South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DEFF) has announced the rejection of all three applications submitted by Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd for an environmental authorization for the development of gas to power via powerships at the ports of Richards Bay, Ngqura and Saldanha.
The three applications had generated protests from small-scale fishers in the region, who objected to the lack of information regarding how the projects would impact the marine environment. The rejection of the three applications arrived after “due consideration of all relevant information presented as part of the environmental impact assessment process for all three applications in question,” according to a statement by DEFF.
The department, headed by Barbara Creecy, said the applications failed to meet minimum requirements, “specifically with regard to public participation, not only to promote informed decision making, but also to promote the legitimacy and acceptance of an outcome or decision and to promote participatory democracy, were not met.”
DEFF added that the power generation projects’ actual and potential impacts on the environment, as well as socio-economic conditions, “could not be properly evaluated, particularly insofar as small-scale fisheries are concerned, especially because of the lack of a proper underwater noise impact study and the contradictory information that was made available.”
DEFF has invited individuals or organizations aggrieved by the determination to lodge an appeal with the appeal administrator, although no timelines have been given.
The environmental assessment practitioner picked by Karpowership, DEFF observed, had failed to provide clarification on discrepancies and contradictions between specialist studies by 17 different entities on the power projects and that the “effects of activities on the environment could not receive adequate consideration because one of the major impacts, underwater noise generation, was not fully investigated.”
“Under these circumstances it is not possible to make a determination with regard to the significance of potential impacts or consequences for the environment, the effectiveness of potential mitigation measures or whether the project under consideration will constitute a sustainable development,” the DEFF statement said.
Karpowership Group, which owns and operates the world’s largest floating power-plant fleet of 25 powerships located across 15 locations throughout Africa and in Asia, had before the 24 June announcement by DEFF said it was “a responsible corporate citizen that operates in accordance with global standards and best practice.” The company had promised to ensure and maintain “all local and international environmental codes and practices in order to preserve, protect and enhance South Africa’s oceans, ports and sensitive environmental areas.”
Green Connection, which empowers small-scale fishing communities and protects South Africa’s seas, had recently commended DEFF for putting brakes on the projects for the sake of salvaging small-scale fisheries, especially in the Saldanha Bay.
“Saldanha Bay’s nutrient-rich waters are an essential nursery habitat for many fish species, therefore, the issue of noise impacts is particularly concerning given the decline in fish stocks and the location of the Powerships close to the shoreline,” Green Connection Strategic Lead Liziwe McDaid previously said.
Photo courtesy of South Africa's Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries
