Karpowership ups game in bid to partner with SA to help ease energy crisis

Turkish company Karpowership SA has reached a biodiversity offset agreement with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in KwaZulu-Natal. 

This is in line with its final environmental impact report (EIR), submitted on August 30 2023 for its Richards Bay project, to the department of forestry, fisheries and environment.

This follows the Turkish company’s detailed submission of biodiversity offsets proposed to mitigate residual environmental effects. 

“The Port of Richards Bay presents a unique circumstance where the active industrial port, used largely for coal exports, operates within an estuarine bay,” said the Turkish company.

“Even though the present ecological state of the Mhlathuze Estuary was identified as heavily modified due to surrounding industrial activities, ongoing port operations and coal export activities, biodiversity offsetting is an important tool for conserving biodiversity within this area. It is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of people, as well as economic activity and socioeconomic upliftment.”

Karpowership owns and operates the world’s largest fleet of floating power plants. The company already has a strong presence in Africa and 16 operational projects around the world.

The company hopes to partner with the SA government to eliminate the country’s worsening energy crisis. 

Meanwhile, the company said its risk mitigation independent power producer procurement programme (RMI4P) projects are on track as the department of forestry, fisheries and environment issues an interim decision on the environmental authorisation for the Port of Ngqura (Coega).

The interim decision issued on August 28 2023 primarily seeks clarity on the strategic engagements held with the Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) for a suitable alternative location for the powerships to be moored at Ngqura. 

“Karpowership SA has held extensive engagements with TNPA after its notification that the initial powership location was unavailable due to TNPA’s proposed port expansion and liquid bulk terminal plans. The two parties have been working consistently and diligently together to reach an alternative solution for the mooring of the vessels. Per the department of forestry, fisheries and environment’s directive, Karpowership SA will continue to work with the TNPA to enable the department to make a final, concluding decision on its appeal and finalise the EIA process, to ensure that these critically important projects, which will boost SA’s energy security and fast-track economic development in the area, go ahead,” it said. 

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