Cape Town – Eskom has confirmed that it is busy with a viability study on an application to earn carbon credits for the construction of the Medupi coal-fired power station.

It is believed that Eskom wants to motivate the application on the strength of the power station being a modern, “cleaner” coal-fired power station.

This means that new technology will be used to allow the power station’s boilers to reach much higher temperatures than those in conventional coal-fired power stations. It will increase energy efficiency and generate more electricity from the same amount of coal, while less carbon dioxide is released per megawatt hour.

The United Nations Clean Development Mechanism – through which cleaner energy projects in developing countries can apply for carbon funding on the basis of each tonne of carbon dioxide or equivalent greenhouse gas that the project avoids – prescribes that projects should be able to prove that they would not be financially viable without the carbon credits they hope to earn.

According to the Eskom media office, coal-fired power stations such as Medupi could release 10% to 15% less carbon dioxide than a conventional power station, depending on the power station load.

Vehement criticism for Eskom’s plan is expected from environmental groups.

Jako Volschenk, a lecturer in environmental finance at the University of Stellenbosch’s Business School, thinks the Medupi project might pass the economic test, but not environmental and social tests.

- Sake24.com