OBJECTIONS TO GENERATION LICENCE APPLICATIONS FOR THABAMETSI AND KHANYISA IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) wrote to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 17 February 2020, requesting updates on generation licence applications for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired Independent Power Producer (IPP) power stations. The CER highlights significant delays since the March 2018 hearings and argues that the applications are now based on outdated information due to legal challenges, lapsed authorisations, and the withdrawal of bank financing.

• The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is seeking responses to several outstanding questions regarding the 27 March 2018 hearings for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal IPPs, including whether hearings will be held in Lephalale and eMalahleni, which NERSA members attended, whether proceedings were recorded, and the next steps for the applications.
• Several critical developments have occurred since the 2018 hearings that affect the viability of the coal IPPs, including the fact that neither project has reached commercial or financial close.
• The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) confirmed that the environmental authorisation for the Khanyisa project lapsed on 31 October 2018, meaning a new authorisation would be required to proceed.
• The Thabametsi project faces legal challenges to its environmental authorisation in the Pretoria High Court and an appeal regarding its air emission licence, and it is believed to lack a water use licence.
• The CER argues that because two years have passed since the initial applications and hearings, and given the new developments, NERSA should require the applications to be updated and resubmitted for stakeholder objection and further public hearings to ensure procedural fairness.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2020). OBJECTIONS TO GENERATION LICENCE APPLICATIONS FOR THABAMETSI AND KHANYISA IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CER-letter-to-NERSA-17-Feb-2020.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. OBJECTIONS TO GENERATION LICENCE APPLICATIONS FOR THABAMETSI AND KHANYISA IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS. 2020. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CER-letter-to-NERSA-17-Feb-2020.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=OBJECTIONS TO GENERATION LICENCE APPLICATIONS FOR THABAMETSI AND KHANYISA IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS |date=17 February 2020 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CER-letter-to-NERSA-17-Feb-2020.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2020objections, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{OBJECTIONS TO GENERATION LICENCE APPLICATIONS FOR THABAMETSI AND KHANYISA IPP COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CER-letter-to-NERSA-17-Feb-2020.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }