French energy giant TotalEnergies faced a major blow on Wednesday after a South African court blocked its planned offshore oil exploration along the Cape coast.
The ruling effectively scrapped the environmental approvals previously granted to the company and its joint venture partner, Shell, for the development of an offshore area spanning roughly 10,000 km².
The judge determined that the government’s authorisation failed to adequately consider the possible socio-economic consequences of oil spills, as well as the wider impacts of climate change.
However, the court left room for a fresh application, stating that the companies should have the chance to address the identified shortcomings.
