The Department of Environmental Affairs has granted Eskom environmental authorisation for the construction and operation of a nuclear power station at Duynefontein in the Western Cape. The Environmental Authorisation was granted earlier this month based on the fact that the Duynefontein site generally has less overall environmental impacts associated with it relative to impacts associated with the development of a “greenfields” site. The Department said the Duynefontein site was also adjacent to the existing Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, allowing for a suite of logistical and operational synergies. Eskom lodged an application for environmental authorisation in 2007 and commissioned independent environmental consultancy, Gibb, to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the project. Gibb identified five sites as alternatives for the proposed development during the scoping phase of the EIA, namely Brazil and Schulpfontein (Northern Cape); Duynefontein (Western Cape); Bantamsklip (Western Cape) and Thyspunt (Eastern Cape). The Thyspunt and Duynefontein sites were the only two sites that progressed to the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) phase and were presented as viable sites for this proposed development.
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