The Environmental Management Inspectorate – known as the Green Scorpions – is tasked with investigating environmental crimes.
The investigation could result in criminal charges, but could also torpedo Karpowership’s environmental authorisations, which it needs for its mammoth R225-billion deal with Eskom to go ahead.
In March, the Turkish-led consortium was selected as a preferred bidder to provide 1,220MW of emergency power under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMI4P). The electricity will come from gas-fired powerships which are intended to be moored in the ports of Richards Bay, Coega and Saldanha.
The investigation stems from an extraordinary authorisation in June 2020 – just before the tender was announced – by a top official in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
Remarkable appetite
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The level of interest being shown in South Africa’s highly disrupted renewables roll-out is more than a little noteworthy.
Over 800 delegates logged into a virtual bidders conference last week, held to outline the rules governing South Africa’s much- anticipated fifth bid window of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPPP). Besides attracting over 580 South African participants, the conference was also attended by delegates from Egypt, India, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Russia, Ireland and Norway.
One of SA's chief business groupings has asked the Department of Energy what it will do if its plan to procure around 1 220 MW of electricity from Karpowership SA is delayed or falls through.
Two senior officials at the minerals and energy department have filed affidavits confirming a meeting with gas-to-power entrepreneur Aldworth Mbalati at an upmarket restaurant in Pretoria. But they dispute Mbalati's claim they pressured him to engage in a corrupt scheme.