{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"climate_tags":["environmental licensing"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'environmental licensing' for facet 'climate_tags' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":1,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?climate_tags=environmental+licensing","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"cer-000694","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/cer-000694","title":"RESPONSE TO NERSA LETTER OF 14 NOVEMBER 2017 – RELEVANT INFORMATION IN RELATION TO THABAMETSI AND KHANYISA IPP POWER STATION PROJECTS","publisher":{"name":"Centre for Environmental Rights","organization":"centre-for-environmental-rights"},"document_type":"statement","language":"en","date_published":"2017-12-05","source_url":"https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CER-Letter-to-NERSA-5-Dec-2017.pdf?x21779","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags"],"summary":{"text":"The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, wrote to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 5 December 2017 regarding licensing applications for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations. The letter challenges NERSA's handling of the applications, highlighting outstanding water use licences (WUL), atmospheric emission licences (AEL), and ongoing court reviews.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000694#summary","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The CER notes that both the Thabametsi and Khanyisa projects lack finalised water use licences (WUL). For Khanyisa, NERSA stated it could not proceed with the application because the WUL is not yet finalised. Similarly, Thabametsi has not been issued a WUL, and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg filed objections to its WUL application in January 2017.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000694#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"There are outstanding atmospheric emission licences (AEL) for both projects. Thabametsi has not yet applied for an AEL, which is required for operation and to reach financial and commercial close. For Khanyisa, groundWork has appealed the recent transfer of its provisional AEL under the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, 2000.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000694#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"A review application regarding Khanyisa was instituted in the North Gauteng High Court in September 2017 (case number 61561/17). ACWA Power Khanyisa Thermal Power Station RF (Pty) Ltd has indicated its intention to oppose the application, and the matter is proceeding on an opposed basis.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000694#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The Thabametsi licence application is currently pended while awaiting a decision from the Minister regarding the project's climate change impact assessment (CCIA).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000694#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-08-17"}],"climate_tags":["energy transition","coal-fired power stations","climate change impact assessment","environmental licensing"],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":[]}]}