Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Eskom (Monthly and Annually)
Eskom, the South African electricity public utility, is the largest GHG emitter on the African continent [1]. Thus, in order to measure the progress that South Africa is making in terms of reducing its emissions by 2050, it is crucial to monitor Eskom’s emissions. Eskom regularly publishes its monthly CO2 emissions on its website. As of 5 March 2022, the value for Eskom CO2 emissions for the month of January 2022 is 16,903,725 tons [2]. However, Eskom stipulates on its website that these values are indicative and can be different to the values published in its annual report. The CO2 emissions are calculated based on the design parameters of the power stations and coal characteristics, and the values include coal and gas turbine power stations and oil consumed during start-ups of the power stations.
Renewable Energy Total Installed Capacity (Monthly and Annually)
Eskom publishes the total installed capacity of renewable energy on its website [3]. The website indicates the total installed capacity includes Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), Photovoltaic (PV), wind from Eskom and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and other renewable energy sources. As of 5 March 2022, the total installed capacity is 5901 MW. In terms of data reliability, Eskom does not indicate whether the CSP and PV values include small-scale projects which generate energy for their own consumption and what the other renewable energy sources are. The renewable energy total installed capacity is an important indicator as it shows the progress that the country is making towards transitioning towards renewable energy.
Fuel Consumption (Quarterly)
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DME) publishes the fuel consumption in South Africa for each quarter of the year. Fuel consumption is an important indicator as it directly impacts GHG emissions. By monitoring this data, it can be observed whether fuel consumption is increasing or reducing over time and appropriate measures can be taken to switch to green technologies. The fuel consumption data is published 15 days after the end of each quarter, with a one quarter lag [4]. As of 5 March 2022, the latest figure for fuel consumption in South Africa is available for the period July to September 2021. The total fuel consumption including diesel, petrol, jet fuel, paraffin, furnace oil, LPG and aviation gasoline during this period was 6,066,995,866 litres [5]. However, it is not indicated whether this value for fuel consumption includes marine fuel.
Net Zero Carbon Buildings (Occasional Updates)
The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is involved in providing building certifications according to their rating tools. One of the certifications that they provide is the net zero carbon certification for buildings that give annual carbon emissions of net zero or net positive (such as buildings which generate more renewable energy than is being consumed) [6]. As of 5 March 2022, there are 9 buildings in South Africa which have been certified as net zero carbon [7]. The frequency at which this data will be updated will depend on the net zero carbon projects that the GBCSA is involved in. The number of net zero carbon certified buildings in South Africa is an important indicator as it gives the progress that the country is making towards switching to energy efficient buildings and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
TABLE
| PERFORMANCE INDICATOR | BASELINE VALUE | DATE
|
| Amount of CO2 emissions
in January 2022 (Eskom) |
16 903 725 tons | March 2022 |
| Total installed capacity of Renewable Energy (Eskom) | 5901 MW | March 2022 |
| Total fuel consumption from July to September 2021 (DME) | 6 066 995 866 litres | March 2022 |
| Number of buildings certified as net zero (GBCSA) | 9 | March 2022 |
References
- Hugo, R. 2021. South Africa’s carbon emission targets not nearly ambitious enough. https://www.groundup.org.za/article/south-africas-carbon-emission-targets-not-nearly-ambitious-enough/ [Accessed March 2022].
- 2022. Emissions. https://www.eskom.co.za/dataportal/emissions/ [Accessed March 2022].
- 2022. Renewable statistics. https://www.eskom.co.za/dataportal/renewables-performance/renewable-statistics/ [Accessed March 2022].
- Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. http://www.energy.gov.za/files/media/SA%20FUEL%20SALES%20VOLUME/Publishing-Schedule-for-FSV-Data-2021-2023.pdf [Accessed March 2022].
- Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. Energy Statistics. http://www.energy.gov.za/files/energyStats_frame.html Accessed March 2022].
- Green Building Council of South Africa. Net Zero. https://gbcsa.org.za/certify/green-star-sa/net-zero/ [Accessed March 2022].
- Green Building Council of South Africa. Project Directory. https://gbcsa.org.za/resources-listings/case-studies/ [Accessed March 2022].
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard South Africa Country Manager Deepti Charitar