Appendix I – Avifauna Scoping Study

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

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PROPOSED ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY POWER PLANT DEVELOPMENT

SPECIALIST AVIFAUNAL IMPACT ASSESMENT

SCOPING REPORT November 2011

Andrew Pearson Endangered Wildlife Trust 011 486 1102 [email protected]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The site consists mainly of uniform, arid vegetation types. Few permanent water bodies were observed on site. The proposed site falls within the Quarter Degree Grid Square (QDGS), 2823BD, while data from three additional squares, 2823BA, 2823BB, and 2823BC was also considered due to their close proximity to the site. The South African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) recorded 12 Red Listed Species (Harrison et al, 1997), across all four squares, of which 5 are classified as Vulnerable, and 7 as Near Threatened. One additional species, the White Stork, is also included as it is protected internationally under the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species. Various other species relevant to the project were identified and include raptors, doves, pigeons and aerial foragers such as swallows and swifts. In general, SABAP2 data showed low counting effort for study site and immediate surrounds. The focal species for the study were determined to be the following: Lesser Kestrel, Lanner Falcon, Kori Bustard, Secretarybird, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, White Stork, Martial Eagle, Northern Black Korhaan, Namaqua Dove, Rock Martin, Little Swift, Barn Swallow, European Bee-eater, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Greater Kestrel, Sothern Pale-chanting Goshawk, and South African Shelduck .

Potential impacts of the project on avifauna may include collision of birds with heliostats and/or PV Panels, burning of birds in focal points, and habitat destruction and disturbance of bird will be of moderate significance. Further impacts with associated infrastructure may also occur such as, collision and/or electrocution of birds with any new overhead power lines as well as habitat destruction and disturbance of birds during the construction of new roads and/or pipelines. The presence of open water ponds close to the CSP plant could drastically increase the potential for avifaunal impacts.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE

Specialist Investigator

The Natural Scientific Professions Act of 2003 aims to “Provide for the establishment of the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) and for the registration of professional, candidate and certified natural scientists; and to provide for matters connected therewith.”

“Only a registered person may practice in a consulting capacity” – Natural Scientific Professions Act of 2003 (20(1)-pg 14)

Investigator: Andrew Pearson (Pri.Sci.Nat) Qualification: BSc (hons) Conservation Ecology Affiliation: South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions Registration number: 400423/11 Fields of Expertise: Ecological Science Registration: Professional Member

Andrew Pearson is employed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife and Energy Programme as a specialist investigator for conducting avifaunal specific specialist reports. Andrew has a Four Year BSc in Conservation Ecology, certificates in Environmental Law, as well as five years experience in the environmental management field. The findings, results, observations, conclusions and recommendations given in this report are based on the author’s best scientific and professional knowledge as well as available information.

Declaration of Independence

All specialist investigators specified above declare that: • We act as independent specialists for this project. • We consider ourselves bound by the rules and ethics of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions. • We do not have any personal or financial interest in the project except for financial compensation for specialist investigations completed in a professional capacity as specified by the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2006. • We will not be affected by the outcome of the environmental process, of which this report forms part of. • We do not have any influence over the decisions made by the governing authorities. • We do not object to or endorse the proposed developments, but aim to present facts and our best scientific and professional opinion with regard to the impacts of the development. • We undertake to disclose to the relevant authorities any information that has or may have the potential to influence its decision or the objectivity of any report, plan, or document required in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2006. • Should we consider ourselves to be in conflict with any of the above declarations, we shall formally submit a Notice of Withdrawal to all relevant parties and formally register as an Interested and Affected Party.

Terms and Liabilities

• This report is based on a short term investigation using the available information and data related to the site to be affected. No long term investigation or monitoring was conducted. • The Precautionary Principle has been applied throughout this investigation. • The specialist investigator, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, for whom he/she works, does not accept any responsibility for the conclusions, suggestions, limitations and recommendations made in good faith, based on the information presented to them, obtained from these assessments or requests made to them for the purposes of this assessment. • Additional information may become known or available during a later stage of the process for which no allowance could have been made at the time of this report. • The specialist investigator withholds the right to amend this report, recommendations and conclusions at any stage should additional information become available. • Information, recommendations and conclusions in this report cannot be applied to any other area without proper investigation. • This report and all of the information contained herein remain the intellectual property of the Endangered Wildlife Trust. • This report, in its entirety or any portion thereof, may not be altered in any manner or form or for any purpose without the specific and written consent of the specialist investigator as specified above. • Acceptance of this report, in any physical or digital form, serves to confirm acknowledgment of these terms and liabilities.

Signed on the 28th November 2011 by Andrew Pearson in his capacity as specialist investigator for the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife and Energy Programme. INTRODUCTION

Background

Solar Reserve SA (Pty) Ltd is planning a Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant (or otherwise known as a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant), as well as a multi-phase Solar Photovoltaic Project, within a single development site in the Northern Cape, South Africa. WorleyParsons RSA was appointed as independent environmental consultants to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed development, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) was subsequently appointed to conduct an avifaunal specialist study. A site visit was conducted on the 3rd and 4th November 2011. The proposed CSP plant is located on the farm Arriesfontein 267, Barkley Wes R.d, Siyanda District Municipality, near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape Province.

Solar Reserve is assessing the feasibility of constructing both a CSP plant, as well as Photovoltaics, with the following phased approach: • Phase 1: Arriesfontein Photovoltaic Power Plant- 75MW Development • Phase 2: Arriesfontein Photovoltaic Power Plant -75MW Development • Phase 3: Arriesfontein Photovoltaic Power Plant- 75MW Development • Phase 4: Arriesfontein Concentrated Solar Power Plant 100MW Development

The CSP plant being considered is a Molten-Salt type, Central Receiver (tower) technology, and will primarily consist of the following four components: Solar Field (including numerous reflective heliostats); Molten Salt Circuit; The Power Block; and auxiliary facilities and infrastructure. The CSP plant will require approximately 6 square kilometres of terrain. The PV development will consist of photo-voltaic (PV) solar panels that will occupy up to 450ha of the site in total. Three blocks of PV will be developed each covering 150ha, and producing 75MW, giving the total PV development 225MV of power producing capability. The proposed site falls within the Quarter Degree Grid Square (QDGS), 2823BD, while data from three additional squares, 2823BA, 2823BB, and 2823BC was also considered due to their close proximity to the site. The South African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) recorded 12 Red Listed Species (Harrison et al, 1997), across all four squares, of which 5 are classified as Vulnerable, and 7 as Near Threatened. This avifaunal study used a set methodology (discussed elsewhere) as well as various data sets. The focal species for the study were determined, and then, by looking at the focal Species which could occur in the area, as well as assessing the availability of bird micro habitats, the possible impacts of the development were then predicted.

Terms of reference

The following terms of reference for the EWT avifaunal study were adopted: • Identification of sensitive sites: The bird sensitive sections of the study area will be identified. • Describe affected environment and determine status quo: The existing environment will be described and the bird communities most likely to be impacted will be identified. Different bird micro-habitats will be described as well as the species associated with those habitats. • Describe focal species: Threatened bird species (as per red data book status), will be identified, and species most likely to be impacted upon will be identified. • Identification of impacts: The potential impact on the birds will be identified. • Propose and explain mitigation measures: Practical mitigation measures will be recommended and discussed. • Identify and address any other aspects related to avifauna in the study area that should be incorporated into the reports.

METHODS

Methodology

The following section describes the process and criteria used to assess the site during the scoping phase in terms of avifaunal impact.

• The study was initially conducted from a desk top level. Using various GIS layers, 1:50 000 topographical maps and Google earth images, key features within the study area were identified and a map of the site and surrounding area was created using ARCGIS 9.3. • The various data sets discussed below under “sources of information” were collected and examined. • This data was examined to determine presence of sensitive Red Data species in the study area. • Abundance of the species most sensitive to this project (not necessarily red listed species) was determined. • The area was visited, and thoroughly traversed, to obtain a first-hand perspective of the site, and to determine which bird micro-habitats are present and relevant to the study. This involved driving the study area, taking photographs, recording species at various observation points, and walking certain accessible areas. • Proximity of the site to water was assessed, as was the presence of small water features (e.g. dams or water troughs) within the site boundary. • The impacts of the proposed project on birds were then predicted. • Possible mitigation measures for significant impacts were discussed.

