Case Decision - 196544

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) would like to thank you for submitting the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Proposed Gas to Power Powership Project at the Port of Ngqura and Coega SEZ, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
SAHRA commented on the DEIA in March 2021 and was disappointed to note that the comments which were provided for the DSR phase of the project had not been included in the DEIA. The report also made no reference to maritime heritage despite part of the project being below the high water mark and despite the inclusion of a MUCH report as an addition to the HIA. A subsequent letter from the applicant stated that relevant sections in the document were going to be updated to include references to maritime heritage. Notably the sections to be updated were 4.2.1 and 8.3.12 which were going to be amended to refer to maritime heritage.
Having reviewed the EIA SAHRA is pleased to note that maritime heritage has now been addressed as requested. Sections 4.2.1 and 8.3.13 make reference to maritime heritage and include measures to be undertaken during the proposed project. SAHRA supports these additions and emphasises that the recommendations set out in section 8.3.13 must be adhered to should any cultural heritage come to light. The recommendations must also be included in any EMPr produced for the project.
Should any shipwrecks be identified as part of this project then SAHRA must be notified to enable the information to be added to the national shipwreck database. Any new discoveries or updated data is a valuable resource in adding to our knowledge of South Africa’s maritime history.