Green groups challenge go-ahead for new coal plants
Johannesburg - The legal battle between coal independent power producers (IPPs) and environmental groups escalated on Monday, when the groups announced they would ask the courts to set aside environmental authorisations for two new coal power stations in South Africa.
The proposed KiPower and Khanyisa coal power stations received the go-ahead from Environment Minister Edna Molewa, despite not completing climate change impact assessments.
Kuyasa Mining and its subsidiary KiPower have indicated they will oppose the litigation; the Department of Environmental Affairs also believes an environmental impact assessment (EIA) as currently stated in legislation is sufficient.
The challenges come after the North Gauteng High Court delivered a landmark ruling in March, which stipulated that a climate change assessment has to be done for any new coal-fired power station in South Africa.
CIFOR