Sources of information

The study made use of the following data sources: • Bird distribution data of the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP – Harrison, Allan, Underhill, Herremans, Tree, Parker & Brown, 1997) obtained from the Avian Demography Unit of the University of Cape Town, in order to ascertain which species occur in the study area. • The conservation status of all bird species occurring in the aforementioned degree squares was then determined with the use of The Eskom Red Data book of birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Barnes, 2000). • The Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 data for certain pentads in the study area was examined. • Data from the Co-ordinated Waterbird Count (CWAC) project was also consulted to determine whether any CWAC sites exist in the study area (Taylor, Navarro, Wren- Sargent, Harrison & Kieswetter, 1999). • Data from the Co-ordinated Avifaunal Road count project (CAR – Young, Harrison, Navarro, Anderson & Colahan, 1997) for the “Mpumalanga Precinct”. • The Important Bird Areas of southern Africa (IBA) project data (Barnes 1998) was consulted to determine its relevance to this project. • A classification of the vegetation types in the study area was obtained from Mucina and Rutherford (2006). • Information on the micro-habitat level was obtained through visiting the area and obtaining a firsthand perspective. • Electronic 1:50 000 maps were obtained from the Surveyor General. • Satellite Imagery of the area was studied using Google Earth ©2010.

Limitations & assumptions

This study made the assumption that the above sources of information are reliable. The following factors may potentially detract from the accuracy of the predicted results:

• In assessing the impacts of the associated infrastructure such as a new power line – the EWT is hugely experienced. However, with regard to the impacts of the CSP plant itself, this is largely new territory – quite possibly the case for all consultants on this project. With the exception of the one paper already cited, very little information on avifaunal impacts at existing solar plants could be found. The level of confidence with which the various impacts are discussed is therefore relatively low. However it must also be stated that many of the impacts of the CSP plant itself cannot readily be mitigated for in any case. For example if birds mistake the heliostats for water sources and are burnt in the focal points, mitigation for this would be very difficult. • Unfortunately the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (Harrison et al 1997) data is now relatively outdated. This results in a low confidence in the report rates of the various species in the study area. Furthermore, updated data for the second bird atlas project (SABAP2), revealed a low number of counts for the relevant pentad. • The SABAP-1 data covers the period 1986-1997. Bird distribution patterns fluctuate continuously according to availability of food and nesting substrate. (For a full discussion of potential inaccuracies in ASAB data, see Harrison, Allan, Underhill, Herremans, Tree, Parker & Brown, 1997). • The site visit was conducted over two days in late spring, over which time various species may not have been present in the study area. • During the site visit, it was not possible to access the entire area and all potential micro-habitats of the proposed site. • The exact position and nature of the associated infrastructure such as pipelines, power lines and roads was not available during the site visit. • The impacts therefore of associated infrastructure will therefore only be assessed fully in the final EIA phase of the study. • Google Earth ©2010 Imagery may not always reflect the true situation on the ground, as some images may be outdated. • Predictions in this study are based on experience of these and similar species in different parts of South Africa. Bird behaviour can’t be reduced to formulas that will hold true under all circumstances.

Figure 1: Google Earth image indicating the locality of the site (red polygon) in relationship to towns and major roads. Legend * MV Substations .. Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld 1 HV Substations _ Kuruman Mountain Bushveld ~ CWACSrtes .. Kuruman Thomveld Soutpan ~ -- MV Power Lines .. Olifanlshoek Plains Thomveld .... -- HV Power Lines IIiiiiiiiiiiISchmidtsdrifThomveld '.' -- Roads .. Southern Kalahari Mekgacha - Arriesfonlein Site " Southern Kalahari Salt Pans 9

Figure 2: Map indicating existing electrical infrastructure, main roads, CWAC sites, as well as the vegetation classification for the study area according to Mucina & Rutherford, 2006. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL AVIFAUNAL ISSUES

CSP is being widely commercialized and the CSP market has seen about 740 MW of generating capacity added between 2007 and the end of 2010. More than half of this (about 478 MW) was installed during 2010, bringing the global total to 1095 MW. Spain added 400 MW in 2010, taking the global lead with a total of 632 MW, while the US ended the year with 509 MW after adding 78 MW (Wikipedia- November 2011).

Figure 3: Solar Two in Daggett, CA, USA, is a 10-MW solar thermal electric power plant (Wikipedia, 2011).

Extensive review of the available literature on the internet relating to avifaunal interactions at solar energy power plants revealed very little, particularly in comparison to the literature available on avifaunal interactions with other forms of power generation. Possible reasons for this include the following: • Little knowledge on these impacts exists since so few solar plants have been constructed to date. • The two plants previously constructed were experimental sites, not commercial. All information related to the experiments would therefore have been private and not released into the public domain. • The impacts of solar power plants of this type on avifauna are in fact relatively minor.

One paper entitled “Avian mortality at a solar energy power plant” (McCrary, McKernan, Schreiber, Wagner & Sciarrotta 1986) was discovered. This paper describes the results of their weekly monitoring over a two year period at Solar One. The main results of this study are summarized below: • Forty visits (one week apart) to the facility over a two year period revealed 70 bird carcasses involving 26 species. It was estimated that between 10 and 30% of carcasses were removed by scavengers in between visits, so the actual number of mortalities may have been slightly higher. It is important to note that extensive agricultural lands and evaporation ponds (53 ha) were situated adjacent to the facility, which probably resulted in a higher abundance of many bird species than would otherwise have been the case. • Fifty seven (81%) of the birds died through collision with infrastructure, mostly (>75%) colliding with the heliostats. Species killed in this manner included water birds, small raptors, gulls, doves, sparrows and warblers. • Thirteen (19%) of the birds died through burning in the standby points. Species killed in this manner were mostly swallows and swifts.

Briefly, some of the anticipated avifaunal issues involved with the Humansrus Solar Thermal Energy project are now described below.

Issues relating to the CSP plant itself:

• Collision with the heliostats (mirrors): Reflective surfaces are particularly prone to collisions in the same way as household windows. The CSP plant will consist of hundreds or thousands of heliostat mirrors and can be expected to result in some collisions. • Collision with the central receiver tower: Almost any infrastructure that stands proud in the landscape will result in a certain number of collisions by birds. In this case, the central receiver tower will stand approximately 200 m tall, a significant height, particularly in this landscape. A mitigating factor is that it will be a solid concrete tower and should be relatively visible to birds. • Roosting on the central receiver tower: Birds could potentially use the top of the tower as a roosting site at night. It is likely that they would only come in to roost after the plant has been shut down in the evenings, and would leave the roost before the plant starts up in the morning. • Burning when in vicinity of the central receiver:

The central receiver will glow white hot when the plant is operational which might potentially result in birds in the vicinity being burnt. • Burning when entering the “standby focal points”: During testing, maintenance and daily start up procedures, the heliostats are focused in groups onto focal or standby points in the sky, usually at roughly the same height as the central receiver (approximately 200 m). In the case of the CSP plant, there will be numerous standby points. McCrary et al found that 19% of the birds that were found dead at Solar One were burned in standby points. Avian foragers such as swifts and swallows accounted for 46% of these mortalities. The more time a bird spends in the air the more chance there is of it flying into a standby point. The height at which species fly is also critical, species likely to fly at this height include the swifts, swallows, and martins. • Loss of habitat: The CSP plant will take up an area of approximately 6 km2. This would obviously be habitat previously available to the birds in the area. • Disturbance Resident bird species may be disturbed by construction, operational and maintenance activities associated with the CSP plant, particularly whilst breeding • Pollution caused by leaching of chemical substances into waste water evaporation ponds. This could be lethal to birds using these ponds. Artificial evaporation ponds serve as an additional attractant to water birds, which could increase cumulative collision, burning or poisoning impacts. • Nesting of Sociable Weavers and other species on the plant infrastructure: Experience in this arid region has shown that Sociable Weavers are quick to nest on any manmade infrastructure and they may utilize infrastructure at the CSP site.

