A comparison of air emissions of thermal power plants in South Africa and 15 European countries

Authors

  • H Von Blottnitz Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2006/v17i1a3292

Keywords:

air pollution, electricity, pollutant register, power generation

Abstract

Data recorded in the recently established European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) is potentially useful for benchmarking of the environmental performance of industrial activity against European practice. Entries in the category of large power plants in the reporting year 2001 for 15 European Union (EU) countries were evaluated to estimate total and fuel specific emissions of NOx, SO2, particulate matter, and CO2. Since the EPER data quality is unknown and since it records only absolute values for emissions and thus does not allow for an eco-efficiency analysis, environmental or sustainability reports made available online by a subset of the operators were sourced to compile a set of specific emissions (per kWh of electricity generated) for the major fossil fuel types, viz. natural gas, fuel oil, coal and lignite. With a few exceptions, notably for PM10 for eight countries and NOx in one case, the large power plant data reported to the EPER is shown to be sufficiently representative of fossil-fuel based generation of electricity and is trustworthy. The fuel mix differs considerably, and together with the varying standard of pollution control technologies, this results in a wide variation in the combustion-related environmental burdens of the generated electricity. Emissions data for South African thermal electricity generation was sourced from Eskom’s 2000 environmental report; in absolute terms they are the highest in this comparison, and in specific terms amongst the three highest per unit of electricity generated from coal.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

• Edison Group; www.edison.it/english/ , 2002

Environmental and Safety Report.

Electrabel; Environmental Report 2003,

www.electrabel.be/corporate/aboutelectrabel/en

vironmental_report_en.asp.

Electrabel Nederland; Milieujaarverslag 2002,

www.electrabel.nl/content/corporate/aboutelectrabel/publications_nl.asp.

Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the

US Department of Energy; International Energy

Annual 2002; www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/iea/.

Endesa; Sustainability Report 2003, www.endesa.es/Portal/portada?url=/Portal/en/default.htm

&idioma=en&.

Endesa Italia; Centrale Termoelletrica Tavazzano

e Montanaso, Dichiarazione ambientale semplificata

Endesa Italia; Centrale Termoelletrica di Monfalcone,

Dichiarazione ambientale semplificata

Enel; Bilanco di Sostenibilita 2003, www.enel.it/

azienda/sostenibilita/sostenibilita_2/.

Eskom; Environmental Report, 2000, www.eskom.co.za/enviroreport01/index.htm.

European Commission, Directorate XII –

Science, Research and Development; ExternE –

Externalities of Energy: National Implementation;

Gestionnaire du Reseau de Transport d’Electricité

(RTE); www.rte-france.com/index.jsp;

Energie Electrique en France 2001.

Powergen plc; www.powergen.co.uk/Pub/Dom

/A/Ui/Homepage/HomePage.aspx, Environment

Report 2000.

Rabl, A.; Ecole des Mines de Paris; Private

Communication, 2004.

Public Power Corporation S.A., www.dei.gr,

Report for the Period 1.1.2001-31.12.2002.

Scottish and Southern Energy plc;

Environmental Report, 2001, www.scottishsouthern.co.uk/safetyenvironment/environmentreport.asp.

STEAG, Geschäftsbericht 2001, www.steag.de/

steagde/publikationen.aspx.

Verbund-Austrian Thermal Power GmbH & Co

KG; Nachhaltigkeitsbericht 2002 www.verbund.at/at/konzern/nachhaltigkeit/bericht.htm.

Verbund-Austrian Thermal Power GmbH & Co

KG; Umwelterklärung zum Standort Voitsberg,

Downloads

Published

2006-02-01

How to Cite

Von Blottnitz, H. (2006). A comparison of air emissions of thermal power plants in South Africa and 15 European countries. Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, 17(1), 72–81. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2006/v17i1a3292