Way cleared for first investor in Coega IDZ

Ed Richardson A RECORD of Decision (RoD) has cleared the way for French aluminium group Pechiney to build a R20-billion aluminium smelter at Coega, near Port Elizabeth. Pechiney is expected to make a final decision on the 500 000 ton a year smelter early this year. Other facilities associated with the aluminium smelter include: facilities for materials handling and storage including storage silos for the storage of raw materials (alumina and petroleum coke); loading and unloading equipment at the port; and a conveyor that will be used for the transport of alumina and petroleum coke from the harbour to the smelter. Provisions made in the RoD include that construction begins within one calendar year of the date of issue of the RoD, that construction be completed within 42 months of commencement, and that conditions relating to the operation of the project should remain valid for the lifetime of the project. The RoD was issued by the Chief Directorate: Environmental Affairs of the Provincial Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism. According to the department, Coega will represent “the single largest investment” in the Nelson Mandela Metro and the Eastern Cape in recent years.