It is important to stress that most of the above impacts – and certainly the first five listed impacts – will probably only become significant when large numbers of birds are in the vicinity of the CSP plant. For example one swallow being burnt in a focal point would hardly be considered a significant impact. However, if a large flock of swallows congregated – perhaps due to a nearby roost site – a large number of birds could be burnt and the significance would be greatly amplified. For this reason, the more sensitive species in terms of the above impacts are likely to be the gregarious, flocking species.

Issues relating to the 225MV PV plant:

CSP farms potentially have greater impact on birds than PV farms because of the associated

central receiver tower, standby focal points and heliostats, however, PV plants may still have the following impacts (Birdlife South Africa).

• Collision with the PV Panels: • Loss of habitat: The PV plant will take up an area of approximately 450ha. This would obviously be habitat previously available to the birds in the area. • Disturbance: Resident bird species may be disturbed by construction, operational and maintenance activities associated with the PV plant, particularly whilst breeding.

Issues relating to the associated infrastructure:

The EWT believes that the impacts of the associated infrastructure such as overhead power lines on birds may in fact outweigh the impacts of the CSP plant itself, depending on the length of new infrastructure that needs to be constructed. The proximity of site to the existing power line and road infrastructure is therefore very important. The closer the final site is to existing infrastructure, the less new infrastructure will need to be built. Briefly, the impacts of the associated infrastructure are as follows: New power line: • Collision with associated power line infrastructure. • Electrocution on associated power line infrastructure. • Nesting on associated power line infrastructure. • Disturbance through construction and maintenance activities of new power line. • Habitat destruction through construction activities of new line. New road/s: • Disturbance of avifauna through construction and maintenance activities. • Habitat destruction through construction activities. New pipe line/s: • Disturbance of avifauna through construction and maintenance activities. • Habitat destruction through construction activities.

Issues or factors that may attract birds to the vicinity of the Solar plant thereby amplifying the above interactions/impacts:

In this arid, relatively uniform landscape, large congregations of birds are unlikely unless a strong attractant exists, such as water. • Birds attracted to open water evaporation ponds:

In this landscape, any source of water is hugely important for all animals - including birds. If the CSP plant involves any open water sources such as evaporation ponds, this will attract more birds into the immediate area thus heightening the risk of the above impacts occurring. McCrary et al (1986) found a number of water birds (teal, grebes, coots) that had collided with heliostats at Solar One and this is almost certainly related to the presence of large (53 ha) evaporation ponds nearby. This is supported by the fact that 45% of all species recorded in 150 ha around Solar One, were only recorded at the ponds. The importance of the evaporation ponds at Solar One to birds is further illustrated by the fact that 107 bird species were recorded in the vicinity of Solar One, whilst the avian community in similar habitat elsewhere is usually less than 20 species. It is clear then that the presence of open water ponds close to the CSP plant would drastically increase the potential for avifaunal impacts.

• Birds mistakenly attracted to heliostats or PV panels: In these arid regions the daily activity schedule of many animals and birds revolves around securing their required daily intake of water. For example, Namaqua Sandgrouse (medium report rate in the study area) fly in flocks to water sources during mid to late morning. There is a possibility that birds such as these may mistake the heliostats or PV panels for water sources when flying high above and descend to investigate. In the case of the Sandgrouse, they would typically circle several times once they have located a water source, before descending. If the heliostats are mistaken for water, these birds would most likely circle through one or more focal points and may well be burnt to death.

DESCRIPTION OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

The Northern Cape region is one of the most arid in southern Africa. In examining the region as a whole in terms of avifauna, it is important to relate the avifauna to the biomes and vegetation types present in the area. Harrison et al (1997) in “The Atlas of Southern African Birds” provide an excellent description of the various biomes represented in the region and the associated bird species. It is widely accepted within the ornithological community that vegetation structure, rather than the actual plant species, influences bird species distribution and abundance (in Harrison et al 1997). Therefore, this vegetation description focuses on factors which are relevant to bird distribution and is not a complete account of plant species. While this report is an avifaunal specialist report, vegetation and micro habitats are very important in determining avifaunal abundances and likelihood of occurrences. As such a map has been produced above (Figure 2) showing the vegetation classification of the broader area (Mucina & Rutherford, 2006).

Nama karoo biome: This biome comprises mainly low shrubs and grasses, trees such as Acacia karoo and exotic species such as Prosopis glandulosa are restricted to watercourses. Compared to “succulent karoo”, “nama karoo” has a much higher proportion of grass and tree cover. The “karoo” used loosely to mean both “nama” and “succulent karoo”, supports a particularly high diversity of species endemic to southern Africa. Avifauna characteristically comprises ground dwelling species of open habitats. The tree lined watercourses allow penetration of several species typical of arid woodland such as the Kori Bustard and Karoo Korhaan. Several species are almost entirely confined to the “Nama karoo” such as the Red Lark and Sclaters Lark. Because rainfall in the “nama karoo” is in summer and the neighbouring “succulent karoo” has winter rainfall, there is opportunity for species to migrate seasonally between the two. Two species suspected to do so (on the basis of atlas data) are the Ludwig’s Bustard and Larklike Bunting.

Woodland biome: Woodland covers much of the northern and eastern parts of the country and is defined as having a distinct grassy under story and a woody upper story of trees and shrubs. Tree cover can range from sparse such as in the southern Kalahari, to almost closed. The more arid woodland types such as the Kalahari vegetation types are typically fine leaved and dominated by acacias and typically occur on nutrient rich, often alluvial soils in the western regions.

Vegetation Types

The dominant vegetation type in the study area is “Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld”. This vegetation type falls within the Eastern Kalahari Bushveld Bioregion, and occurs in the Northern Cape and North-West Provinces, around Campbell in the south, east of Danielskuil , through Reivilo, to around Vryburg in the north. The entire proposed project site falls within this vegetation type. “Kuruman Mountain Bushveld”, “Kuruman Thornveld”, and “Olifantshoek Plains Thornveld” vegetation types are also present in the broader area, to the west of the site, while numerous salt pans are scattered throughout, and are classified as “Southern Kalahari Salt Pans”.

Bird micro habitats

In addition to the description of vegetation, it is important to understand the habitats available to birds at a smaller spatial scale, i.e. micro habitats. Micro habitats are shaped by factors other than vegetation, such as topography, land use, food sources and man-made factors. Investigation of this study area revealed the following bird micro habitats.

Man-made Dams

Figure 3: A small dam or wetland areas that appears to be man-made, close to the western boundary of the farm, near to the Arriesfontein farm house.

Figure 4: The same “dam” as in Figure 3, looking across to the nearby farm-house. Water has collected or “dammed” against the road side.

Artificially constructed dams have become important attractants to various bird species in the South African landscape. Various waterfowl frequent these areas and crane species often use dams to roost in communally. Birds such as flamingos and African Spoonbills may make use of these areas. Therefore dams are a key element of this study.

Grassland

Figure 5: Grassland observed on site.

Although not within the true Grassland Biome, open “Grassy” are extensive throughout the site, and even more so in the broader study area, especially around pans that are dry. Grasslands represent a significant feeding area for many bird species such as White Stork, Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Red-crested Korhaan and Northern Black Korhaan. The grassland patches are also a favourite foraging area for game birds such as francolins and Helmeted Guineafowl, as well as small mammals. This in turn may attract raptors because of both the presence and accessibility of prey. Listed species such as Lanner Falcon, Lesser Kestrel, African Marsh Harrier and Martial Eagle, may often hunt in open grassland areas.

Woodland and Thicket patches

Figure: 6: A woodland and Thicket patch observed on site, in vicinity of a windmill water pump.

Figure: 7: A small water reservoir associated with a wind pump. This water will attract various birds to drink.

Figure: 8: Cattle tend to congregate in thicket areas with small trees, usually close to water.

Patches of thickets, trees and bushes were observed, usually close to disturbed areas such as homesteads and kraals. This was also evident around Windmill water pumps. These areas attract smaller passerine species such as Robins and Shrikes. Weavers and Sparrow- weavers use the tree as structures for nesting and Raptors such the Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk may use these areas for perching.

Natural Pans

Figure 9: On open, dry pan observed within the study site.

Figure 10: Open, short grassy area (foreground), associated with a small dry pan (background) within the study site.

