The Karpowership deal was torpedoed by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) \u2013 and, unintentionally, by its own environmental consultants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Turkish-led Karpowership SA consortium was named preferred bidder in March to supply the lion\u2019s share of 2 000MW in capacity that government is procuring to reduce loadshedding. But it first needed to secure environmental permits to moor its powerships in three ports: Coega, Saldanha and Richards Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But on Thursday, DFFE announced that it had refused to grant Karpowership that authorisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Competent Authority in the Department has decided, after due consideration of all relevant information presented as part of the environmental impact assessment process for all three applications in question, to refuse the applications for the environmental authorisations,\u201d spokesperson Albi Modise said in a guarded statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a mandatory process of assessing the environmental consequences and viability of a project, and ways of mitigating harm. The process requires an open and transparent engagement with the public, and that stakeholder concerns are properly taken into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also requires that environmental consultants be independent and \u201cperform the work … in an objective manner, even if this results in views and findings that are not favourable to the [client\u2019s] application\u201d the EIA Regulations say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The record of refusal, signed on Wednesday by chief director Sabelo Malaza, shows that DFFE felt that Karpowership\u2019s environmental consultant, Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions, failed to conduct a proper public participation process or heed experts who said additional studies were needed to quantify the potentially destructive impact the powerships could have on birds, fish and fishing communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reasons included: \u201cThe minimum requirements, specifically with regard to public participation, were not met. The purpose of public participation is 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another major shortcoming was Triplo4\u2019s failure to \u201cfully investigate\u201d the impact that underwater noise would have on fish and sea mammals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnder [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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explaining the decision to SAFM<\/a> <\/em>yesterday, DFFE spokesperson Albie Modise said: \u201cIf we give you an authorisation on a project of a long-term nature, we need to be comfortable that we can live with that decision for the next 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karpowership responded almost immediately, claiming the DFFE \u201callowed a misinformation campaign to derail the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s [DMRE] strategic plan to end load shedding and address South Africa\u2019s economic and energy crisis\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DMRE is responsible for the so-called Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMI4P), under which Karpowership and others were selected to supply the 2 000MW emergency power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karpowership said DFFE\u2019s decision \u201cthreatens the delivery of this power and will extend load shedding for years to come\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It denied that it had failed to consult affected communities, calling its public participation \u201crobust\u201d. It also said it plans to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But amaBhungane\u2019s perusal of over 1 000 pages of correspondence between Triplo4 and stakeholders suggests that Triplo4\u2019s handling of the process and draft reports fell well short of what was required. The correspondence was disclosed as part of the EIA process for the 450MW Richards Bay project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what Karpowership calls a \u201cmisinformation campaign\u201d appears rather to be a chorus of criticism from a wide range of specialists, government entities, civil society groups and members of the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amongst many complaints, Triplo4 is accused of commissioning a \u201cwoefully inadequate\u201d specialist report that downplayed the devastating impact the powerships could have on critically important bird populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The documents also show that many stakeholders raised concerns about the risk of an explosion in the high-traffic Richards Bay port but were told that there had never been an explosion on a gas-fired powership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Triplo4 did not disclose was that a steam explosion had occurred on a Karpowership in Indonesia in 2018, as video evidence obtained by amaBhungane shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this month, DFFE temporarily suspended approval of Karpowership\u2019s 320MW Saldanha project following a formal complaint from civil society group Green Connection. The group said a marine ecology expert advised Triplo4 to conduct further studies of the site in Saldanha to determine what impact the noise would have on vulnerable fish breeding grounds, which could affect the local fishing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two other civil society groups, the Centre for Environmental Rights and Groundwork, filed similar complaints against Karpowership\u2019s 450MW Richards Bay and Coega projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4 was warned that site-specific studies were critical. