South African govt rejects gas projects over impending environmental threats

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

South African government has announced the rejection of Karpowership’s environmental consents for three gas-to-control projects.

This was made known on Wednesday, Tech in Africa reports.

The country’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment rejected the approval for reasons, including that it did not comply with public participation rules.

The Turkish organization acquired massive media attention after it became the winner in the 2000 megawatt (MW) government power crisis tender. The tender intends to ease the tremendous strain on South African embattled power utility Eskom and decrease the effect of the planned power outages the nation faces each year.

By removing this agreement, the government will only further postpone its effort to strengthen the country’s power network. It will also lengthen national force cuts costing the already weakened economy billions of dollars and subverting future ventures.

Three of Karpowership’s floating natural gas power stations can process an integrated 1200 MW which was chosen as favored bidders for the project in March, according to Reuters.

The environment department says that the Competent Authority in the division has chosen, after due thought of all essential data, to deny the applications for the environmental authorizations.

The Department added that the effect of Karpowerships tenders has made them announce that decision.

The Karpowership projects cannot be judged because of the absence of an appropriate underwater noise study and other “significant gaps and limitations.”