National Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has directed Karpowership to provide proof of the expert qualifications of a Cape Town company that conducted gas explosion risk assessments for the controversial floating power ship plan in three South African harbours.

This comes after Daily Maverick raised repeated questions about the authenticity of an alleged university BSc chemistry degree claimed by Terence Thackwray, who has previously represented himself as the "independent specialist" in Karpowership's Major Hazard Installations risk reports for Richards Bay, Ngqura and Saldanha Bay harbours.

Karpowership environmental consultant Hantie Plomp was given seven days to furnish "confirmation of the relevant qualifications, accreditation and experience of the specialist who conducted and prepared the Major Hazard Installation (MHI) assessment" for the Ngqura power ships application.

It remains unclear whether Creecy's directive refers to the qualifications of Terence, those of his father Claude (who signed off as the risk assessor) or both.

Creecy has further called on Karpowership to provide clarity on whether there is still any "tension" between the Transnet National Ports Authority and Karpowership over the location of powerships in the Port of Ngqura.

This came to light in an appeal decision published on 14 September, in which Creecy put the environmental approval process for the Ngqura issue on hold because of "various gaps in information and ambiguity" in a legal appeal lodged by Karpowership.

The MHI gas fires and explosions risk report was prepared by MHR Consultants CC, a...