Cape Town — Eastern Cape game farmers, businessmen and conservationists are threatening legal action to stop or divert planned high-powered Eskom power lines cutting across their properties to supply electricity to the Coega industrial development zone.

The 765kv Gamma-Grassridge transmission lines form part of a project that will see high-voltage power lines being installed from Secunda to Port Elizabeth. The first of the two lines will be operational by 2010 and the second by 2012.

Concerned residents and environmental activists charge the power lines are being installed to mainly supply Canadian aluminium smelter, Alcan, with the huge amounts of electricity it needs to run its operations in Coega.

In November Alcan secured a 25-year supply agreement with Eskom for the purchase of up to 1 355 MVA of electricity for the proposed 720kt greenfield Coega aluminum smelter project, which will have a total estimated cost of $2.7 billion.

Robert Valdmanis, director of stakeholder relations and communications for Alcan Primary Metal Group, said the construction phase would extend over more than 60 months. It would create about 2 500 jobs and more than 5 200 at its peak. "The operations phase of the project will create 1 000 direct, long-term jobs, plus an additional 200-300 sub-contractors' jobs, not to mention the related, additional economic spin-offs," said Valdmanis.

Construction is expected to begin in 2008 and result in first metal production before the end of 2010, a company statement said.