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SASOL 2020 MES Postponement Applications

Short Project Title

Applications for Postponement of certain requirements of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act No 39 of 2004 minimum Emissions

Project Title

Applications for Postponement of certain requirements of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act No 39 of 2004 minimum Emissions Standards for Sasol South Africa Limited (Sasol)

SRK Project Reference Number

574484

SRK Project Manager

Philippa Burmeister

Contact Person

Tamaryn Hale

Contact Email

thale@srk.co.za

Contact Number

0837912342

SASOL 2020 MES Postponement Applications

SASOL 2020 MES Postponement Applications

PROJECT SYNOPSIS

Sasol South Africa Limited (Sasol) operating through its Secunda Operations (SO) in Secunda owns and operates a petrochemical facility in the Sasol Secunda complex south of central Secunda, Mpumalanga, among others. Sasol is required to comply with Minimum Emission Standards, 2013 (MES), published in terms of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act No 39 of 2004).
Sasol fully intends to meet the MES and has implemented a number of initiatives to do so. However, during SO’s recent Atmospheric Emissions Licence (AEL) renewal process an extensive due diligence exercise was conducted and in the course of reviewing its Secunda facility against the conditions of SO’s previous AEL, certain additional point sources were identified that form part of existing listed activities recorded in the SO AEL.  Preliminary baseline emission monitoring and measurement results suggest that SO may not be able to meet certain of the MES new plant standards in relation to volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and carbon monoxide (CO) for some of the additional point sources.  
Sasol therefore applied for postponement of compliance timeframes, as provided for in the MES, for the following sources:
•    The Waste Recycling facility
•    Coal Tar Filtration stack
•    Phenosolvan depitcher
•    Sand filter vents.

PROJECT LOCATION

Secunda

STATUS OF PROJECT

On 20 April 2023 the NAQO, in concurrence with Local Atmospheric Emission Licensing Authority, granted postponement of compliance timeframes (“Postponement Decision”).

In the Postponement Decision, the NAQO granted significantly lower limits for the Phenosolvan depitcher and sand filter vents than those requested / applied for in the Postponement Application, as amended. SO therefore wishes to appeal against this, and only this, component of the Postponement Decision, and requests that the Postponement Decision be varied to authorise the alternative MES limits that the SO applied for, in respect of the Phenosolvan depitcher and sand filter vents, during the postponement period

To this end, an appeal was lodged with the Directorate: Appeals and Legal Review on 12 May 2023

 

Should you wish to make a responding statement regarding Sasol’s appeal please do so in the Appeal and Response Form. A copy of the applicable form is available on the Department’s website at:

https://www.environment.gov.za/documents/forms#legal_authorisations or on request from appeals@environment.gov.za.

 

Responding Statements should be submitted to The Directorate: Appeals and Legal Review, within 20 days of date of this notification (7 June 2023), at the details below:

The Director: Appeals and Legal Review - Department of Environmental Affairs

by Email: appeals@environment.gov.za

by Hand: Environment House, 473 Steve Biko, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0083

by Post: Private Bag X447, Pretoria, 0001