Karpowership-SAâs plan to generate electricity slowed down following complaint
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Johannesburg - As load shedding soars, independent power producer Karpowership-SAâs plan to generate electricity has been slowed down following a complaint by a local campaign group.
The environmental impact assessment of Karpowership-SAâs proposed project in Saldanha Bay will be reopened after The Green Connection advocacy group laid a complaint with the Department for Forestry, Fishing and Environment.
The department has halted the companyâs environmental impact assessment (EIA) until an investigation had been conducted.
Karpowership-SA said it was confident the issues would be swiftly resolved. Company spokesperson Kay Sexwale said: âWe have already engaged on many of the environmental concerns that have been raised and we look forward to a continued discussion of our plans.
The Environmental Management Inspectorate – known as the Green Scorpions – is tasked with investigating environmental crimes.
The investigation could result in criminal charges, but could also torpedo Karpowership’s environmental authorisations, which it needs for its mammoth R225-billion deal with Eskom to go ahead.
In March, the Turkish-led consortium was selected as a preferred bidder to provide 1,220MW of emergency power under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMI4P). The electricity will come from gas-fired powerships which are intended to be moored in the ports of Richards Bay, Coega and Saldanha.
The investigation stems from an extraordinary authorisation in June 2020 – just before the tender was announced – by a top official in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
amaBhungane calls ‘censorship’ as Twitter blocks access to tender exposé 14 May 2021 - 14:29 By Khanyisile Ngcobo Twitters users clicking links to articles on the amaBhungane website were blocked on Friday. Stock photo. Image: 123RF/rawpixel
Investigative journalism group amaBhungane said Twitter blocking links to its online articles appeared to be an “attempt at censoring a highly respected news outlet”.
The non-profit newsroom’s managing partner Sam Sole tweeted on Friday that links to their website were being blocked coinciding with the publication of articles about how a multibillion-rand tender was allegedly “legally rigged” to favour Turkish-led consortium Karpowership SA.
According to the article, the department of mineral resources and energy allegedly structured the tender in such a way that it favoured the budding gas industry while kneecapping renewables, a move that placed the consortium ahead of other companies.
Global energy giant with SA links hits back at âdesperate and untrueâ reports
By Itumeleng Mafisa
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Johannesburg - Karpowership, the global powerhouse in energy production, has hit back at allegations made against its Lebanese branch after a Lebanese media outlet claimed that two powerships were been banned from leaving Lebanon pending an investigation into questionable commissions related to the business. Karpowership has levelled these reports as desperate and untrue .
Karpowership SA spokesperson Kay Sexwale has said that Karpowership has been powering the Lebanon grid for more than eight years and that the company has acted in good faith, continuing to supply electricity despite not receiving payments for the past 18 months.
New consortium scores big in South Africa’s floating power station deal
7 May 2021
Powergroup SA a consortium comprising four companies, which is in partnership with Turkish Karadeniz Energy Group was registered with Companies and Intellectual Property Commission only on 15 May last year.
The South African consortium holding a 49% share of the controversial 20-year Karpowership SA floating power station deal announced in March by Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was formed less than a year ago.
Powergroup SA a consortium comprising four companies, which is in partnership with Turkish Karadeniz Energy Group was registered with Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) only on 15 May last year.