The consequences of – effects of coal

mining and power generation from coal

in South AfricaBobby Peek

21-22 June 2013

Kӧӧӧӧnigswinter

Brief overview

• Who is groundWork, Friends of the Earth

South Africa

• South African context

• Carbon Economy

• Global Impacts of coal in general

• Impacts of coal in South Africa (Highveld)

World's largest grassroots environmental network

76 national member groups

5,000 local activist groups on every continent

With over 2 million members and supporters

globally

South African Context

Unemployment ratesJuly 2012: Official 25% - Expanded 33%

Employed: 40% (15 to 65yrs)

Income intercepted before people receive it,

resulting in increases levels of debt.

De Doorns

2012-2013

Marikana

August 2013

Coal: Secrecy and Spying

• Eskom contracted Swartberg Intelligence Support Services to spy on communities around Medupiand on NGOs Earthlife Africa Jhb, groundWork and Greenpeace Africa.

• Brian Dames, CEO of Eskom, has also communicated publicly that the contract with Swartberg Intelligence Support Services has been terminated and that the issue will be investigated by an Eskom-appointed body

• The results of the investigation have not been made public as yet.

Secrecy Bill:

Protection of State

Information Bill

Present challengers:

- National Key Points Act

- Promotion of Access to

Inform Information

- ArcelorMittal;

Master Plan and Permits

Carbon Economy

Sasol’s Coal-to-Liquid

Single largest CO2 emitter in the world

• SA Economy – Mineral and Energy Complex:– Wealth and power to direct

development is held by a few large corporations

– Concentration of economic power = SA one of the most energy and carbon intensive economies in the world

Eskom Power Stations in The Highveld

Current fleet of coal-fired power

stations and CtL plants

Region Developer Plant Status Capacity (MW) Information

Middelburg Eskom Arnot Operational 2352

Ermelo Eskom Camden Operational 1510

Witbank Eskom Duvha Operational 3600

Balfour Eskom Grootvlei Operational 1200 200MW capacity in storage

Mpumalanga Eskom Hendrina Operational 1965

Witbank Eskom Kendal Operational 4116

Middelburg Eskom Komati Operational 940 625MW capacity in storage

Bethal Eskom Kriel Operational 3000

Vijoensdrift Eskom Lethabo Operational 3708

Volksrust Eskom Majuba Operational 4110

Lephalale Eskom Matimba Operational 3990

Sanderton Eskom Tutuka Operational 3654

Free State Bloemfontein Municipality Bloemfontein Power

Station

Operational 102

Gauteng, Johannesburg Aldwych International Kelvin Power Station Under refurbishment 600 Privatised 2000

Gauteng, Pretoria Tshwane, Metro Council Pretoria West Power

Station

Operational 180 Operate according to necessity

Gauteng, Pretoria Tshwane Metro Council Rooiwal Power Station Operational 300 Operate according to necessity

Secunda Sasol Secunda CTL Operational 160000 barrels per

day

Coal-to-liquid

66% of primary energy comes from coal

- Converted to electricity by Eskom

- Converted to liquid fuels by Sasol

- Final energy in industrial processes

Final Energy is

around 50% of

what is produced

Facts and figures

Special Pricing Agreements (SPA)

• Secretive pricing deal which was carried over from the apartheid state and renewed by a democratic state with major energy users (BHP Billiton the most quoted)

• Normal industrial rate (US) 2.3c/kWh cheapest in the world in 2007 – smelters supplied below this price

• Because of the BHP SPA - Eskom lost $1.35 billion in 2008/9

• 2010 leaked report it is suggested that BHP pays (US) 1.7c/kWh (half of Eskom’s production cost)

Energy for whom?

Most used by richest 40% of households20% of population ‘energy poor’ and do not have access to electricity

Millions of people regularly cut off– Because of affordability– Pre-paid meters uncounted numbers

cut of monthly

4 million homes do not cook with electricity

2 million homes rely on candles for lighting

Residents pay up to 7 times more per unit of electricity than big business therefore cross subsiding industry

Toxic

Slurry

Burning

TransportMining

Coal

Combustion

Waste

Global Impacts

Globally in 2010: 210 000 deaths, 2 million serious

illnesses, 151 million minor illnesses, not including

the effects of climate changeLancet 2007

Three times the estimate of deaths per TWh of coal

combustion in Europe

The Cost of the Health Burden From Use of Coal for

Energy Production

• External cost of environmental and public health damage

caused during each stage of coal’s extraction,

transportation, combustion, and disposal

• Studies in USA X 2 & EU

Coal and community health• Particle pollution (PM10,

PM2.5, PM1) is one of the most dangerous pollutants for human health.

• It causes cardiovascular and respiratory disease, asthma, hospital admissions and premature death.

• PM10 & PM2.5 levels in the Vaal and the Highveld exceeded the national annual standard permanently over the last 5 years

Impacts

of coal m

ining

in South Africa

Highveld Training

Aug 2000 Sasolburg

Bucket Brigade

Sasol agrees!

Witbank air

‘dirtiest in the world’

April 2013

“…chromium and barium were so

high that … instruments had

been unable to take accurate

measurements.”

Die Beeld in the City Press

Highveld – high concentrations of particulate s (PM10)

Horizontal lines three standards:

-The top line is the interim standard set at 120 ug/m3 by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).

-2015, the DEA will apply the more stringent standard of 75 ug/m3

which is shown by the middle line.

-The bottom line - World Health Organisation guideline of 50 ug/m3

exceeded at all the monitoring stations throughout the winter.

Ambient concentrations of SO2

Blue top line – Witbank

Regular pollution spikes in other areas

Acid Mine Drainage Acidic, iron rich

water filling a

collapsed mine

Barren, sulphate-encrusted

soil caused by seepage of

acidic waster from a

flooded coal mine

SA 'a hotspot for bad air quality'

October 13, 2009

By Kanina Foss, Independent On Line

South African healthcare costs arising from

air pollution amount to R4- billion a year.

… launch of the first SA State of the Air report!

Lukey said the poor - the people least able to

shield themselves from bad air quality –

were most affected. "They carry a double

burden - they're poor and they're sick"

Sebokeng 2010-2012