About 74% of South Africa’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power stations owned by the state-owned electricity provider, Eskom.
These power stations produce greenhouse gas and air pollution and can also pollute nearby streams and rivers. South African environmental law says that all power stations must have environmental authorisations and often water-use and atmospheric emission licences, which set out what the power stations must do to manage pollution risks.
À lire aussi :
South Africa’s power utility Eskom: how does it stack up in the pollution stakes?
How effective these controls are in practice was at the centre of a recent court case. Topigs Norsvin, a pig-breeding company, said polluted water from the Kusile power station had entered groundwater, a wetland and nearby streams, putting local water sources and its farming operations at risk.