The broader area is scattered with numerous natural pans. May of these depressions do not always fill with water, and are only obvious pans in the rainy season. Although the majority of pans on site are most likely dry for much of the year, they still provide open “grassy” habitat that will be favoured by certain species such as Korhaans, Bustards, Spurfowl and

Coursers. Pans, when wet, are important attractants to various bird species in the South African landscape. Various waterfowl frequent these areas and crane species may often use pans to roost in communally. Birds such as Coots, Grebes, Ducks, Geese, Terns, Flamingos and African Spoonbills may make use of these areas. GIS mapping data showed the presence of up to seven natural wetland/pans within the study site. Four of these were observed during the site visit, the majority of which were dry, but which may have water and attract birds during, and soon after, the rainy season. Various large pans, to the west and south of the site, are designated CWAC sites, and are discussed in more detail below.

Bushveld Savanna

Figure 11: An example of bushveld on the site, with a high proportion of grassy areas.

Figure 12: An example of bushveld on the site, with a high proportion of small trees, woody plants and large shrubs/bushes.

This was the most widely observed micro-habitat during the site visit, in varying forms, consisting of bushes, woody plants, small trees and a “grassy” element. The bushes are frequented by smaller bird species such as Prinias, Tit-babblers, and Robin-chats, while larks and pipits are found on the ground.

Table 2 below shows the micro habitats that each Red Data bird (identified in Table 1 below) typically frequents in the study area. Many species however, in table 2 below, are unlikely to be found on site for a variety of reasons including low abundance and lack of suitable habitat. The likelihood of occurrence of each species within the development site is also predicted in the table below. It must be stressed that birds can and will, by virtue of their mobility, utilize almost any areas in a landscape from time to time. However, the analysis below represents each species’ most preferred or normal habitats. These locations are where most of the birds of that species will spend most of their time – so logically that is where impacts on those species will be most significant.

Relevant bird populations

Southern African Bird Atlas Project 1 The primary data source used to determine the distribution and abundance of bird species in the study area was the Southern African Bird Atlas Project data (Harrison et al, 1997). This data was collected over an 11 year period between 1986 and 1997. Although it is now quite old, it remains the best long term data set on bird distribution and abundance available to

us at present. This data was collected on the basis of quarter degree squares, which is also a relatively large spatial scale. The proposed site falls within the Quarter Degree Grid Square (QDGS), 2823BD, while data from three additional squares, 2823BA, 2823BB, and 2823BC was also considered due to their close proximity to the site. The South African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) recorded 12 Red Listed Species (Harrison et al, 1997), across all four squares, of which 5 are classified as Vulnerable, and 7 as Near Threatened. One additional species, the White Stork, is also included as it is protected internationally under the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species. The species recorded in the relevant quarter degree squares could have been recorded anywhere within these squares and not necessarily in the exact study area for the proposed developments. It does however provide a good indication of what could be found in the study area.

Table 1: Red Data species recorded in the relevant quarter degree squares covering the study site (2823BD) and surrounding areas (2823BA, 2823BB, and 2823BC).

Total species 59 164 88 161 # cards submitted 4 76 14 51 Species Cons. status 2823BD 2823BC 2823BB 2823BA Tawny Eagle VU - - 7 - Martial Eagle VU - 3 7 2 Lesser Kestrel VU - 3 - 2 Kori Bustard VU - - 29 - African Marsh Harrier VU - 1 - 2 Lanner Falcon NT - 1 - - Black Stork NT - 5 - 2 Yellow-billed Stork NT - 1 - - Secretarybird NT - 3 7 - Greater Flamingo NT 50 38 - 14 Lesser Flamingo NT 50 7 - - Chestnut-banded Plover NT - 1 - - White Stork Bonn - 3 14 2 CE = Critically endangered, E = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, NT = Near threatened, Bonn = Protected Internationally under the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species.

Table 2: Preferred Micro-habitats and likelihood of occurrence on site of Red Data species recorded in the relevant QDGS (SABAP1).

Species Preferred Micro- Likelihood of habitat occurrence on site Tawny Eagle Woodland and Bushveld Unlikely Woodland, savannah and Possible Martial Eagle Shrublands Arable lands and Possible Lesser Kestrel Grasslands Kori Bustard Grasslands and Bushveld Possible Wetlands and adjacent Unlikely African Marsh Harrier moist grasslands Open grasslands; Unlikely Lanner Falcon Woodland Black Stork Rivers and Kloofs Unlikely Lakes, Dams, Rivers, Unlikely Yellow-billed Stork Wetlands. Cultivated lands and Likely Secretarybird Grasslands Greater Flamingo Pans and wetlands Highly likely Lesser Flamingo Pans and Wetlands Likely Chestnut-banded Plover Saltpans Unlikely Grassland; Cultivated Possible White Stork Fields; Open woodland

Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 Table 3 below indicates report rates, based on the number of cards submitted, for the red data species identified in Table 1, as well as additional relevant species (i.e. larger species vulnerable to collision and/or electrocution, as well as aerial forages, doves, crows, and waterfowl species that may be attracted to the developments evaporation ponds). The study site fall within Pentad 2815_2345, which had only been counted once in the SABAP2 survey, and therefore all species recorded in this pentad will reflect a 100 % report rate (1 out of 1). In general, the surrounding areas close to the site have been relatively poorly counted, and therefore other selected pentads in the broader study area were also examined and their data is included below. Although some distance from the study site, these areas are likely to contain similar micro-habitats, and can give a good indication of the general bird life in the area, and which species may be present or pass through the study site. Pentads 2820_2330 and 2820_2325, were more extensively counted (22 and 65 cards respectively), as they include the settlement of Lime Acres, and the CWAC site of Rooipan.

Table 3: Report rates from Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2, for relevant species. Pentad Report Rate (%) Pentad 2815_2345 2810_2330 2815_2330 2820_2330 2820_2325 2820_2320 No Cards 1 9 2 22 65 12 Total Species 49 97 53 110 148 121 Recorded in SABAP1 Tawny Eagle - - - - 1.5 - Martial Eagle ------Lesser Kestrel - - - 4.5 1.5 8.3 Kori Bustard ------African Marsh Harrier ------Lanner Falcon - - - - 1.5 - Black Stork - - - 4.5 - - Yellow-billed Stork ------Secretarybird ------Greater Flamingo ------Lesser Flamingo ------Chestnut-banded Plover ------White Stork 100 - - - - - Additional Relevant Species Ludwig’s Bustard - - - 4.5 - - White-backed Vulture - - - - - 8.3 Non Listed Relevant Northern Black Korhaan 100 77.8 50 18.2 3.1 91.7 Red-crested Korhaan 100 - 50 - 7.7 - Orange River Francolin - 33.3 - 4.5 12.3 25 Speckled Pigeon - 100 - 59.1 81.5 - Red-eyed Dove - 100 50 68.2 95.4 41.7 Laughing Dove - 100 - 100 98.5 91.7 Cape Turtle Dove 100 66.7 100 95.5 64.6 - Namaqua Dove - 88.9 50 18.2 13.8 33.3 Rock Martin - 88.9 50 59.1 93.8 41.7 Banded Martin - 22.2 - - 1.5 16.7 Brown-throated Martin - - - - 30.8 50 Little Swift 100 77.8 50 77.3 81.5 66.7 Alpine Swift - - 50 4.5 21.5 25 White-rumped Swift - - - 9.1 30.8 33.3 Greater Striped Swallow - 77.8 100 63.6 63.1 58.3 Red-breasted Swallow 100 66.7 50 4.5 - - Barn Swallow 100 33.3 100 9.1 23.1 33.3 White-throated Swallow - 11.1 - - 15.4 - European Bee-eater - - 50 13.6 43.1 25 White-fronted Bee-eater - - - - 47.7 - Namaqua Sandgrouse - 11.1 50 31.8 6.2 - Pied Crow 100 100 100 100 86.2 50 Verreaux’s Eagle - - - 4.5 1.5 - Gabar Goshawk - - 50 4.5 21.5 8.3 Black-Shouldered Kite - 88.9 - - 27.7 8.3 Rock Kestrel - 33.3 - 13.6 23.1 8.3 Greater Kestrel - 33.3 incidental 40.9 4.6 16.7 Black-chested Snake Eagle - 11.1 - - 1.5 - Southern Pale-chanting Goshawk 100 - 50 27.3 7.7 33.3 South African Shelduck 100 11.1 - 18.2 15.4 100 Egyptian Goose - 22.2 - 36.4 21.5 8.3 Red-billed Teal 100 - 50 - 23.1 91.7 Cape Teal 100 - - - 18.5 91.7 Yellow-billed Duck - - - - 30.8 75 African Sacred Ibis 100 - - 4.5 - 58.3

Interestingly, of the 13 listed species recorded in the SABAP 1 data, 8 have not been recorded in the SABAP 2 data for the pentads examined, and only the White Stork has been recorded in the Pentad covering the development site. This however, does not necessarily mean that the other species do not occur in the study area, or that they have moved from the area, post SABAP1, but may merely be due to the low counting effort of the pentads, or selective micro habitat counting by the SABAP2 field counters. Furthermore, one must be cautious when comparing these data sets, as the pentads represent far smaller sampling areas than the QDGS’s.

