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Karpowership loses appeal to quash South African environmental ruling
SOUTH AFRICA
TURKEY’S Karpowership has reportedly failed with its appeal for the quashing of an environ- mental ruling against its plans to help South Africa overcome its power crisis by supplying around 1,200 megawatts of electricity to the country from floating power plant ships.
The company would be allowed to correct “perceived gaps” in its application and would refile its submission, it said in a statement sent to Bloomberg on August 7.
Karpowership has faced various forms of opposition to its attempt to move ahead with the $16bn energy provision contract, based on ship- mounted gas-fired power plants, including from gas-fired power plant builder DNG Energy.
Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s environment minister, last year dismissed Karpowership’s initial application to take the project forward after environmental activists filed complaints on impacts they said would hit fishing and eco- systems and the atmosphere via potential green- house gas emissions.
“We respect Minister Creecy’s exercise of her powers, but we are very disappointed with the outlook especially given the time it took to make
a decision,” Karpowership was also cited as say- ing in the statement.
South Africa is, said Bloomberg, on course for its worst year of power cuts to date since the difficulties with outages began 14 years ago. State utility Eskom Holdings SOC has fallen short in providing the country with the electricity gener- ation it requires and there are ongoing attempts by officials to make it easier for private develop- ers to deliver the power that it cannot.
“South Africa needs dispatchable power now,” Karpowership was further quoted as say- ing in its statement. “ We remain committed to being part of South Africa’s energy security solution and are ready to deploy our Powerships immediately.”
Karpowership is a unit of the Karadeniz Energy Group, the world’s biggest supplier of electricity from mobile power plants housed on ships. Its South African venture is 49%-owned by local company Powergroup SA.
Karpowership generates electricity for coun- tries including Cuba. In Lebanon, it has faced difficulties obtaining payment.™
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