Sasol to apply for delay for 2020 air pollution deadline
Source: CNBCAfrica
Johannesburg (Reuters)—South African petrochemicals group Sasol will apply to postpone a 2020 deadline for meeting stricter air pollution laws.
South Africa, the continent's worst polluter and most advanced economy, emits millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere each year, much of it from coal-fired power plants that still provide most of the country’s energy.
Sasol said it would apply for a postponement for some of its plants to 2025, when it would be able to meet most of the new plant standards.
"The reason for postponements is to help us or give us time or provide the opportunity to implement the projects over a period of time," said Sasol Executive Vice President for operations, Bernard Klingenberg.
The company said challenges in reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions could further delay compliance past 2025 and may require further reprieves.
"There will be postponement applications again, particularly in SO2 and H2S, where we do not have credible viable solutions, and we need to work on those," said Mr. Klingenberg.
The Department of Environmental Affairs granted postponements in 2015 to applicants, including Sasol, Eskom and Anglo American Platinum, until 2020 to comply with the new minimum emissions standards for air quality laws. “We were able to comply with the majority of the minimum emissions status for 2015, but in some areas we need time to implement projects," said Mr. Klingenberg.
South Africa's government wants to reduce harmful emissions by 34% by 2020, with the minimum emissions standards for air quality laws covering particulate, SO2 and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions.
(Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; editing by Mark Potter)
Comments