project's 40-year lifespan, and poses significant risks to groundwater and wetlands.
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Document type: Statement
COAL-FIRED POWER STATION AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE - IPP WATERBERG (THABAMETSI) POWER STATION NEAR LEPHALALE (DEA Ref No: 14/12/16/3/3/40) LIMPOPO PROVINCE CLIMATE CHANGE STUDY AND PALAEONTOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: SUMMARY REPORT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
This summary report, prepared by Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd for Thabametsi Power Company Proprietary Limited, details the climate change and palaeontological impact assessments for the proposed 1200MW Thabametsi coal-fired power station near Lephalale, Limpopo Province. The report was produced to satisfy conditions 10.5 and 10.6 of the project's Environmental Authorization following an appeal by the Centre for Environmental Rights. It evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate resilience risks, and potential impacts on fossil heritage, concluding that while GHG impacts are high, they are not a fatal flaw given South Africa's energy policy framework.
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Document type: Report
SUBMISSIONS ON FINAL SCOPE OF WORK REPORT FOR THABAMETSI IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATION DEA REF 14/12/16/3/3/3/40
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted comments to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) regarding the Final Scope of Work Report (FSR) for the Thabametsi coal-fired power station. The CER argues that the FSR is inadequate, particularly concerning the Climate Change Impact Assessment (CCIA), and requests that the DEA either reject the report or require significant amendments to align it with the South African Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
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Document type: Statement
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT TO BE CONDUCTED BY THABAMETSI POWER PROJECT (PTY) LTD
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, provides recommendations to improve the scope of the Climate Change Impact Assessment (CCIA) and Palaeontological Impact Assessment Report (PIAR) for the proposed 1200MW Thabametsi coal-fired power station near Lephalale, Limpopo. The CER argues that the current scoping report is too narrow and fails to align with international best practices or South Africa's climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).
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Document type: Statement
JBIC must Reject Financing for the Batang Coal-fired Power Plant, Central Java, Indonesia
A statement from 231 organisations urging the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to reject financing for the Batang coal-fired power plant in Central Java, Indonesia, citing human rights violations and climate impacts.
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Document type: Statement
RESPONDING STATEMENT TO THE APPEAL SUBMITTED BY THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS (CER) INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 1998: GN R543/544/545/546 AND THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL: WASTE ACT, 2008: GN 718 : THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 600MW INDEPENDENT POWER PLANT AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR KIPOWER (PTY) LTD NEAR DELMAS, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE
This document is a responding statement submitted by Jones & Wagener (on behalf of Kuyasa Mining and KiPower) to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). It addresses an appeal by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) against the granting of an integrated environmental authorisation for a 600MW coal-fired independent power plant near Delmas, Mpumalanga. The statement denies allegations that the project violates NEMA principles or environmental laws, arguing that the project aligns with the Department of Energy's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and employs Circulating Fluidised Bed (CFB) technology to mitigate pollutants.
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Document type: Statement
APPEAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 62 OF ESKOM’S CAMDEN POWER STATION ATMOSPHERIC EMISSION LICENCE MSUKALIGWA/ESKOM H SOC LTD/CPS/0012/2015/F02 ISSUED ON 31 MARCH 2015
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network, filed an appeal on May 20, 2015, against the atmospheric emission licence (AEL) issued to Eskom's Camden Power Station. The appeal argues that the Gert Sibande District Municipality failed to consider the severe health impacts and poor air quality of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) when granting emission limit postponements that allow pollutants to exceed national minimum emission standards (MES).
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Document type: Statement
APPEAL PURSUANT TO SECTION 43(2) OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 1998 AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION GRANTED TO NEWSHELF 1282 (PTY) LIMITED ON 25 FEBRUARY 2015
This document is an appeal submitted by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg on 11 May 2015 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs. The appeal challenges the environmental authorisation granted on 25 February 2015 to Newshelf 1282 (Pty) Limited for the construction of the 1200 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Thabametsi power station near Lephalale in the Limpopo Province. The appellant argues that the decision was unlawful, failed to consider critical air quality and water scarcity issues, ignored climate change obligations, and violated the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA).
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Document type: Statement
Comments on the Integrated Water Use Licence Application Report for KiPower’s proposed construction of a 600 Megawatt (MW) Independent Power Producer Coal-fired Power Station
This document consists of a formal submission by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and an accompanying independent peer review by Carin Bosman Sustainable Solutions (CBSS). It critiques the Integrated Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) Report prepared by Jones and Wagner for KiPower's proposed 600 MW coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The CER and CBSS conclude that the IWULA is 'Inadequate' due to significant procedural and substantive failures, including the absence of a practical Integrated Water and Waste Management Plan (IWWMP) Action Plan and a failure to adequately assess impacts on groundwater and other water users.
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Document type: Report
A Climate Gift or a Lump of Coal?
This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development compares the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts of electricity sector regulations in Canada and the United States, specifically focusing on coal-fired power plants. It analyzes how these policies contribute to each country's Copenhagen Accord pledge to reduce 2020 emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels.
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Document type: Policy brief
OBJECTIONS TO THE VARIATION OF THE ATMOSPHERIC EMISSION LICENCE FOR ESKOM’S KRIEL POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing various community and environmental groups, submitted formal objections to Eskom's application to vary the Atmospheric Emission Licence (AEL) for the Kriel Power Station. The CER argues that the requested increase in particulate matter (PM) emissions would exacerbate poor air quality in the Highveld Priority Area, cause significant health impacts, and result from Eskom's own poor planning rather than a genuine emergency.
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Document type: Statement
ESKOM’S APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION FROM MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS AND POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS TIMEFRAMES FOR ESKOM POWER STATIONS COMMENTS ON THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several community groups and NGOs, submitted comments on July 19, 2013, opposing Eskom's applications for exemptions and postponements regarding Minimum Emission Standards (MES). The CER argues that such applications are legally invalid because ambient air quality standards (AAQS) are already exceeded in the priority areas where most Eskom plants are located. The document highlights severe health risks, particularly from SO2 and mercury, and criticizes Eskom for failing to consider renewable energy alternatives or the decommissioning of worst-performing plants.
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Document type: Statement
FOSSILIZED THINKING
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) critiques the World Bank's 3.75 billion dollar loan to Eskom Holding Limited for the Eskom Investment Support Project in South Africa. The authors argue that the Bank failed to comply with its own Operational Policy 10.04 (OP 10.04) by neglecting to fully quantify and incorporate environmental and social externalities—specifically regarding water scarcity, air quality, and transboundary impacts—into the project's Economic Evaluation, thereby overstating the project's net benefits.
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Document type: Report
China’s Electrical Power Sector, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Trade
This research paper analyzes the environmental impacts of China's electrical power sector and explores how a sustainable trade strategy can be linked to energy policy. It details China's heavy reliance on coal, the resulting pollution, and the regulatory frameworks used to manage these effects. The document also surveys international best practices in low-carbon energy policy—including economic and regulatory instruments—and suggests policy options for China to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
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Document type: Research paper
Backgrounder: Alberta Coal Plants, Climate Change & Human Health
This fact sheet from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment outlines the link between Alberta's reliance on coal-fired power plants, greenhouse gas emissions, and the resulting impacts of climate change on human health both globally and within Alberta.
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Document type: Fact sheet