Coordinated Avifaunal Road-count (CAR) data An evaluation of CAR data revealed that there are no Co-ordinated Avifaunal Road-count routes through or near to the site

Coordinated Waterbird count (CWAC) data Four Coordinated Waterbird Count (CWAC) areas, which are regarded as sites important for water birds either by virtue of the species present or the numbers in which they are represented, are within close proximity to the study area, namely Danielskuil Pan, Great Pan, Rooipan and Soutpan, and their locations are shown in Figure 2 above. Data was not available for Great Pan, and neither for Rooipan, as both sites are classed as private, and individual cards are not available for public viewing. The species occurring at these sites are expected to be similar to those present at Danielskuil Pan and Sout Pan, discussed below.

Figure 13: Rooipan, shown above, was dry at the time of the site visit, yet still provides extensive open grassland habitat.

Danielskuil Pan

Danielskuil Pan actually consists of two dams and a dam/pan with open shoreline, some shorebird habitat, and almost no fringing vegetation. Counts are available for 1996 and 1997, when mainly small numbers of 17 species were recorded, 16 species in summer (only South African Shelduck being missing) and only 3 in winter (SA Shelduck, Threebanded Plover and Cape Wagtail). The most numerous birds in summer were Whitefaced Duck, Blacksmith Plover (a good count of 47 birds in 1997), Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint. This site was observed to be dry, with no presence of water-birds, during the site visit to the study area.

Sout Pan

Cape Teal, Red-billed Teal, Yellow-billed Duck, South African Shelduck, Egyptian Goose, Greater Flamingo, as well as various other waders have all been recorded here.

Important Bird Areas (IBA’s) The site does not fall within an Important Bird Area (IBA) and there were no IBA’s within close proximity to the site.

Focal Species List

After determining the red data species and other relevant species that are likely or may possibly be found on site, as well as identifying the microhabitats, the focal species for the study were identified.

Determining the focal species for this study, i.e. the most important species to be considered, is a four step process. Firstly, the micro-habitats available on site were identified. An analysis of the above existing avifaunal data represents the second step, i.e. which species occur in the area at significant abundances. The third step is to identify those species (which may be present based on the above two steps), and are more likely to be impacted upon by the proposed development and associated infrastructure. In terms of associated infrastructure, especially powerlines, this step called on the vast experience of the EWT in evaluating and investigating electrical infrastructure impacts on birds (these impacts are discussed in more detail below). In general, large, heavy flying birds are more vulnerable to collision with over-head powerlines, while perching Raptors are more

vulnerable to electrocution. Knowledge of the species sensitive to the CSP and PV infrastructure is more scarce, however the following species groups are considered to have particular relevance to this study and include: raptors, doves, pigeons and aerial foragers such as swallows and swifts, as well as waterfowl species that may be attracted to the developments evaporation ponds. The fourth and final step was to consider the species conservation status or other reasons for protecting the species. This involved primarily consulting the Red List bird species (Barnes 2000) as in Table 1.

The resultant list of ‘target/focal species’ for this study is as follows: Lesser Kestrel, Lanner Falcon, Kori Bustard, Secretarybird, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, White Stork, Martial Eagle, Northern Black Korhaan, Namaqua Dove, Rock Martin, Little Swift, Barn Swallow, European Bee-eater, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Greater Kestrel, Sothern Pale-chanting Goshawk, and South African Shelduck . In many cases, these species serve as surrogates for other similar species (as mitigation will be effective for both), examples being White Stork for Black, Martial Eagle for Tawny and Verreaux’s Eagles, Kori Bustard for Ludwig’s Bustard, Namaqua Dove for all other recorded dove species and so on. Assorted more common species will also be relevant to this study (shown in table 3 above), but it is believed that the above target species will to a large extent serve as surrogates for these in terms of impact assessment and management.

IDENTIFICATION OF AVIFAUNAL IMPACTS

Issues relating to the CSP and PV plant itself:

Collision with the heliostats (mirrors): This is likely to impact on birds, but the extent to which it will occur is unknown at this stage. The impact on bird populations worldwide through them colliding with windows of buildings has been well documented (see www.flap.org). At Solar One, 81% of bird mortalities were through collision with structures, with >75% of these collisions having occurred with the heliostat mirrors themselves (McCrary et al 1986).

Collision with the PV panels This is likely to impact on birds, but the extent to which it will occur is unknown at this stage.

Collision with the central receiver tower:

Bird collisions with tall infrastructure have also been well documented worldwide. However, this typically occurs with migratory species in flocking behaviour and has usually involved low visibility conditions such as fog. There are unlikely to be sufficient numbers of any particular bird species at the site of the CSP plant to constitute flocking behaviour thereby resulting in this risk. It is however likely that the occasional bird will collide with the tower.

Roosting on the central receiver tower: The tower will be a prominent structure in the landscape and may be an attractive roost for certain bird species. Although it will be too hot during operation, as it cools down during the evenings it may be a very attractive (particularly during winter) if it retains some warmth (although the temperature it retains remains to be seen). If it is well lit at night, this may attract insects, thereby attracting birds. If birds do roost on the tower, this is likely to simply be a nuisance for plant staff, as bird pollution will build up on any available surfaces.

Burning when in vicinity of the central receiver: It seems unlikely to be a significant impact as birds would presumably be repelled by the heat before they get within burning range. Certain particularly fast flying species may be impacted on, such as the doves, swifts, martins and swallows identified in table 3. Research at Solar One did not detect any mortalities through this mechanism (McCrary et al 1986).

Burning when entering the “standby focal points”: This impact is likely to occur at the CSP plant. The significance of the impact will depend on a number of factors which are unclear at this stage, for example: exactly how many focal points will exist; what size will they be; how long will they be in operation for each day. At this stage it is safe to say that some birds will in all likelihood be killed in the focal points. The significance of the impact will depend on just how many birds, and what species are killed. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that any mitigation for this impact will be possible. Monitoring at Solar One recorded that 19% of all bird mortalities were through burning in standby or focal points – mostly swifts and swallows (McCrary et al 1986).

Loss of habitat: Approximately three square kilometres will be taken up by the CSP plant in total. The vegetation in this area will should not be fully cleared automatically. Rather, only the areas where infrastructure has to be constructed should be cleared. Obviously

construction activities on site will flatten and impact on certain areas of vegetation even if it is not cleared. Similar habitat is abundant in the greater area and it is anticipated that the bird species will move to surrounding areas.

Disturbance: Construction activities will no doubt disturb the birds in the area, particularly breeding birds – however due to the uniformity of the broader area, these birds can quite easily move off and find similar habitat nearby. Nesting of Sociable Weavers and other species on the plant infrastructure: The extent to which this occurs will need to be monitored closely. This is an impact of the birds on the plant rather than the plant on the birds. It is hoped that the constant moving and cleaning of the heliostats will make them unattractive nesting substrate for the birds. No nests were observed within the site boundaries.

Issues relating to associated infrastructure:

New power lines: Collision of large terrestrial birds with overhead power lines is likely to occur and is anticipated to be the most significant threat posed by associated infrastructure. Species most likely to be affected are korhaans and other large terrestrial species. The significance of this impact depends on the length of new line to be built. The exact routing of this new line was not available at the time of the site visit, and the impact therefore cannot be fully assessed at this stage.

