Amidst mounting international concern over global warming and how the burning of fossil fuel contributes to the problem, the news that a new coal-fuelled power station is about to be opened near Mapungubwe, a national heritage site north of the Soutpansberg, came as shock to many, especially environmentalists.

The Mulilo Power Station will be situated on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, northwest of Musina. It will coincide with yet another controversial development, namely the establishment of Coal of Africa’s Vele coal mine on the banks of the Limpopo River, a stone’s throw away from Mapungubwe. Already Coal of Africa has acquired five farms totalling 5 800ha. Of this, 1 800ha is envisaged for open cast mining, with the rest of the coal being mined underground. Although Coal of Africa maintains that it will be one of the most environmentally friendly mines ever, many disagree, arguing that the mine will have devastating effects for Mapungubwe and the region.

As for the power station, environmentalists are not only worried about the toxic gases that will be emitted by the power plant and released into the atmosphere, but also the impact it will have on scarce water resources as lots of water will need to be sourced to provide steam for driving the turbines. Since the Limpopo River is not a sufficiently constant source of water, this means that underground water sources will have to be used. Power stations are, however, notorious for leaving the water used by the plants very acidic and unusable afterwards.

A spokesperson for Mulilo Power Station, Mr Chris Aberdein, was approached with some questions about the erection and operation of the power station. Research indicates that this kind of power generation is the least desirable kind of power generation, but Aberdein appears not to agree.

According to him the erection of the power station is “in line with the international trend and is in fact supported by government policies such as NERSA’s planning document, [the] National Integrated Resource Plan. In this document the conclusion is made that … coal fired options will still be required in the expansion planning.” Aberdein also indicates that a lot of research is being done to capture carbon emissions, which “will render coal an environmentally acceptable option in the future.”

Other questions put to Aberdein dealt with the effects of the various kinds of pollution, where the water will come from, and what measures are being put in place to minimise the impact of the operation on the environment.

According to Aberdein, “all the environmental issues raised are to be studied during the specialist study phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The result of these studies would form the basis of the Environmental Impact Management plan to be followed during the operating life of the proposed plant.”

Subsequent questions dealt with the rehabilitative measures that are supposed to be put in place by Mulilo to ensure that damage to the environment is kept to a minimum and the ecology is rehabilitated. A vague answer to the effect that things are still in the planning phase was received. He also indicated that legislation “exists to ensure compliance to permit conditions and the DEAT is monitoring compliance.”