November 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
52
diary & appointments
Appointments
THE INTEGRATED RESOURCE
Plan for
South Africa mandates the development
40 000MWof additional power in the next
20 years, of which 9 600MW is nuclear gen-
eration capacity. In addition, several other
forms of generation, including generation
from renewable sources, is required to
meet South Africa’s future energy needs
and to replace ageing coal-fired power
stations that will reach the end of their
operational cycle in the next few decades.
With the increasing concern over the
lack of collaboration in developmental
planning and environmental manage-
ment processes, the theme ‘Planning
for a Changing Environment’ was
chosen for this year’s IAIAsa Conference.
The discussions aimed to help bridge the
gapbetween energy planning and sustain-
able development.
Making their mark at the confer-
ence; GIBB environmental manager and
technical peer reviewer, Elisabeth Nortje
and GIBB mega projects team manager,
Reuben Heydenrych presented a paper
regarding the potential environment-
development conflicts within the context
of the very topical debate around alterna-
tive energy sources.
“As Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) practitioners we are often faced
with the remnants of poor past decisions,
including decisionsmadewithin the ambit
of EIA. This is no truer than in the case of
the EIA for the Nuclear-1 power station,
the first nuclear power station to be con-
18
th
annual IAIAsa Conference
Balancing conflict between the development of alternative energy
sources and protecting sensitive environments was high on
the agenda at this year’s International Association for Impact
Assessment South Africa (IAIAsa) Conference.
structed since Koeberg and the evaluation of
the Thyspunt site in particular,”said Nortje.
The proposed nuclear power station will
have a 250ha footprint, which represents
approximately 17%of the total site owned by
Eskom.The remainder of the site not affected
by this footprint will be managed as a nature
reserve and the currently degraded systems
will be rehabilitated.
“Eskomand government propose to build
a fleet of nuclear power stations, starting
with Nuclear-1. Our paper aims to provide
a strategic overview of the comparable
changes in the environment around Thys-
punt over time to provide perspective on
the impacts of a nuclear power station,”
said Heydenrych.
“The reader will be challenged to reach
their own conclusions on the successes
or failures of EIA practices to protect the
physical environment taking into account
the past and the desirability of a nuclear
power station in this physically sensitive
but degraded environment,”he continued.
The three alternative sites under con-
sideration for this power station are Duyne-
fontein (the Koeberg site) near Cape Town,
Bantamsklip near Pearly Beach and Thys-
punt near St. Francis in the Eastern Cape.
GIBB commenced with the EIA process for
Nuclear-1 in 2007. A second revised Envi-
ronmental Impact Report (EIR) is currently
being prepared for public comment.
●
GIBB mega projects teammanager, Reuben Heydenrych with GIBB environmental
manager and technical peer reviewer, Elisabeth Nortje and
general manager of environmental services at GIBB, Urishanie Govender.
Capital Equipment Group (CEG) of
Invicta Holdings
Brenton Kemp, MD, CSE
Equipment (while retaining
the current MD position of
Criterion Equipment, until a
new appointment is made).
Alex Ackron, MD
of HPE Africa (Hyundai),
a recent acquisition.
Clockwise: Rakesh Ramphal, internal
sales representative.
Vinesh Debipershad, storeman/despatch clerk.
Wade Peters, external sales representative.
Alan Bestel, internal salesman.
Magnet
