Proposed R15bn North West municipal gas project under fire

A proposed R15bn gas-to-power plant in the financially strained Matlosana municipality (Klerksdorp) is under intense scrutiny, with energy analysts and local councillors raising concerns about the project’s feasibility and regulatory compliance, as well as the credibility of its developer, Urban Blue International.

Urban Blue plans to finance, build, operate and transfer the plant to the municipality over 20-25 years using a build-operate-transfer public-private partnership (PPP) model…