DRAFT TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

JUNE 2016

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM PROVINCE

DRAFT ASSESSMENT REPORT 1

PREPARED BY:

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

Contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 3

2. INTRODUCTION ...... 3

3. PROJECT SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ...... 3

3.1 Location ...... 3

3.2 Site Description ...... 6

4. SITE INVESTIGATION AND ASSESSMENT ...... 6

5. TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT ...... 6 5.1 Vegetation (Extracted from the Ecological Report)...... 6 5.2 Existing Structures ...... 7 5.3 Existing Water Ways ...... 7 5.4 Existing Electrical Services ...... 7 5.5 Existing Sewer Reticulation ...... 7 5.6 Refuse Removal ...... 7 5.7 Considerations ...... 8 5.8 Proposed Layout - Solar Plant ...... 8

6. CONCLUSION ...... 8

7. RECOMMENDATION...... 8

8. THE WAY FORWARD...... 8

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sibley Consulting Services CC was appointed by the AGES-Group to do a Technical Assessment Report on the Bolobedu Solar Farm, Limpopo Province. The relevant appointment letter and acceptance of appointment was submitted. The Technical Assessment Report was prepared by Sibley Consulting Services CC. Physical address: 52 Munnik Avenue, Sterpark, , 0699. Contact details: (Tel) +27 15 296 1313 (Fax) +27 86 511 6921 (E-mail) [email protected]

2. INTRODUCTION As per the appointment the Bolobedu Solar Farm site in the Limpopo Province, South Africa will be visited and inspected for the purpose to compile a Technical Assessment Report. All findings will be noted and recommendations will be made based on the findings.

This report covers the inspection, investigation, recommendations, considerations and the way forward at the Bolobedu Solar Farm.

3. PROJECT SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION 3.1 Location The Bolobedu Solar Farm is situated near Mohlabaneng Village, Limpopo, South Africa.

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

Locality Map – Bolobedu Solar Park development site

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

Current Site Lay Out Plan

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

3.2 Site Description

Renewable Solutions (Pty) Ltd is proposing the development of a renewable solar energy facility in a key strategic location in terms of the connection to the Eskom grid and in terms of the favourable solar irradiation. The Remainder of the Farm Kromrivierfontein 360 LT, and the remainder of the Farm Worcester 200 LT, Limpopo Province, Greater Letaba local Municipality, Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo Province. The proposed development site is located 49km south west of and 75 north east of . is 58km south west of the project site. The proposed development site is located on communal land and is surrounded by rural villages. The total extent of the project site is approximately 200 ha.

4. SITE INVESTIGATION AND ASSESSMENT Sibley Consulting Services CC still need to conduct an inspection. The site investigation findings will be photographed and the following sections will be updated accordingly.

5. TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT 5.1 Vegetation (Extracted from the Ecological Report) The development site lies within the Savanna biome which is the largest biome in Southern Africa. It is characterized by a grassy ground layer and a distinct upper layer of woody plants (trees and shrubs). The most recent classification of the area by Mucina & Rutherford is the Granite Lowveld vegetation type, although most of the proposed development sites have been completely modified and represent degraded bushveld or old fields. The vegetation structure of the Granite Lowveld Vegetation Type is typical tall shrubland with few trees to medium dense low woodland on the deep sandy uplands, while dense thicket to open savanna dominate occurs in the bottomlands. At seep lines where convex topography changes to concave, a dense fringe of Terminalia sericea occurs, with Eragrostis gummiflua in the undergrowth. The conservation status of the vegetation type is vulnerable with some 17% conserved in , and the same percentage conserved in smaller private reserves. More than 20% of this vegetation type has been transformed, mainly by cultivation and by settlement development. The vegetation units on the site vary according to soil characteristics, topography and land-use. Most of the site has become encroached by dense stands of sickle bush due to the overgrazing, while 2 major drainage channels bisect the site in the south and north respectively.

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

5.2 Existing Structures

There is currently no existing infrastructure on site. The Bolobedu Sub-station is situated to the East of the site and the southern boundary is marked by an access road. The main land-use on site is subsistence farming.

5.3 Existing Water Ways Two prominent drainage features are present towards the northern portion of the site, draining in a north-easterly direction. The northern drainage features drain into the Motlatswi river which is a tributary of the Molototsi River and the southern drainage features drain into the Molototsi River. The drainage features are considered non-perennial channels and can be described as water courses or channels while the narrow band of trees that occurs along the channel can be classified as riparian vegetation. The northern water courses and riparian woodland are considered to be intact with small impacts from overgrazing and bank erosion, while large sections of the southern channels have become highly eroded due to the soil degradation caused by overgrazing. The riparian vegetation is distinctly unique in its composition and different from the adjacent land areas.

5.4 Existing Electrical Services

There are currently no electrical services on site.

5.5 Existing Sewer Reticulation

There is not sewer reticulation in place and as the development site is situated in a rural area there are no municipal services and therefore no water treatment works. A small package plant (most likely a commercial system like the Lilliput) will be installed at the site but this will be only for small scale household use for personnel on site. There will be no residential development on site and therefore the water use will be very low and the subsequent treatment thereof will be extremely limited.

5.6 Refuse Removal

As there are no municipal services in place in the area, the developing company will apply to the local municipality in order to obtain permission to be able to make us of the municipal landfill site.

BOLOBEDU SOLAR FARM – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

5.7 Considerations Graves There is an informal grave site, which was identified by the archaeologist. This area was demarcated and is excluded from the proposed development. This will be taken into consideration in the planning of the access road as well as the internal road network. Community A number of Community Resolutions is needed as a result of the occurrence of the local communities near the proposed development site. The current site lay out plan needs to be approved by the local communities before a detailed site lay out plan can be drafted.

5.8 Proposed Layout - Solar Plant As mentioned above the proposed lay out as currently available is not detailed. The detail will be added once there are community resolutions in place, which will indicate that local communities support the lay out plan.

6. CONCLUSION From the desk stop study it can be concluded that there are some constraints on site which will have to be taken into consideration when the final design and site lay out is planned.

7. RECOMMENDATION A site visit should be done as soon as possible and there should be close liaison with the applicant, town and regional planner and other specialists.

8. THE WAY FORWARD A site visit combined with a visit to the local chief as well as close liaison with the applicant and others involved in the process must be done. All available information will be obtained in order to do the civil engineering designs as accurately as possible.