Notice has been served of the launch of a ‘bundled’ Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process required for environmental authorisations, for a number of core projects in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone metallurgical zone at the South Site of the MMSEZ, an 8,000 Ha area north of the Soutpansberg Mountains on the Musina and Makhado Local Municipality boundary.

The heavy industrial zone designated as the ‘South African Energy-Metallurgical Zone of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone’ will concentrate on steel production in a ‘connected sequence’ from raw coal to power generation; coking coal; pig iron; ferroalloys and ultimately. The projects applied for include:

• 10Mt/a coal washery and 3Mt/a coking coal plant

• 1Mt/a ferrochrome and ferroalloy smelter plant

• 1000MW solar PV power plant, which will require clearance of up to 4,000 Ha of indigenous vegetation to meet only part of the power needs of the industrial zone

The process is being facilitated by Gudani Consulting acting for:

1) EMSEZ/SAEMB, the South African subsidiary of Shenzhen Hoimor Resources, the Chinese operator of the zone

2) Kinetic Development, the Chinese coal mining company that has a controlling interest in MC Mining and its portfolio of mining rights in the Greater Soutpansberg Coalfield

You can register directly as an Interested and Affected Party to participate in the Public Participation Process here. Complete the form below, click submit and your registration will be sent directly to the appointed Environmental Impact Assessment practitioner at Gudani Consulting.

You have the right of access to information and to participate in these decisions whose consequences will reverberate far into the future. Please register.

Living Limpopo represented by All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice has registered as an I&AP in the process and has submitted initial objections to the procedural irregularities. Register as a member of Living Limpopo and be counted among those we represent in preventing the Vhembe region from becoming South Africa’s next Sacrifice Zone for coal and steel.

Please consider making a small donation to the Living Limpopo legal defence fund.