Karpowership one step closer to approval

South Africa’s environment ministry dismissed a complaint by a nonprofit against Karpowership’s plan to moor a ship-mounted power plant off the nation’s west coast, a rare win for the Turkish company.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in a letter to The Green Connection dated April 26, rejected the nonprofit’s allegations that Karpowership’s consultants misrepresented small-scale fishers.

According to the consultant’s letter, the department will review the company’s proposal to set up a 320-megawatt plant in Saldanha Port.

Karpowership won a tender in March 2021 to provide 1,200 megawatts of electricity but has been mired in lawsuits and environmental challenges.

The ministry has 57 days to decide on the company’s Saldanha application. Two of its other applications have been rejected.

A shortage of generation capacity in South Africa has led to rotational blackouts — locally known as load—shedding— implemented for as long as 12 hours a day.