Dr Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
The decision was made in response to an appeal lodged by the global energy and chemicals company against the National Air Quality Officer’s (NAQO) decision to impose stricter SO2 emission limits on its Secunda Synfuels operations. Sasol argued that these limits would be prohibitively expensive and could jeopardise the company’s operations.
“Sasol will apply to the local licensing authority to incorporate the abovementioned limits in the atmospheric emissions license (AEL) for its Secunda Operations, to give effect to the Ministers decision. The varied AEL will enable lawful operations from 1 April 2025,” the company said in its recent SENS announcement.
George’s decision, made on 25 July 2024, provides more flexibility for Sasol to manage its emissions. However, it also imposes concentration-based limits that must be adhered to alongside the load-based limit, to protect public health and the environment.
The decision is seen as a compromise between the need to protect public health and the interests of industry, but environmental groups have expressed concerns about the potential impact of the load-based limit on air quality.
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