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the government body responsible for conservation and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal, told Triplo4 that the EIA would be \u201cincomplete\u201d without a study of the impact underwater noise would have on everything from the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin to commercial prawn fisheries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe potential impacts of a wall of consistent noise from the turbines may interrupt that passage through to the marine [area], effectively reducing [prawn] stocks by more than half,\u201d Ezemvelo warned in a letter in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4, apparently under pressure to meet Karpowership\u2019s RMI4P deadlines, ignored the advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DFFE cited this failure as one of the main reasons it refused to authorise Karpowership\u2019s projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4 and its managing director, Hantie Plomp, did not respond to detailed questions sent before DFFE’s decision. Instead, she sent a brief email saying: \u201c[W]e deny any wrongdoing and advise that a full response cannot be provided as the matters are sub judice<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She did not respond when we argued that the sub judice<\/i> rule did not prevent her from speaking to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karpowership also did not respond in detail to our questions. Spokesperson Kay Sexwale provided a brief written statement before DFFE\u2019s decision was announced: \u201cWe are confident the unfounded claims about the environmental assessments of our projects will be dealt with swiftly. We are continuing to work to the deadlines \u2026 and look forward to getting to work helping to alleviate South Africa\u2019s energy challenges and supporting the wider economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Karpowership says it plans to appeal DFFE\u2019s decision, it is unlikely to meet the 31 July deadline for all the RMI4P\u2019s preferred bidders to reach financial close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without environmental authorisation for its projects, Karpowership cannot reach financial close and it risks having its R183-million bid guarantees called up by the DMRE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the DMRE has bigger problems: Karpowership was supposed to provide 1 220MW, over 60% of the 2 000MW programme. Its disqualification, unless overturned, leaves the RMI4P in tatters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karpowership and Triplo4 are still facing a separate investigation by the Green Scorpions<\/a>, the law enforcement unit tasked with investigating environmental crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In May 2020, Karpowership secured a dubious emergency environmental authorisation under section 30A of the National Environmental Management Act. The permit allowed it to bypass the entire EIA process and bring as many ships as it wanted into South African ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That permit was quickly withdrawn and an investigation launched. The Green Scorpions must now determine whether Karpowership, Triplo4 and its representatives should be criminally charged for misleading DFFE officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the dire warnings from specialists disclosed as part of Karpowership\u2019s subsequent EIA process show just how devastating the consequences of that decision could have been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most fervent criticism of the Richard\u2019s Bay EIA has centred on the avifauna report, which examined the project\u2019s potential impacts on the diverse bird populations in the bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Richards Bay is an area of critical biodiversity and one of the most important coastal waterbird habitats in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An important ecological feature of the bay is a long tail-like sand bed that juts out from the shore called a sandspit, which is a sanctuary habitat for wading birds. Adjacent to the sandspit are the Kabeljous Flats, an area of relatively undisturbed shallows that supports a range of marine and bird life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only is this area home to many indigenous bird species \u2013 from giant pelicans to tiny mangrove kingfishers \u2013 it also acts as a critical stop-over for migratory birds and provides shelter during storms and cyclones. It is officially designated as \u201cirreplaceable\u201d in terms of the Biodiversity Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This special status was underscored when Professor Digby Cyrus, the head of zoology at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, was asked to provide a specialist study for a rival powership project in Richards Bay. Cyrus concluded that the rival Nseleni project was \u201cfatally flawed\u201d because of the impact noise from the ships would have on vulnerable bird populations, including waders, gulls and terns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In environmental regulations, \u201cfatally flawed\u201d means the potential impacts of a project are dire, almost certain to happen, and nothing can be done to mitigate the impact. In these instances, the specialist will conclude that a project should not go ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although at 2 800MW the Nseleni project would be far larger than Karpowership\u2019s 450MW project, acoustic modelling of the two projects show that the noise levels would be similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So when Triplo4\u2019s avifauna specialist, Leigh-Ann de Wet, concluded that the impact of Karpowership\u2019s project on birds would be \u201cmoderate\u201d to \u201clow \u2013 and \u201cnone\u201d with the right mitigation measures \u2013 Cyrus was incredulous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is clear indication in the literature that the noise levels this project will put out will impact on the avifauna and that they will almost certainly abandon the site,\u201d he wrote in a 10-page memo to Triplo4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4\u2019s noise specialist had predicted that noise from the powership\u2019s engines could reach up to 90 decibels (technically, A-weighted decibels) on the closest parts of the sandspit, but if silencers were installed (as has been done on one of the company\u2019s powerships in Ghana) this would drop to roughly 74 decibels. De Wet argued that based on the data from Ghana, noise levels should be no more than 64 decibels on the sandspit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To put that into perspective, the legislated noise limit for industrial areas is 70 decibels. But unfortunately for the birds of Richards Bay, \u201cthere is currently no legislation for noise limits in environmentally sensitive areas\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyrus argued that the level of noise projected to reach the sandspit would be at levels that have been shown to affect birds that are roosting, nesting and feeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe potential total loss (mortality) of the Sandspit wader population and the third most important coastal wader