Electrocution of birds on pylons will depend entirely upon the exact pylon structure that for the new line – detail of which was not available at the time of this study. Electrocution risk is determined by the phase-phase and phase-earth clearances on a pole structure which differ greatly between different structures. Again, if the structure used is dangerous to birds, the significance of this impact will vary with the length of the line.

Nesting of birds on pylons is in fact a positive impact on avifauna, but may impact negatively on the quality of electrical supply by causing electrical faults. In the case of Sociable Weaver nests, the nest material may pose problems to the pylons structural integrity through added weight, and there is an increased fire risk due to the fuel load of these massive nests.

Disturbance of avifauna through construction and maintenance activities associated with the power line is not likely to be significant.

Habitat destruction by construction activities is likely to occur, but not likely to be significant.

New roads: Disturbance of avifauna is likely to occur to some extent, but not likely to be too significant as there is already a gravel district road (along the rail line to the west of the site) as well as various tracks through the farm and it is unlikely that extensive new roads would be, again depending on the exact layout of the CSP plant within the farm.

Habitat destruction caused by road construction will have some impact on avifauna, but as discussed elsewhere the habitat in this landscape is relatively uniform and so this impact is unlikely to be too significant.

New pipe lines: This infrastructure is likely to have very similar impacts to the roads discussed above, except on a smaller scale. Should new pipelines be required for water supply to the CSP plant impacts of this on avifauna will be minor habitat destruction and minor disturbance.

IDENTIFICATION OF SENSITIVE AREAS WITHIN THE PROPOSED SITE An avifaunal sensitivity map has been compiled (see figure 10 below), showing areas of medium-high, low and unknown sensitivities. Recommendations with regard to these sensitivity “zones” has been discussed below. It is recommended that infrastructure is not built or developed in the zone of medium to high sensitivity.

Figure 14: A map showing various avifaunal sensitivity zones within the proposed development site.

Medium-High sensitivity: These zones include 100m buffers around water bodies, such as dams and pans, No construction of CSP infrastructure in these areas (as indicated in the map above- Figure 14) should be permitted. However, upon consultation with EWT, construction of infrastructure may be possible, with caution, within certain areas of these zones. Should associated infrastructure, such as pipe-lines or power lines pass through these areas, mitigation as discussed elsewhere must be implemented. Importantly, should any over-head powerlines pass through these areas; they should be fitted with collision mitigation in the form of “bird flight diverters”. The confidence with which these “Medium-High sensitive” areas were identified was moderate to low.

Low Sensitivity: These zones are made up of 100m wide linear infrastructure corridors. Existing roads/tracks and power lines have been buffered by 50m, on each side, to indicate these zones. These zones are likely to be of low sensitivity; however any species may pass through these zones, especially the roads, if levels of human movement are low. New linear infrastructure should follow these corridors where possible.

Unknown Sensitivity: These are the remaining areas of the study site. These are designated “unknown” sensitivity for the following reasons: no obvious avifaunal features or patterns could be identified during the study; any of the identified focal species may at some point utilize or pass through these areas, and; the precautionary principle has been adopted. It is likely that the majority of these areas are “Low” sensitivity for birds. These unknown sensitivity areas are preferred for construction.

CONCLUSIONS

The site is in the arid Northern Cape, with uniform vegetation of only one types (Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld) found on the study site. The uniformity of the site resulted in few microhabitats available for birds. However, an important microhabitat present was that of natural seasonal pans, which are more extensive in the broader area. This fact, along with the presence of CWAC sites to the West of the study area, means that it is possible for waterfowl and other bird species associated with water, may be attracted to additional water sources (e.g. evaporation ponds) created by the CSP project. Species of most concern in the area, include the following identified Focal Species: Lesser Kestrel, Lanner Falcon, Kori Bustard, Secretarybird, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, White Stork, Martial Eagle, Northern Black Korhaan, Namaqua Dove, Rock Martin, Little Swift, Barn Swallow, European

Bee-eater, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Greater Kestrel, Sothern Pale-chanting Goshawk, and South African Shelduck. A prediction of the impacts of the proposed CSP plant on avifauna at Humansrus revealed the following key findings:

Impacts associated with CSP and PV plant: • Collision of birds with heliostats is likely to be of moderate significance. It is unlikely that mitigation of this impact will be possible, but this will need to be confirmed once the plant is operational and some experience is gained. • Collision of birds with PV Panels is likely to be of low significance. It is unlikely that mitigation of this impact will be possible, but this will need to be confirmed once the plant is operational and some experience is gained. • Burning of birds in focal points will be of moderate significance. Again, it is unlikely that mitigation of this impact will be possible, but this will need to be confirmed once the plant is operational and some experience is gained. • Habitat destruction and disturbance of bird will be of moderate significance. This can be mitigated by ensuring that the construction Environmental Management Plan incorporates guidelines as to how best to minimize this impact.

Impacts associated with new power lines: • Collision of birds with overhead power lines is likely to be of moderate significance. This will be mitigated for by marking the relevant sections of line with appropriate marking devices. These sections of line will be identified as part of the Environmental Management Programme (EMP) phase.

Impacts associated with new roads, pipe lines. • Habitat destruction and disturbance of birds will be of moderate to low significance. This will be mitigated by ensuring that the construction EMP incorporates guidelines as to how best to minimize this impact.

REFERENCES

Barnes, K.N. (ED.) 1998. The Important Bird Areas of Southern Africa. Birdlife South Africa, Johannesburg.

Barnes, K.N. (ed.) 2000. The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. BirdLife South Africa: Johannesburg.

BirdLife South Africa. Position Statement on the effect of solar power facilities on birds

Harrison, J.A., Allan, D.G., Underhill, L.G., Herremans, M., Tree, A.J., Parker, V & Brown, C.J. (eds). 1997. The atlas of southern African birds. Vol. 1&2. BirdLife South Africa: Johannesburg.

McCrary, M.D., McKernan, R.L., Schreiber, R.W., Wagner, W.D. & Sciarrotta, T.C. 1986. Avian mortality at a solar energy power plant. Journal of Field Ornithology Vol 57 (2) pp 135-141.

Mucina & Rutherford. 2006. The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.

Taylor, P.B., Navarro, R.A., Wren-Sargent, M., Harrison, J.A. & Kieswetter, S.L. 1999. Coordinated waterbird Counts in South Africa, 1992-1997. Avian Demography Unit, Cape Town.

Young, D.J., Harrison, J.A, Navarro, R.A., Anderson, M.A., & Colahan, B.D. (Eds). 2003. Big birds on farms: Mazda CAR Report 1993-2001. Avian Demography Unit: Cape Town.

Wikipedia 2011. Concentrated Solar Plants. Article downloaded-November 2011. Including figure: GFDL, 2003.

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix J – Biodiversity Scoping Study

Page 251 260380PWE : 1 Rev A : 2012-03-05 BEC Report Code: WLP – ASR – 2012/18 Version: 2012 01 19 DEA Reference Number: NA

Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant, Northern Cape Province

compiled by

Bathusi

Environmental Consulting

January 2012

- 082 3765 933 - [email protected] - 012 658 5579 - 086 636 5455

Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant

I PROJECT DETAILS

Client: WorleyParsons RSA, on behalf of SolarReserve (Pty) Ltd Report name: Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment for the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant, Northern Cape Province Report type: Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment BEC Project number: WLP – ASR – 2012/18 DEA Reference: NA Compiled by: Riaan A. J. Robbeson (Pr.Sci.Nat.), Bathusi Environmental Consulting

II SPECIALIST INVESTIGATORS

The Natural Scientific Professions Act of 2003 aims to ‘provide for the establishment of the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), and for the registration of professional, candidate and certified natural scientists; and to provide for matters connected therewith’.

Quoting the Natural Scientific Professions Act of 2003: ‘Only a registered person may practice in a consulting capacity’ (20(1) – pg 14).

