South Africa’s forestry, fisheries and environment minister Dion George, has upheld a 2017 decision granting state-owned utility Eskom environmental authorisation to build and operate a new nuclear power station at Duynefontein in the Western Cape, according to local media reports.

The decision follows appeals by environmental organisations against the original permission. George said he had carefully reviewed the environmental-impact assessment report and an independent peer review before dismissing the appeals.