The Turkish company was named as the preferred bidder to supply 1,220MW of electricity in the Richard's Bay, Saldanha and Coega under South Africa's Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Programme (RMIPPP) to meet the country's energy shortfall.
The projects drew fire from environmental groups over carbon emissions and threats to the livelihoods of nearby fishing communities. Losing bidder DNG Energy brought a court application against the Karpowership deal.
The company said that it has met all necessary requirements and will appeal the Environment Department’s decision. The department "allowed a misinformation campaign, funded by special interests, to derail the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s strategic plan", the company said in a statement.