Table 1: Biodiversity specialists for this project

Botanical Investigator: Riaan Robbeson (Pr.Sci.Nat.) Qualification: M.Sc. (Botany), UP Affiliation: South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions Fields of Expertise: Botanical Scientist & Ecological Scientist (400005/03) Affiliation: Grassland Society of Southern Africa (667.08/08) Affiliation: Succulent Society of Southern Africa Affiliation: Botanical Society of South Africa

Faunal Investigator: Dewald Kamffer (Pr.Sci.Nat.) Qualification: M.Sc. (Conservation Biology), UP Affiliation: South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions Fields of expertise: Ecological Scientist & Zoological Scientist (400204/05)

III RESERVED COPYRIGHT

This report, or any part thereof, may not be amended, rearranged or changed in any manner or form, without prior consent from the authors. This report may not be copied, reproduced or used in any manner, other than for the purpose of this particular environmental application, without specific written permission from Bathusi Environmental Consulting cc. This also refers to electronic copies of this report, which are supplied for the purpose of inclusion as part of other reports, including main reports. Similarly, any recommendations, statements or conclusions drawn from or based on this report must refer to this report. Should extractions from this report be included in a main report, this report must be included in its entirety as an appendix or separate section to the main report.

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IV DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

All specialist investigators, project investigators and members of companies employed for conducting this biodiversity investigation declare that:

• We act as independent ecologists compiling this report • We consider ourselves bound to the rules and ethics of the South African council for natural scientific professions; • At the time of completing this report, we did not have any interest, hidden or otherwise, in the proposed development or activity as outlined in this document, other than financial compensation for work performed in a professional capacity in terms of the environmental impacts assessment regulations, 2005; • We will not be affected in any manner by the outcome of the environmental process of which this report forms part of, other than being part of the general public; • We do not have any influence over decisions made by the governing authorities; • Undertake to disclose, to the competent authority, any material information that have or may have the potential to influence the decision of the competent authority or the objectivity of any report, plan or document required in terms of the environmental impact assessment regulations, 2005; • Will provide the competent authority with access to all information at my disposal regarding the application, whether such information is favourable to the applicant or not; • We do not necessarily object to or endorse the proposed development, but aim to present facts and recommendations based on scientific data and relevant professional experience; and • Should we consider ourselves to be in conflict with any of the above declarations, we shall formally submit a Notice of Withdrawal to all relevant parties and register as an Interested and Affected Party.

______Signature of principal ecologist:

Bathusi Environmental Consulting cc (CK1999/052182/23) ______Name of company:

19th January 2012 ______Date:

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Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant

V SURVEY DETAILS

Site investigations for the scoping assessment were conducted on the 5th to the 9th of December 2011.

VI LEGISLATION

This report has been prepared in terms of the National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998 (NEMA) and is compliant with Regulation 385 Section 33 – Specialist reports and reports on specialised processes under the Act. Relevant clauses of the above regulation include: Regulation 33.(1): An applicant or the EAP managing an application may appoint a person who is independent to carry out a specialist study or specialised process. Regulation 33.(2): A specialist report or a report on a specialised process prepared in terms of these Regulations must contain: (a) Details of (i) The person who prepared the report, and (ii) The expertise of that person to carry our the specialist study or specialised process; (b) A declaration that the person is independent in a form as may be specified by the competent authority; (c) An indication of the scope of, and the purpose for which, the report was prepared; (d) A description of the methodology adopted in preparing the report of carrying out the specialised process; (e) A description of any assumptions made and any uncertainties or gaps in knowledge; (f) A description of the findings and potential implications of such findings on the impact of the proposed activity, including identified alternatives, on the environment; (g) Recommendations in respect of any mitigation measures that should be considered by the applicant and the competent authority; (h) A summary and copies of any comments that were received during any consultation process; (i) Any other information requested by the competent authority.

Compliance with provincial, national and international legislative aspects is strongly advised during the planning, assessment, authorisation and execution of this particular project. Legislative aspects of which cognisance were taken during the compilation of this report are summarised in, but not necessarily limited to, Table 2.

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Table 2: Legislative guidance for this project To provide for the management and conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity within the framework of the National Environmental Management Act 1998; the protection of species and ecosystems that Biodiversity Act (No. 10 of warrant national protection; the sustainable use of indigenous biological 2004) resources; the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from bioprospecting involving indigenous biological resources; the establishment and functions of a South African National Biodiversity Institute; and for matters connected therewith. The conservation of soil, water resources and vegetation is promoted. Conservation of Agricultural Management plans to eradicate weeds and invader plants must be Resources Act 43 of 1983 established to benefit the integrity of indigenous life. The Bill of Rights, in the Constitution of South Africa (No. 108 of 1996), states that everyone has a right to a nonthreatening environment and Constitution of the Republic requires that reasonable measures are applied to protect the of South Africa (Act 108 of environment. This protection encompasses preventing pollution and 1996) promoting conservation and environmentally sustainable development. These principles are embraced in NEMA and given further expression. International legally binding treaty with three main goals; conserve Convention on Biological biological diversity (or biodiversity); ensure sustainable use of its Diversity, 1995 components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. International agreement between governments, drafted because of a Convention on resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International International Trade in Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its aim is to ensure that Endangered Species of Wild international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not Life and Fauna threaten their survival and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 33,000 species of animals and plants. Environmental To provide for the effective protection and controlled utilization of the Conservation Act (No. 73 of environment and for matters incidental thereto. 1989) Provides for the sustainable utilisation of wild animals, aquatic biota and plants, provides for the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Amongst other Northern Cape Nature regulations, the following may apply to the current project: Conservation Act, No. 9 of • Boundary fences may not be altered in such a way as to prevent 2009 wild animals from freely moving into or off of a property; • Aquatic habitats may not be destroyed or damaged; and • The Act provides lists of protected species for the Province. Requires adherence to the principles of Integrated Environmental Management (IEA) in order to ensure sustainable development, which, in National Environmental turn, aims to ensure that environmental consequences of development Management Act (No. 107 proposals be understood and adequately considered during all stages of of 1998) the project cycle and that negative aspects be resolved or mitigated and positive aspects enhanced. National Environmental Restriction of activities involving alien species, restricted activities Management Act (No 10 of involving certain alien species totally prohibited and duty care relating to 2004) listed invasive species. To provide for the protection and conservation of ecologically viable areas representative of South Africa’s biological diversity and its natural landscapes and seascapes; for the establishment of a national register of Protected Areas Act (No. 57 all national, provincial and local protected areas; for the management of of 2003) those areas in accordance with national norms and standards; for intergovernmental cooperation and public consultation in matters concerning protected areas; and for matters in connection therewith.

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VII CONTENTS

I Project Details ...... i II Specialist Investigators ...... i III Reserved Copyright ...... i IV Declaration of Independence ...... ii V Survey Details ...... iii VI Legislation ...... iii VII Contents ...... v VIII List of Tables ...... vi IX List of Figures ...... vi

1 Executive Summary ...... 1 1.1 Biophysical Attributes ...... 1 1.2 Flora ...... 2 1.3 Fauna ...... 3 1.4 Scoping Assessment ...... 4 2 Terms of Reference ...... 5 3 Introduction ...... 6 4 Limitations of this Investigation ...... 7 5 Project Overview ...... 8 6 Alternatives ...... 9 7 Approach to this Assessment ...... 9 7.1 Assessment Philosophy ...... 10 7.2 Botanical Assessment ...... 11 7.2.1 General Botanical Attributes ...... 11 7.2.2 Flora Species of Conservation Importance ...... 11 7.2.3 Floristic Sensitivity ...... 12 7.3 Faunal Assessment ...... 12 7.3.1 Ecological Status ...... 12 7.3.2 Red Listed Fauna Probabilities ...... 13 7.3.3 Faunal Habitat Sensitivities ...... 13 8 The Biophysical Environment ...... 14 8.1 Location ...... 14 8.2 Surface Water ...... 14 8.3 Land Cover & Land Use of the Region ...... 17 8.4 Topography, Relief and Slopes ...... 17 8.5 Geology...... 17 8.6 Land Types ...... 20 8.7 Areas of Conservation Importance ...... 20 9 Flora Assessment ...... 23 9.1 Regional Vegetation ...... 23 9.2 Regional Diversity ...... 24 9.3 Flora species of Conservation Importance ...... 24 9.4 Preliminary Macro Habitat types ...... 25 9.5 Preliminary Floristic Sensitivity ...... 26 9.6 Discussion ...... 29

