Mantashe: Court won't stop more oil, gas projects
Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says he hopes plans to procure more gas and oil power won't be challenged.
The department's gearing up for another legal battle with environmental groups, challenging the exploration of oil and gas as an additional energy source for Eskom.
Mantashe has told delegates at the Enlit Africa conference in Cape Town that the reason their gas-to-power plans are being taken to court is that environmentalists veto developments if they don't like them.
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This week, the Supreme Court of Appeal granted two civil society groups leave to appeal the authorisation of a proposed 3 000MW gas plant by Eskom.
One of the organisations is the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance.
Mantashe says the department plans to issue another proposal for gas to power and more nuclear energy.
"There is a 3 000 megawatts shortage in Richards Bay by Eskom. It was taken to court. Eskom won the case. They have appealed that case. We are going to issue another 3 000 gas-to-power in Ngqura and we are hoping that we will be able to go with it.
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"We are also going to issue a request for proposal for procurement 2 500 megawatts for nuclear energy. We need nuclear - we have Koeberg, and we must increase that capacity. It is reliable."