habitat in KZN, goes against South Africa\u2019s commitment to … \u2018protect migratory species, their habitats and migratory routes\u2019 [and] … should be ranked as Fatally Flawed,\u201d he told Triplo4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n De Wet had a different take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although she conceded that the location of the ship was \u201clikely to be detrimental\u201d to the wader population, she had counted few birds when she visited the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her verdict? The risk of any impact would be low. \u201cIt is the opinion of the specialist that the proposed development go ahead, provided the mitigation measures are put into place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n De Wet declined to speak to us, referring all questions to Triplo4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An EIA is an iterative process, so some level of criticism of a draft report might be expected. But in this case, De Wet was accused of basic failings: poor surveys and cursory research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dominic Wieners, a principal conservation planner at Ezemvelo Wildlife, called De Wet\u2019s sampling effort during her field surveys \u201cwoefully inadequate\u201d and in March sent a scathing seven-page letter to Triplo4 citing \u201cserious concerns with the avifaunal report … and the subsequent conclusions drawn\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The importance of the sandspit and Kabeljous Flats had been \u201cgrossly understated in the avifaunal report\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wieners pointed to the case of another energy company that wanted to build in a sensitive bird area, which he said was required to do \u201c12 months of specialist study monitoring by recognised and suitably qualified specialists\u201d to establish the \u201cseasonal variance of birds on the site\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy contrast, only two hours of infield surveys were done for the pelagic bird component by a specialist who has not shown suitable qualifications to undertake a study of this nature or magnitude. Consequently, the inference drawn by the report is that wader numbers are very low on the basis that not many were recorded on site is problematic,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ezemvelo\u2019s verdict? Wieners wrote: \u201cThe Environmental Impacts Assessment Process … is substantially deficient and therein renders it unusable for a source document in decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early on in the EIA process, the DFFE had warned Triplo4 that \u201call specialist studies must be conducted in the right season\u201d. Karpowership and Triplo4 could not use a shortage of time as an excuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One expert pointed out the importance of surveys in summer, \u201cwhen the key migratory waders were present\u201d, while Cyrus, in his 10-page memo, argued that a proper assessment of bird numbers should take place over at least \u201ctwo full winters and four full summers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, the Mhlathuze municipality, where Richards Bay is located, weighed in via a letter from the deputy municipal manager, Nontsundu Ndonga. \u201cIn light of the information gaps and areas of contention of the EIA and specialist reports against (known) ecological and social costs, it is a challenge for the Municipality to draw any firm conclusions on this application,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The letter recommended that the study be redone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Triplo4 did not hire a new expert to redo the report. Instead, De Wet did further field trips and added further research to her report. When she delivered an updated version two weeks later, her conclusions remained unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the powerships \u201cwill result in increased levels of noise\u201d that \u201cmay result in the displacement of birds that make use of the sand spit\u201d, \u201crecent surveys indicate that the sandspit no longer holds such large numbers of birds and as a result, has a reduced overall sensitivity\u201d, she wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHowever, the spit remains an important bird habitat that should be conserved as far as possible. Nonetheless, the noise levels associated with the Karpowership with mitigation are low and likely to affect feeding birds at low tide and not roosting or feeding birds at high tide. Alternative habitat is also present in the adjacent protected Richards Bay Game Reserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is the opinion of the specialist that the proposed development go ahead provided the mitigation measures are put into place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Athol Marchant, an ecologist who was asked to review De Wet\u2019s updated report \u2013 and given only a weekend to do it \u2013 had this warning: \u201cThe estuarine habitats in South Africa, including mud flats, have been severely depleted over the years. Any further loss will be devastating for migrant birds and will have a global impact… South Africa should regard any further loss as non-negotiable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marchant noted that although De Wet had done additional field work, one of these trips occurred after most migratory birds had already left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to De Wet\u2019s conclusion that the project should go ahead, Marchant wrote: \u201cI cannot agree with this … and I regard it to be a premature statement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n DFFE agreed in its record of refusal this week: \u201cMost of the specialists indicated limitations to their respective studies; amongst, others that they either had very limited time to apply their minds, or it does not apply to the standards of undertaking the assessments and that these studies were undertaken in the wrong season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4 was repeatedly warned to address these limitations, DFFE said. \u201cThe gaps and limitations identified in the respective assessments; raises concerns with regard to the adequacy of the assessment and the validity of the findings. The studies should have been updated and amended prior to submission for decision making.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n DFFE also criticised Triplo4 for failing to investigate the impact the powerships would have on the nearby Richards Bay Nature Reserve: \u201cThe potential for disturbance to birdlife and reclusive species in the fringes of the reserve’s swamp and mangrove forest components is a critical omission… Noise of 50 [decibels] would most certainly result in displacement of species from their core habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the major deficiencies identified in DFFE\u2019s record of refusal was the lack of research on what impact two large, vibrating powerships would have on life below the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts told Triplo4 in October last year that a \u201cmarine specialist should be consulted to determine the effects of underwater noise on marine animals\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn marine environments sound is important to animals… The limitation of vision, touch, taste, and smell in water means that sound is critical… Marine mammals thus use sound as a primary means for underwater communication and sensing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey emit sound to communicate regarding the presence of danger, food, a conspecific or other animal, and also about their own position, identity, and reproductive or territorial status… Any increase in anthropogenic noise could thus have significant effects on the environment in an ecologically sensitive area,\u201d Dr Brent Williams and Jason Hutten from Safetech wrote in their specialist report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was reiterated by Ezemvelo Wildlife in a letter in March: \u201cThat an underwater noise impact assessment was not undertaken is, in Ezemvelo\u2019s opinion, a significant limitation … rendering the Environmental Assessment incomplete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noise impacts on whales and dolphins had not been considered, nor had the impact that a \u201cwall of consistent noise\u201d could have on the migratory routes used by prawns that make up 60% of commercial prawn fisheries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGiven the proposed location of the powerships adjacent to the most productive part of the estuary, consideration should have been given to this particular impact,\u201d Ezemvelo argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A marine ecology report, produced by Lwandle Marine Environmental Services, noted that long-term exposure to high levels of underwater noise could cause \u201cdevelopmental deficiencies\u201d in fish and marine mammals, and may affect \u201cforaging efficiency, avoidance of predation, swimming energetics and reproductive behaviour\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The report said not enough information was available in the context of Richards Bay to conduct an assessment, and instead relied on underwater noise readings from Ghana which recorded up to 111 decibels 200m from a powership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the powerships in Richards Bay \u201care equivalent in sound generation to that moored in Ghana, then effects on the surrounding marine ecology would be unlikely\u201d, the report noted, but concluded: \u201cA noise modelling study should be undertaken to gain a more quantitative understanding of the noise produced from powership operations in the Port of Richards Bay and the cumulative impacts on the surrounding marine ecology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4\u2019s failure to listen to the experts was one of the major reasons DFFE said it did not have enough information to approve the Richards Bay project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is apparent from reading the correspondence disclosed as part of the EIA process, is that many stakeholders were simply not convinced by the rosy picture painted by Triplo4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vuyo Keswa, an environmental manager for Transnet, wrote to Triplo4 in March, listing concerns about Triplo4\u2019s report: \u201cIn many instances, the significance of environmental impacts … is said to be low. However the mitigation measures read more like recommendations than implementable actions\u2026 In other areas the impact mitigation would say \u2018where possible\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keswa asked: \u201cWhat will happen if it\u2019s not possible? Does this mean that the impact will remain? If so how does the impact rating becomes \u2018low\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At public meetings, stakeholders raised concerns about the risk of an explosion aboard the powerships or the nearby storage ship that will hold up to 175 000 cubic meters of liquified natural gas (LNG).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe risk of an explosion resulting from these ships in busy and economically important port areas are not to be taken lightly,\u201d Avena Jacklin from the civil society ground Groundwork warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4, however, dismissed these concerns: \u201c[W]e disagree with the statement that insufficient information about leakage and explosion risks have been provided. Karpowership has carried out numerous risk studies on their powerships … and have not had any significant safety or other incidents,\u201d it said in a letter to a stakeholder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But was that true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n On 25 November 2018, an explosion ripped through the KPS Zeynep Sultan, a 159m powership moored along the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The explosion was captured in a cellphone video. As the camera pans across the port\u2019s coal stockyard, a loud bang is heard, followed by the sound of rushing air as debris is sent flying and smoke shrouds the vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Turkish maritime news site Denizhaber.com<\/a>, the explosion occurred in the ship\u2019s boiler room. In response, Karpowership told the site: \u201c[E]lectricity production was interrupted for a short time during the discharge of pressurised steam from the boilers\u2026 No injury or loss of life occurred as a result of the technical failure. The outage was completely resolved within a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was, however, no mention of this explosion in Triplo4\u2019s EIA report or the specialist major hazardous risk assessment report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, under \u201cSignificant Incidents at the Site and Related Sites\u201d, expert Claude Thackwray wrote that Karpowership was a \u201cproposed operation and there have been no incidents\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither