Sasol Limited Sustainability Report 2021 - Book - Page 49
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SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE AGAINST OUR FOCUS AREAS: MINIMISING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT (CONTINUED)
Water management
We rely heavily on water for our processes
and consider it a precious resource. We
are a signatory to the UN Global Compact
CEO Water Mandate and have adopted the
Mandate's Water Stewardship Framework
in responding to water risks.
Our approach
Water security
The long-term assurance of supply of water to our
operations is a material risk. While the assurance of water
supply of an acceptable quality to all our operations
is currently secure, the medium- to long-term assurance
for some operations (specifically in South Africa)
is less so. Refer to our Form-20F Item 3D 20-F
Stakeholder engagement
Demand for water from the Integrated Vaal River System
(IVRS) outstrips supply. Our mitigation actions include:
Focus area
Purpose
Progress
River water
availability
Enabling sustainable
supply of water
from the IVRS.
The IVRS continues to experience several pressing challenges placing Sasol’s longterm supply at increased risk. Delays in the implementation of the Lesotho Highlands
Water Project Phase 2, slow progress by municipalities in reducing water losses
and lack of progress in eradicating unlawful water use are increasing the risk of
restrictions being placed on users of the IVRS. In the past year, this risk was reduced
thanks to above-average summer rainfall.
River water
quality
Enabling an
adequate quality of
water supplied from
the IVRS.
In the past year, we faced challenges with the quality of water supplied to Secunda
Operations. The primary source of this water is Grootdraai Dam and its associated
transfer system. Summer rainfalls led to an improvement in the quality of water.
However, we expect this to deteriorate in the dry season and are exploring a
collaborative approach to resolving these challenges.
• Providing technical support and inputs to Department
of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on critical water supply
pump stations in South Africa.
Sasol has supported a partnership with the Water Research Commission and Rhodes
University to address water quality challenges in the catchment. The research
outcomes can be used to inform the process used by the regulator in setting water
quality conditions in future water use licenses.
• Tracking the performance of the IVRS.
• Maintaining relationships with the operators of pump
stations to obtain early warning signs of critical water
supply challenges.
• Participating in planning sessions to enable security
of supply to our operations.
• Escalating challenges through formal communication to
the office of the Minister and Director General of the DWS.
Community
protest action
Prevent disruptions
at critical pump
stations due to
protest action.
Community protest action over the last three years, in the form of demands for jobs
from DWS and for improved service delivery from local municipalities, has prevented
the optimal operation of the critical pump stations of the DWS. Over the past year,
we assisted DWS in resolving protest action outside a critical pump station in the Vaal
River system.
Licence
applications
Maintaining
compliance
with water use
authorisations
To meet conditions of our water use licence (WUL) for Secunda Operations at the
end of 2020, we implemented additional lining measures of Nitro dams four and
five. We also working on a detailed engineering plan for the Groot Bossiespruit
Wetland Reinstatement, which is expected to be completed in 2022. This work is
part of Secunda Operations’ Water Use Licence Application, which has been accepted
for processing from the DWS, after it met all relevant requirements.
• Engaging with other stakeholders such as Eskom and Rand
Water to jointly address catchment water challenges.
Natref’s amended WUL was received from the DWS with corrections during
April 2021.
We await the outcome of several licence amendment applications for our
Mining Business.
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Sasol Sustainability Report 2021