dc.contributor.author |
Nkambule, Nonophile P.
|
|
dc.contributor.author |
Blignaut, James Nelson
|
|
dc.date.accessioned |
2017-10-07T08:32:34Z |
|
dc.date.available |
2017-10-07T08:32:34Z |
|
dc.date.issued |
2017-09 |
|
dc.description |
The research was conducted as part of N.P.N.’s PhD, which was
supervised by J.N.B. (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45866) |
en_ZA |
dc.description.abstract |
Coal-based electricity is an integral part of daily life in South Africa and globally. However, the use
of coal for electricity generation carries a heavy cost for social and ecological systems that goes far
beyond the price we pay for electricity. We developed a model based on a system dynamics approach
for understanding the measurable and quantifiable coal-fuel cycle burdens and externality costs, over the
lifespan of a supercritical coal-fired power station that is fitted with a flue-gas desulfurisation device (i.e.
Kusile Power Station). The total coal-fuel cycle externality cost on both the environment and humans over
Kusile’s lifespan was estimated at ZAR1 449.9 billion to ZAR3 279 billion or 91c/kWh to 205c/kWh sent
out (baseline: ZAR2 172.7 billion or 136c/kWh). Accounting for the life-cycle burdens and damages of
coal-derived electricity conservatively, doubles to quadruples the price of electricity, making renewable
energy sources such as wind and solar attractive alternatives.
SIGNIFICANCE :
• The use of coal for electricity generation carries a heavy cost for social and ecological systems that goes
far beyond the price we pay for electricity.
• The estimation of social costs is particularly important to the electric sector because of non-differentiation
of electricity prices produced from a variety of sources with potentially very dissimilar environmental and
human health costs.
• Because all electricity generation technologies are associated with undesirable side effects in their fuelcycle
and lifespan, comprehensive comparative analyses of life-cycle costs of all power generation
technologies is indispensable to guide the development of future energy policies in South Africa. |
en_ZA |
dc.description.department |
Economics |
en_ZA |
dc.description.librarian |
am2017 |
en_ZA |
dc.description.sponsorship |
National Research Foundation
(South Africa) |
en_ZA |
dc.description.uri |
http://www.sajs.co.za |
en_ZA |
dc.identifier.citation |
Nkambule N.P., Blignaut J.N. Externality costs of the coal-fuel cycle: The case of Kusile Power Station. S Afr J Sci. 2017;113(9/10), Art. #2016-0314, 9 pages.
http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.17159/sajs.2017/20160314. |
en_ZA |
dc.identifier.issn |
0038-2353 (print) |
|
dc.identifier.issn |
1996-7489 (online) |
|
dc.identifier.other |
10.17159/sajs.2017/20160314 |
|
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/62596 |
|
dc.language.iso |
en |
en_ZA |
dc.publisher |
AOSIS Open Journals |
en_ZA |
dc.rights |
© 2017. The Author(s).
Published under a Creative
Commons Attribution Licence. |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Power plant |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Coal mine |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Plant construction |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Flue gas |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Desulfurisation |
en_ZA |
dc.title |
Externality costs of the coal-fuel cycle : the case of Kusile Power Station |
en_ZA |
dc.type |
Article |
en_ZA |