Environment Minister Willie Aucamp has torn up the fast-track approval for a solar power farm in Limpopo after environmental consultants who flagged the high risks to vultures were replaced by new consultants, who revised and downgraded the potential risks. Attempts to “streamline” the approval process for a new 100MW solar power farm near Polokwane have been derailed due to the potentially high risks for threatened birds, including three vulture species. The case has also brought to light concerns that the Stellar Energy Solutions company terminated the services of its original environmental consultants (who had flagged “high” environmental risks to four threatened bird species) and then appointed new consultants who downgraded the potential risks to “low” or “medium”, allegedly to take advantage of a fast-track approval process.
In a 68-page legal appeal ruling, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Willie Aucamp found that Stellar’s plan to build a 100MW solar farm did not qualify for the streamlined approval procedure, which specifically excludes any projects considered to have “high” risk ratings. This came after the avian conservation group Birdlife South Africa raised a legal challenge, reiterating its long-standing concerns about the adequacy of the fast-track process and the potential for companies to circumvent standard environmental approval processes. “It would appear in this instance that these concerns were warranted.
In addition to increased environmental risks, this matter sets a precedent for allowing applicants to change their choice of consultant because they are displeased with the findings. Cherry-picking of environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs) and specialists by applicants based on considerations of time and cost must be discouraged,” Birdlife argued on appeal. Birdlife further argued that terminating the services of the original EAP (Blue Crane Environmental) and replacing them with another EAP consultant (AB Enviro Consult) amounted to “flouting” important codes of conduct that regulated the professional conduct of EAPs and specialist natural scientists.
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In a decision signed on December 9, 2025, Aucamp declined to make any findings about the professional or ethical conduct of the new EAP and specialist scientist who downgraded the risks of the project, arguing that this issue fell outside the scope of the current appeal, which was to ascertain whether or not Stellar qualified for the fast-track process. “That said, I am mindful that any legitimate concerns raised about the professional and ethical standards applicable to EAPs and specialists (independence, avoidance of conflicts of interest, full and honest disclosure) may, if true, undermine the objectives of integrated environmental management (IEM) under the National Environmental Management Act (Nema),” said Aucamp. “I therefore advise that the aggrieved parties may refer their concerns to the relevant regulatory bodies (the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) and/or the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) for investigation and findings.
Such an investigation is beyond the scope of this appeal.” The fast-track plan, designed to speed up the roll-out of renewable energy projects, was first proposed by former Environment Minister Barbara Creecy in 2022 — but only came into legal effect in March 2024. Stellar applied for authorisation in 2023, before the new “Solar Exclusion Norms” came into effect, and was therefore obliged to conduct a full environmental impact assessment (EIA).
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