This post hereby serves to inform you that the Gas Pipeline and Electricity Grid Infrastructure (EGI) Expansion Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Process has been completed. To mark the closure of the Gas Pipeline and EGI Expansion SEA, the Final SEA Reports have been published electronically on the project website at the following link: https://gasnetwork.csir.co.za/final-sea-reports/
A number of Expert Reference Group (ERG), Project Steering Committee (PSC), focus group, sector specific, and authority meetings, as well as public information sharing sessions were undertaken throughout the SEA Process. Furthermore, the Draft SEA Reports and Specialist Assessments were made available for public comment from April 2019 to June 2019. Appendix A of the Final SEA Reports includes documented responses to stakeholder comments made on the Draft SEA Reports.
The last phase of the SEA processes is the Decision-Support Outputs and Gazetting Process. This phase translates the outputs from the environmental assessment phase into environmental management measures and planning interventions for inclusion in the relevant legal environmental framework and local government planning tools, to ensure that long term energy planning is secured.
The Decision-Support Outputs compiled for the Gas Pipeline and EGI Expansion SEA are stipulated below:
| Gas Pipeline SEA | EGI Expansion SEA |
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The final outputs of the SEA, including the Gas Pipeline Corridors and the EGI Expansion Corridors, will be put forward for public comment through publication in the Government Gazette. Following this, the final outputs of the SEA will be gazetted for implementation.
The gazetting process is being handled by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF). Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the publications in the Government Gazette, as well as the DEFF website, for further details on the gazetting process, once it commences.
The Gas Pipeline and EGI Expansion SEA Team would like to thank all stakeholders for their participation in this process. You have made substantive contributions to the assessment and outputs, which are duly acknowledged and appreciated.