Lethabo’s air pollution complaints addressed

VEREENIGING – Eskom’s Lethabo Power Station engaged with residents and stakeholders on August 13 following complaints about air quality in areas surrounding the power plant.

Numerous residents have voiced concerns over air quality and an apparent increase in fly ash.

Fly ash is a finely divided residue that results from the combustion of pulverised coal and is transported from the combustion chamber by exhaust gasses.

The engagement took place at Lethabo’s visitor’s centre on Tuesday, where officials from Lethabo Power Station highlighted the issues currently being faced by the ageing plant.

Officials from Eskom’s Lethabo Power Station, Eskom’s head office, members of the community and the air quality license authorities of the Sedibeng District Municipality and the Fezile Dabi District Municipality were present.

Leading the engagement with a presentation, Willem de Klerk, Senior Advisor of Environmental Management at Eskom Holdings, explained that while the power station is currently facing numerous challenges and is currently seeing high stack emissions, Lethabo is nevertheless committed to addressing these issues through various key emission reduction projects.

 These are long-term projects, but should lead to a reduction in emissions, according to De Klerk.

De Klerk added that Eskom (as a whole) has made steady progress in reducing emissions since the 1980’s and continue to do so.

He highlighted the ageing plant (Unit 1 of Lethabo went into commercial operation in December 1985) and unreliable SO3 plants and Electostatic Precipitators (ESP’s) as some of the contributing factors to the deterioration of air quality.

The SO3 plants aids in the collection efficiency of the ESP’s. ESP’s remove particles from a gas stream by using electrical energy to charge particles either positively or negatively.

Due to these challenges (ageing plants and unreliable SO3 plants) the station has been given allowance to exceed the prescribed emission levels for up to 72 hours during startup, maintenance, upset and shutdown conditions.

The worst pollution seems to coincide with the abovementioned occurrences, when the plant is allowed to temporarily circumvent prescribed emission levels.

During the engagement, air quality license officials from the Sedibeng and Fezile Dabi District Municipalities suggested having a relook at this special allowance, which is quite unusual.

Further compounding the issue is the grade of coal currently being supplied to the plant.

While Lethabo was designed to burn a low-grade coal, with a high ash content, the coal currently being supplied to the plant by a nearby mine is of a worse grade than ever seen.

De Klerk stressed that despite complaints, Lethabo has an Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) in place and currently does meet the Minimum Emission Standards (MES).

Johann Gericke, a representative of the community of Three Rivers, said in response to De Klerk’s presentation, that pollution had been going on for many years.

“While we have a continuous fallout of that ash, every second week there is a massive fallout.”

Gericke said that while he appreciates the stakeholder’s engagement organised by the Lethabo Power Station and that it shows commitment, transparency and a willingness to communicate with residents, he was expecting more information about the effects of ongoing environmental pollution on the health of animals and humans.

“What I would have liked to have seen from this presentation is what the hazards (of fly ash) for residents are. Where is the chemical analysis of the ash? We have animals and livestock. It falls into our ponds and into our drinking water. We have koi dams. We have large aquaponic projects down there. Is it harmful to our fish? Is it harmful to our animals? That is what I wanted to hear about. Is this ash harmful, yes or no?”

Gericke also suggested opening the communication lines so that residents can more easily submit complaints to the plant management about increases in fly ash and pollution.