Eskom is not complying with the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act and a number of its coal-fired power stations are at risk of closure next year.Photo: Waldo Sweegers/Getty Images
EA new report from the Department of Public Enterprises says skoms are not complying with the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act and many coal-fired power plants could be shut down next year.
The law requires all power plants to comply with air quality standards, as noted in Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan's annual performance report released last week, in which he said: It expressed concern that Eskom was not complying with national emissions standards.
The report said the failure to comply with the law required Eskom to retrofit the plant with time-consuming and expensive flue gas desulphurization technology and other equipment to ensure compliance.
Flue gas desulfurization technology removes sulfur dioxide from the flue gas produced by coal-fired power plants.
According to the state-owned company's sustainability report, Eskom's power plants are committed to reducing emissions, including the use of advanced pollution control technologies, continuous monitoring and transparent reporting to minimize their impact on the environment. International best practice regarding controls should be observed.
Coal refurbishment
To address these concerns, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's energy blueprint, the Draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023, proposes that South Africa invest in coal refurbishment technologies. This includes strengthening existing coal-fired power plants to increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and introduce pollution-reducing technologies that comply with environmental regulations and energy policies.
Ten coal-fired power plants will reach the end of their design life by 2030, resulting in the loss of more than 10,000 megawatts. The ministry said retrofitting techniques are the best-case scenario to extend the life of the plant.
This is in line with a Treasury-commissioned report recommending that Eskom's old power stations be retrofitted to meet acceptable pollution levels.
Titus Mate, chief executive of South Africa's National Institute for Energy Development, supported the upgrade, saying the country would expand the grid to enable the use of renewable energy, while at the same time It added that it would help provide limited energy.
Gordhan's report said there is an urgent need to step up investment in transmission infrastructure, build new substations and strengthen existing ones.
“An estimated 14,200km of extra high-voltage lines and 170 transformers will need to be added to the grid by 2032. However, there are significant obstacles to achieving this ambitious infrastructure expansion by the specified deadline. looming large,” the report states.
The report warns that government plans to extend the lifespan of coal-fired power plants could jeopardize investment prospects, given investors' reluctance to fund coal-related initiatives. did.
In a parliamentary response last year, Mr Gordhan said the Department of Public Enterprises had estimated the cost of overhauling and refurbishing coal-fired power plants to meet emissions standards at a staggering R400 billion. He added that the process would require a long shutdown of the plant.
He added that life extension retrofits will require a minimum of two years, and flue gas desulfurization retrofits could take up to seven years to complete.
Gordhan added that such efforts could reduce energy supplies and exacerbate existing shortages that are causing load shedding.
In comments on a draft integrated resource plan recently submitted by the Life After Coal campaign and Black Girls Rising program to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, activists lamented the department's plans to renovate coal-fired power plants.
They argue that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies “cannot solve the emissions problem because they are energy-intensive and require large amounts of resources to power, “This is because it has the potential to increase greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from transportation.”
“It is estimated that power plants will have to burn up to 43% more coal just to run CCS, which also reduces their efficiency by at least 10%. Second, some “Common CCS methods can release harmful chemicals into the air, such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and mercury,” they said.
The report says the country should leverage large-scale renewable energy generation, especially solar power and onshore wind projects, to avoid fiscal implications. This is because delays in these programs pose potential risks to South Africa's electricity supply.
“These disruptions will increase costs for industrial customers who need to supplement grid power with captive generation equipment, most of which is diesel-based, but with retail rates that may be increased by local power companies. continue to be exposed to,” the report states.