The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has come out against the proposed sustainable aviation fuel plant near Hopefield in the Western Cape, joining growing opposition to a project that The Common Sense has previously argued should be rejected because of the environmental risks it poses.

International energy company Phelan Green Group plans to manufacture what is purportedly “sustainable aviation fuel” near the town of Hopefield in the Western Cape in a project that The Common Sense has previously shown would cause extensive environmental damage and deliver only the most limited returns for South Africa’s economy.

Yesterday FF+ parliamentarian Wynand Boshoff joined the fray, saying that his party’s own environmental assessment showed that hazardous chemicals would be stored and used at the facility, creating a potential pollution risk to the groundwater system beneath the proposed plant.

The party also raised concerns over water consumption, saying the facility intends drawing water from Hopefield’s potable water network despite requiring more water than the town currently consumes.

Boshoff further objected to the large solar installation required to power the development, which the party said would cover roughly 6 000 hectares and affect natural fynbos, including critically endangered Hopefield Sand Fynbos.

The intervention follows an editorial published by The Common Sense in June calling for the project’s application to be refused.

That editorial argued that the development would place a major industrial complex and hazardous materials above sensitive aquifers, while thousands of hectares of land would be covered by solar infrastructure. It also noted that Hopefield lies within the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve and close to internationally important wetland systems.

The Common Sense further argued that the project would largely serve European demand for sustainable aviation fuel created by European Union regulations, while South Africa would carry much of the local environmental cost.

Boshoff questioned why the plant could not be located in established industrial areas such as Atlantis or Saldanha Bay, or in a less ecologically sensitive and more arid part of the country.

The FF+ has called on Phelan Green Group as well as national and provincial environmental authorities to prevent the project from proceeding.