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AfrElec POLICY AfrElec

Eskom could face immediate

closure of power plants to meet

pollution standards

SOUTH AFRICA ESKOM’S efforts to be exempted from the South countries to access $8.5bn of climate financing in
African government’s stringent new pollution a deal that was made at the COP26 climate talks
standards have proved fruitless, putting in dan- in Glasgow in November.
ger up to 16,000 MW of coal-fired generating This involves shutting its coal-fired power
capacity. stations and replacing them with renewables.
Eskom said this week that the Department of South Africa is the world’s twelfth-biggest
Environment had allowed it to postpone meet- emitter of carbon dioxide and is the sixth-largest
ing emissions standards at seven power stations, in terms of installed coal capacity. It has 42 GW
while five requests had been rejected and four of coal capacity and around 85% of electricity is
only partially granted, Reuters reported. derived from coal power, according to Carbon
This decision means that up to one-third of Tracker.
Eskom’s generating capacity could now be facing Meanwhile, Eskom is to make available large
immediate closure. tracts of land it owns in Mpumalanga to inves-
Eskom has plans in place to close half its tors wanting to build private power genera-
46,000 MW of capacity by 2035, replacing some tion plants, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin
of that with gas and renewables, and allowing Gordhan said on December 15, Tech Central
independent producers to make up the short- reported.
fall. Eskom has said that this could cost $30-35bn The idea is to make this land available, on a
over 15 years. rental basis, to the private sector to build renewa-
However, in the short term the company said ble energy facilities of up to 100 MW in capacity,
that it could not afford the technology required in line with recently amended regulations.
to meet the new pollution standards. “These investments will have more ready
Many of the company’s older power stations access to transmission lines and the grid that is
possess waivers for their emissions for soot, already in place [in the area],” Gordhan said in a
nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide presentation ahead of Eskom’s interim financial
(SO2). results. “These projects will be funded by the pri-
“If implemented, the decision will result in vate sector and no state guarantees will accom-
an immediate shutting down of 16,000 MW pany them.”
of installed coal-fired capacity,” Eskom said Gordhan also announced that Eskom is
in a statement, adding that it would cost over ramping up investment transmission capacity in
ZAR300bn ($18.68bn) to meet the new rules. areas including the Northern Cape, where pri-
The government is currently fighting a legal vate power projects – including solar generation
action with environmental groups over pollution plants – are being built, and where power needs
levels close to power stations. to be “wheeled” across the national grid. ™
Eskom has an agreement in place with donor

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 50 16•December•2021