Coal plant won't promote development, say groups

As the World Bank approved a controversial three-billion-dollar loan for a coal-fired power plant in South Africa Thursday, both the details and the broader impacts of the loan continue to be criticised by community and environmental groups. The U.S., Britain, Netherlands, Norway and Italy abstained from voting on the loan, thus showing their opposition without taking the stronger, less-diplomatic action of voting "no". Their concerns were largely environment or climate-related, but there are also numerous criticisms of the possible effect of the plant on local communities and its lack of effect in bringing more reliable electricity to the population. "Energy insecurity and climate change are two of the most significant development challenges of our time," Sarwat Hussein, senior communications officer for the World Bank's Africa region, told IPS in South Africa, pointing out that only one in four Africans have access to energy. "This project is an attempt to achieve energy security and lay the foundations for a greener future." But whether the plant, being built by South African utility Eskom in the country's northern Limpopo region, will achieve either of those goals has been called into serious question. "The project generally has been purported as a project that will help poor people, and will it? No," says Michael Stulman of Africa Action.