Triplo4 nor Thackwray would not comment on whether Karpowership informed them of the explosion, as it is legally obliged to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In its final EIA report, Triplo4 wrote: \u201cTo date, Karpowership has generated approximately 70 billion kilowatt hours of power around the world with zero environmental incidents… There has never been an LNG ship explosion anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That distinction is important: The Zeynep Sultan was not powered by LNG at the time of the explosion, but by heavy-fuel oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Criticism of the EIA has also focused on the very premise that Karpowership has been keen to promote: that the LNG the ships will burn is a \u201cclean\u201d<\/a> alternative energy, and that the project would herald a leap towards reducing South Africa\u2019s carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4 was accused of having swallowed this line uncritically and of failing to properly consider the broader climate implications of a major fossil fuel development like Karpowership\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April 2020, the Richards Bay Clean Air Association wrote to Triplo4: \u201cReferences in the report to LNG being a \u2018clean fuel\u2019 are grossly misleading. While LNG is a cleaner fuel than coal it still has an environmental footprint, including methane and carbon emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4\u2019s response was that \u201cBurning natural gas for energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) than burning coal or petroleum products\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNatural gas comprises primarily methane (CH4), which has a higher energy content relative to other fuels. However, main gas emissions emitted upon combustion of natural gas are nitrogen-oxides, negligible amounts of sulfur-oxides, and particulates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, burning LNG produces 40% less carbon dioxide (CO2) than burning coal and produces fewer harmful particulates. But Triplo4 was accused of downplaying the impact of methane on the climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a developing consensus that the world has failed to appreciate the harm to the climate and environment caused by gas leaks from the point of extraction, through the supply chain, to the point of combustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Methane is a potent greenhouse gas: not nearly as long-lasting in the atmosphere as carbon, but many times more damaging over a shorter period. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe estimates<\/a> that over 100 years, the global warming potential of methane is 28 to 34 times greater than CO2; over 20 years, the warming potential is roughly 85 times greater than CO2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ndonga, the deputy municipal manager from Mhlathuze municipality, criticised the draft EIA\u2019s lack of detail around gas sourcing, the chemical composition of gas to be used, the regassification process, and poor description of the vessels and the manner in which they would be operated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a letter of 6 April, she also slammed the draft EIA for failing to mention \u201cmethane and fugitive emissions arising from operational deficiencies,\u201d and said that the potential harm of methane as a greenhouse gas needed to be considered against \u201cqualifying LNG as a ‘clean\u2019 fuel source\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her letter ended with a stern warning for Triplo4: \u201cThe environmental assessment practitioner is reminded that failure to satisfy the above constitutes misleading the process and an offence in terms of \u2026 the EIA Regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triplo4 dismissed concerns about the source of the LNG, saying that while the source was not confirmed, Shell would supply the gas and had given assurances that it would not be sourced from fracking. Shell would only say that the gas will come from its \u201cglobal LNG portfolio\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In its final EIA report, Triplo4 cited a claim by Shell that \u201cnatural gas is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, producing around half the carbon dioxide (CO2) and just one tenth of the air pollutants of coal when burnt to generate electricity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main failings identified by DFFE, however, was how the project was sold to the communities that would be most impacted, including small-scale fishing operations who might see the fish vanish from beneath their boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance accused Triplo4 of running a \u201cfarcical\u201d public participation process \u201cbecause it has failed to reach the majority of the interested and affected parties\u201d. It said it did not believe that \u201conline public meetings and documents only being available electronically achieves equitable and effective participation, particularly in respect of vulnerable and disadvantaged persons\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Powerships: AmaB investigative series<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Powerships: Losing bidder claims \u2018blatant corruption\u2019, fingers Mantashe \u2018associate\u2019<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Powerships: How the multi-billion-rand tender was (legally) rigged<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Powerships: How the tender kneecapped renewables and favoured gas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Karpowership slams rival bidder in corruption case<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Powerships: Enviro investigation could capsize R225-billion deal<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Powerships: Officials confirm they met rival bidder, \u2018minister\u2019s associates\u2019 at Kream<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cFatally flawed\u201d<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Sidenote<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Counting the cost in birds<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Endangered dolphins and commercial fisheries<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
An explosive situation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
A \u201cclean\u201d alternative?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUndemocratic\u201d participation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n