Authorising GtP in South Africa: Lessons for Developers, Lenders and Policymakers

Gas‑to‑power (GtP) projects need to treat environmental authorisation and water use licensing as integrated components of a single permitting exercise, not as isolated approvals to be collected after the plant design has been settled. Recent litigation shows that the law examines the project as a functioning whole: its electricity purpose, gas supply chain, water source, cooling configuration, waste streams, associated infrastructure, climate consequences and effects on communities are connected.