South Africa is one of the largest air-polluted countries in Africa according to a report by non-profit organisation Greenpeace Africa. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
South Africa is one of the largest air-polluted countries in Africa according to a report by non-profit organisation Greenpeace Africa.
The 66-page Major Air Polluters in Africa report found that coal-fired plants operated by South Africa’s power producer Eskom account for five of the world’s 10 biggest single-source nitrogen-dioxide emission sites, all of which are primarily linked to thermal power plants. The country ranks as the seventh-largest coal producer globally.
The report added that coal-fired power plants operated by the utility in Mpumalanga where the power plants are based are also responsible for the illnesses and deaths caused by air pollution which is projected to worsen unless prompt interventions are taken.
Senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories Aidan Farrow blamed the decreasing air quality levels on a lack of air quality monitoring systems.
Farrow added that this has contributed to the increase in the number of deaths caused by air pollution, including miscarriages and premature deaths in babies.
“There is abundant evidence that African nations face a serious public health crisis from air pollution. The root causes of this crisis are the air pollutant emitters,” Farrow said.
Farrow added that data from satellites and fuel sales in each country allow scientists to investigate emission sources.
“The data are clear, areas like Mpumalanga in South Africa, where coal burning for electricity is a major industry, really stand out,” Farrow said.
Last year, the United Nations projected that the annual number of premature deaths linked to outdoor air pollution in Africa will rise from 930 000 in 2030 to 1.6 million in 2063.
According to the World Health Organisation, exposure to air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, can cause short and long-term health problems. These include heart and lung diseases, problems during pregnancy, kidney issues and cancer.
The report said that economic and population growth, unplanned urbanisation and a lack of environmental regulation could exacerbate environmental and human health effects.
South Africa receives more than 80% of its electricity from its coal fleet, substantially contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
The country currently ranks as the 14th emitter in the world and is the most polluting country in Africa, followed by Nigeria and Egypt, the report said.
Some of the key findings of the report include:
– Exposure to air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death in Africa.
– Pollutant emissions lead to a considerable number of premature deaths in Africa. Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa consistently exhibit large disease burdens, with the highest mortality linked to fossil fuel air pollution in these nations.
– Six of the world’s 10-largest nitrogen dioxide emission hotspots were found in Africa, all in South Africa.
– Two of the world’s 10-largest sulphur dioxide emission hotspots are in South Africa.
– Health impact studies suggest that life expectancy could be improved by up to three years in some African nations if air quality met WHO guidelines.
Eskom told the Mail & Guardian that the utility is forced to emit gases into the environment because of the nature of its ageing coal fleet to generate electricity.
It added that it is taking measures to reduce emissions by retrofitting stations with additional pollution control technologies and ensuring newer stations are built with necessary emission technologies.
Eskom said to combat emission levels it has shut down Komati Power Station and several units at two of the oldest Eskom power stations.
“Eskom is planning to retrofit low [nitric oxide] burners at stations with higher levels of [nitrogen dioxide] emissions to ensure compliance with the existing plant minimum emission standard requirements. “The remaining Eskom stations generally comply with current plant standards for nitric oxide,” Eskom said.
It added that Medupi and the new power station in Lephalale will undergo retrofitting with flue gas desulphurisation technology (FGD) to reduce emission levels.
But, an activist from the Mpumalanga region, Fana Sibanyoni expressed frustration over the longstanding effects of South Africa’s reliance on coal in the province.
“The pollution from coal plants like those operated by Sasol in our region has not only tarnished our health, leading to failed health assessments and chronic diseases. It has also clouded our future, leaving us jobless as companies opt to hire from outside, citing our ‘unfitness’ for work,” Sibanyoni said.
According to the United Nations, burning coal puts carbon dioxide into the air, as well as other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and tiny bits of solid material or droplets of liquid.
“When inhaled, these chemicals can damage your airways and lungs and, over time, make it difficult to breathe,” the report reads.
A study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air shows that running coal-fired power plants in South Africa for eight years more than planned will cause 15 300 people to die from air pollution health problems such as lung cancer, asthma and heart disease, with pregnant women and children being especially likely to develop these conditions.
Eskom said it was unfair that the report was blaming the utility for emissions when South African studies indicate that high nitric levels affecting communities are associated with vehicle traffic, not with Eskom power stations.
The Greenpeace report comes as the department of mineral resources and energy finalises the Integrated Resource Plan which advocates for the extension of coal power stations to avert the impact of load-shedding.
The IRP 2023 is the electricity infrastructure plan that looks at power demand and how it will be supplied.
The decision to extend the life of the ageing coal power stations goes against the Presidential Climate Commission’s suggestion that emissions from the stations would hinder South Africa in reaching its goal of moving towards cleaner energy sources.
Moving to cleaner energy aligns with the Paris Agreement signed by South Africa and 195 other nations in 2015. The agreement is an international treaty that seeks to limit global warming to 1.5°C. It is also the foundation of the just energy transition where the country has collaborated with global partners to secure funding for an equitable move away from coal.
Recommendations
The report called on the government to urgently implement the Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan — a government strategy aimed at reducing air pollution and improving air quality in the heavily industrialised Highveld region of South Africa.
It added that exemptions related to already weak air pollution regulations in this region should not be considered, and coal-fired power stations reaching the end of their life should be decommissioned.
Last year, Eskom was granted an exemption to bypass sulphur dioxide pollution control at its Kusile power station in terms of section 59 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act to allow it to restore lost generation capacity at the plant while a damaged stack underwent repairs.
It said the country must urgently take steps to decrease reliance on coal, oil and gas power and make a just transition towards renewable energy, which benefits both people and the climate.
While the transition towards cleaner energy takes place, urgent action is needed to ensure the quality of fuels used in Africa meets the best international environmental standards, including sulphur content.
“There is a need for measured evidence for ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution because it enables accurate reporting of the significant health consequences of air pollution and that it supports policymakers, decision-makers and affected communities in their mitigation efforts,” the report said.