Photo by: Duane Daws
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has requested additional information to the final environmental-impact assessment (EIA) report submitted to it for the proposed construction of the 600 MW coal-fired independent power producer (IPP) plant and associated infrastructure for Kuyasa Mining subsidiary KiPower.
A draft report had been made available for public review between July 23 and September 2, 2014, followed by the release of an updated report in December.
The proposed $1.7-billion coal-fired plant, to be located near Delmas, Mpumalanga, could use coal from the nearby Delmas mine to meet a portion of South Africa’s power needs and had the potential to be expanded to produce up to 2 000 MW in the long term.
KiPower expected construction on the power plant to begin this year, with the first of the plant’s three units to be operational by 2018.
However, the DEA was now seeking additional information regarding the cumulative impacts of the proposed power line connection, as well as the terms of a proposed agreement with State-owned power utility Eskom on the connection options for the plant.
The DEA further requested that an assessment of the option of not implementing the proposed IPP and associated infrastructure be included.
Also, the Environmental Management Programme document had to be a standalone document, separated from the EIA report.
Engineering and environmental consultants Jones & Wagener said last week that the additional information to the EIA report would be made available on its website and at various public facilities from March 27 to April 28, 2015, for public comment and input.
Following the additional information being included in the EIA report, the DEA would further consider the EIA report on receipt of all the outstanding requested information.