Another push for controversial floating gas-to-power project

IN another bid to obtain environmental authorisation for its proposed gas-topower projects, Karpowership SA plans to once again engage communities in Richards Bay next month.

Two public participation meetings will be held at ZCBF in Richards Bay on 23 November, with a virtual session planned for the same day.

This follows a decision by Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Creecy's not to grant authorisation for the floating ships to be located at the Port of Richards Bay.

Karpowership SA was awarded three bids early last year for its floating gasfired power plants, to be stationed at the ports of Richards Bay, Saldhana Bay and Ngqura.

They plan to generate electricity from natural gas to be evacuated through transmission lines to substations linking to the national grid.

The three projects would together provide 1 220 megawatts of gas-fired generation capacity.

In June last year, Creecy, however, dismissed the application for environmental authorisation, citing, among others, concerns with inadequacies of the public participation process conducted as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - effectively halting the implementation of the projects.

The company was, however, granted an opportunity to address 'perceived gaps' in the process.

They said in a statement in August that they are confident all EIA concerns could be addressed to 'deploy projects that will power 800 000 homes and end one full stage of load-shedding'.

Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions (Pty) Ltd, which is undertaking the environmental process, says a new draft EIA report will be available to interested parties from 10 November to 13 December at the Richards Bay and Empangeni libraries.