Environmental justice groups have lodged an appeal to block a proposed 2 000MW gas power plant in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone.
The appeal was filed on 31 January, this after the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) granted environmental authorisation for the Phakwe Richards Bay Gas Power plant in November last year.
The Centre for Environmental Rights is the legal representative of the two nonprofits, groundWork and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) that filed the appeal. They want Minister Barbara Creecy to set aside the environmental authorisation for the Phakwe gas power plant because they believe the assessments on the potential impacts of the project fall short of the requirements of the National Environmental Management Act.
They put forward that the Final Environmental Impact Report for the project does not adequately consider climate change, air quality, biodiversity and wetland impacts. The applicants believe that pollution and environmental degradation is likely to occur if the proposed combined cycle power plant is approved. According to their application, the plant would operate between 16 and 24 hours daily.
The applicants also argue that the need and desirability of the project are not established – based on the Integrated Resources Plan of 2019, the project of this scale is not necessary for South Africa for at least the next decade and "possibly never", their application stated.
The environmental justice groups also put forward that alternatives to the gas project – such as renewable energy projects were not considered even though they could provide the same benefit of energy while also "reducing harmful and irreversible" climate impacts.
The applicants argue that the cumulative harmful impacts on water resources, air quality, biodiversity and climate change from this project and other similar gas plants proposed for the region were not considered.
The 2 000MW plant is among a few proposed for the industrial development zone. GroundWork and SDCEA were previously unsuccessful in challenging the environmental authorisation granted to Eskom for a 3 000MW gas plant in Richards Bay.
GroundWork, SDCEA and Friends of the Earth South Africa in May 2022 lodged a separate appeal for the environmental authorisation granted for a 320MW gas plant by Phinda Power.
The groups also lodged a legal challenge against the amendments for the environmental authorisation for a 400MW gas power plant. The environmental authorisation for the gas plant RB2 was initially granted in 2016 on the condition that the project starts within five years. According to the CER, the project was dormant until December 2020, when an application was made to amend the timeline, technology and fuel use of the plant.
The organisations have raised concerns that Phakwe and the other gas plants pose a threat to public health due to air pollution, in addition to contributing to climate change.