Kusile power station 'to cost R60bn a year'

28 October 2011 - 02:23 By SIPHO MASONDO
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Coal. File photo.
Coal. File photo.
Image: The Times

Eskom's R142-billion Kusile power station, once operational, will cost South Africans an additional R60-billion a year.

A research report by the University of Pretoria commissioned by environmentalist group Greenpeace Africa examined a range of factors that would inflate the real cost of running the coal plant.

These include the effects of emissions on human health, coal mining on water supply and quality, environmental degradation such as habitat loss and the negative impact on the road network caused by heavy trucks transporting coal.

Melita Steele, Greenpeace Africa's climate campaigner, said: "Building colossal new coal-fired power stations like Kusile, and its sibling Medupi, was not only absurd in the face of catastrophic climate change, but will over-burden South Africans, many of whom have neither adequate shelter nor job security - now or in the foreseeable future.

"One of the true tragedies of government and Eskom's continued addiction to coal is the fact that, notwithstanding the future risks, coal has already failed to deliver electricity to many South Africans, with at least 2.5million homes still denied access to electricity."

The university's research found that the external costs related to generating electricity through coal could be as high as R1.88 kWh.

Taking into account Eskom's average electricity tariff last year, the researchers found that South Africans would be paying as high as R2.29 kWh, had Eskom factored in external costs.

Steele said Eskom should stop construction of Kusile and invest in renewable energy solutions, which guarantee thousands of new jobs.

Authorities hope that South Africa's carbon emissions will peak between 2025 and 2035 and then start declining.

South Africa, which will next month host the 17th annual UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in Africa. It is also one of the world's biggest polluters.

Eskom recently announced a solar and wind power project in Northern Cape and Western Cape.

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