Service Contract No 2007 / 147-446 Strategic ... - Swaziland

The sugar factories produce atmospheric emissions from their power generation process(boilers) using coal and bagasse. The pollutants emitted depend on a series of parameters,including the fuel used, the pollution control systems in place, and boiler pressure.The boilers in the sugar mills use bagasse as their main fuel, although supplementarysources of fuel are used. All three sugar mills use coal as supplementary fuel (26,500 t/yr inSimunye, 26,372 t/yr in Mhlume, and 5,000 t/yr in Ubombo Sugar); as well the RSSC millsalso resort to wood chips (28,618 t/yr in Simunye and 22,124 t/yr in Mhlume).Figure 26:Coal reserves as supplementary fuel at the sugar millsAs the Regulations are very recent, the monitoring and reporting of atmospheric emissionshas not yet taken place. Nevertheless, the inclusion of the category “any other potentiallytoxic compounds” as one of the “controlled air pollutants” under Schedule 2 of theRegulation, introduces an ambiguity and complication in determining what parameters mustbe monitored by the sugar factories.5.9.2 Expected impacts in absence of the NASAs all expansion plans are already underway at the sugar mills (e.g. increased crushingcapacities), it is irrelevant to envisage a scenario where the NAS is not to be implemented.5.9.3 Expected impacts with implementation of theNASTwo NAS factors will have an influence in the amount of atmospheric emissions from sugarmills. The increase in sugar crushed will result in an increase in emissions; however, theincrease of co-generation using tops and trash will reduce polluting emissions by reducingthe amount of coal burned.Atmospheric pollution does not seem to be an issue in Swaziland; however, emissionsaround Matsapha industrial estate and the cane mills do pose localised areas of highatmospheric pollution levels. Nevertheless there are opportunities to enhance its regulationand control, and guarantee compliance with international standards.RDMU (Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Adaptation Strategy) - Page 100