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10 Fauna Assessment ...... 30 10.1 Regional Faunal Diversity ...... 30 10.2 Faunal Diversity of the Site ...... 31 10.3 Preliminary Red Data Assessment ...... 33 10.4 Faunal Habitat Types ...... 36 10.5 Preliminary Faunal Habitat Sensitivity ...... 36 10.6 Discussion ...... 37 11 Scoping Assessment ...... 38 11.1 Identification of Impacts ...... 38 11.2 Nature of Impacts ...... 39 11.2.1 Impacts on Threatened & Protected Flora & Fauna Species & Habitat ...... 39 11.2.2 Destruction of Sensitive/ Pristine Habitat Types ...... 40 11.2.3 Direct Impacts on Common Flora & Fauna Species & Regional Habitat ...... 41 11.2.4 Direct impacts on Ecosystem functioning ...... 41 11.2.5 Changes to Surrounding Habitat/ Sensitive Features ...... 42 11.2.6 Impacts on Surrounding Flora & Fauna Species ...... 42 11.2.7 Faunal Interactions with Structures, Servitudes & Personnel ...... 43 11.2.8 Impacts on SA’s Conservation Obligations & Targets ...... 43 11.2.9 Increase in Local & Regional Fragmentation/ Isolation of Habitat ...... 43 11.2.10 Increase in Environmental Degradation ...... 44 12 Photographic Records ...... 45 13 References ...... 50

VIII LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Biodiversity specialists for this project ...... i Table 2: Legislative guidance for this project ...... iv Table 3: Preliminary floristic sensitivity estimations for the respective habitat types ...... 26 Table 4: Animal species occurring in the study area ...... 31 Table 5: Invertebrate families occurring in the study area ...... 33 Table 6: Red Data Fauna assessment for the study area ...... 34

IX LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Regional setting of the study area ...... 15 Figure 2: Composite Google Earth image of the major part of the study area ...... 16 Figure 3: Land cover of the study area ...... 18 Figure 4: Geological formations of the immediate region ...... 19 Figure 5: Land Types of the general region ...... 22 Figure 6: Macro-habitat types of the study area ...... 27 Figure 7: Preliminary Floristic/ Faunal/ Ecological Sensitivity of the study area...... 28

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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In an effort to utilise renewable energy resources, SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD is proposing to construct a 325 MegaWatt (MW) Solar Energy Power Park on the Arriesfontein, Barkley Wes RD, Frances Baard District Municipal Region. This development will comprise of both Photovoltaic (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology.

SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD has appointed WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd as independent Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAP) to the project in fulfilment of legislative requirements. BEC has been appointed on behalf of Worley Parsons to conduct the terrestrial flora and fauna assessments for the proposed project. Riaan Robbeson will conduct the botanical assessment; Dewald Kamffer will conduct the faunal assessment.

1.1 BIOPHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

The study area is situated approximately 30km east of Lime Acres. The R31 road is situated approximately 10km to the north of the site. The Ulco – Lime Acres railway line bisects the study area from east to west.

The study area falls within the Vaal Primary Catchment area. Several natural impoundments are present within the study area and immediate surrounds in the form of endorheic pans. These areas may have bare clay or more or less vegetated surfaces, contained in isolated enclosed depressions and inundation is characteristically ephemeral. The presence of these endorheic pans is expected to influence the sensitivity of the site in terms of suitability for the proposed development.

The surrounding region exhibits low levels of transformation, comprising extensive areas of natural habitat, categorised as Shrubland and Bushland. The greater region is similarly characterised by low levels of habitat fragmentation and isolation, typical to a rural environment. The study area comprises mostly sand, with a small portion of Dolomite located in the western section of the study area. Land types Ae9 and Fc4 are represented in the study area.

The study area is situated within Griqualand West Centre of Endemism. This is an indication that the habitat that characterises the study area could potentially be significant in terms of species richness and diversity.

GIS information contained within the SANBI website indicates that there is no area of particular biophysical/ biodiversity importance in the immediate vicinity of the proposed site. EIA investigations will afford the opportunity to assess this data to a more detailed scale.

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1.2 FLORA

The regional vegetation is described as Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld with a Least Threatened conservation status. Information obtained from the SANBI database indicate the known presence of only 8 plant species within the ¼ degree grids in which the proposed sites are located (2823BD), this is regarded a result of undersampling and does not reflect the true floristic diversity of the area.

No Red Data species are known to occur in the ¼ degree grids in which the study area is situated. However, since much of the study area comprises relative pristine habitat, the possibility that Red Data species might be present within the study area cannot be excluded. The following protected tree species are present in the study area, albeit at low cover abundance values (National Forest Act): • Acacia erioloba; and • Boscia albitrunca.

The lack of floristic knowledge of the region is also reflected in the absence of information on conservation important species, particularly since the study area is situated within the Griqualand West Centre of Endemism. The likelihood of encountering Red Data flora species on the property is therefore estimated at medium. Surveys conducted during the raining period are likely to reveal more information on the presence/ absence of Red Data flora species within the study area.

Results of the photo analysis and basic site investigations revealed the presence of the following preliminary macro habitat types within the study area: • Calcareous Pans (Mediumhigh floristic sensitivity); • Drainage Lines (Mediumhigh floristic sensitivity); • Infrastructure, Homestead, etc. (Low floristic sensitivity); • Natural Spring (High floristic sensitivity); and • Natural Woodland (Medium floristic sensitivity).

The vegetation of the study area exhibits the characteristics of the natural regional vegetation types and little degradation is noted across the site, mostly the result of grazing by cattle. The physiognomy is typically open shrubveld with occasional/ frequent trees and a small drainage line and natural spring in the central western part of the study area.

EIA investigations will aim to assess the diversity of the macro habitat types, confirm the variability in habitat, assess the abundance/ presence of conservation important species and, ultimately, confirm the sensitivity of habitat types that characterise the study area. Habitat importance will not only be considered on a local scale, but will also be considered in a cumulative sense, taking cognisance of similar developments in the region.

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1.3 FAUNA

The presence of 80 animal species was confirmed during the preliminary site investigation, by means of visual sightings, tracks, scats, burrows and speciesspecific calls. One scorpion, one dragonfly, one termite, one beetle, three butterflies, one bee, one frog, 8 reptiles, fortyfive birds and 18 mammals were confirmed for the study area. The diversity of animals in the study area did not include any Red Data species. In addition to identified species, invertebrates belonging to 22 families were also observed in the study area. The animals (species and families) observed in the study area are, for the most part, typical arid savanna species and representative of savanna animal communities that are widespread in the regional areas of the Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld and in the larger extent of the Eastern Kalahari Bushveld Bioregion.

Ninetysix Red Data animals are known to occur in the Northern Cape Province (butterflies, frogs, reptiles and mammals) and in the Qgrid 2823BD (birds). It is estimated that 73 of the 96 animals listed have a low probability of occurring in the study area, 12 have a moderatelow probability, 6 a moderate probability, 3 a moderatehigh and 2 species a high probability of occurring in the study area.

The homesteads and infrastructure of the study area includes all areas characterized by manmade structures, including farm buildings, workers’ quarters, roads, gardens etc. Because of the transformed nature of the homesteads and infrastructure of the study area, it is deemed to have a low faunal sensitivity. Wetlands in arid regions such as the calcareous pans and drainage line found in the study area have unique ecological characteristics and complex and variable ecosystem processes. The lack of ecological comprehension and potential unique faunal communities that could be found within these systems during times of surface water being present, results in a predicted mediumhigh faunal sensitivity. Because it is permanently inundated, the natural spring found in the study area is a unique ecological feature of the arid landscape found in the study area. Calcareous pans and drainage line found in the study area are ephemeral in nature. Based on this evaluation the natural spring found in the study area is deemed to have a high faunal sensitivity. The natural woodland found in the study area dominates the regional landscape in which the study area is located. It is estimated that the natural woodland of the study area has a medium faunal sensitivity.

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1.4 SCOPING ASSESSMENT

A risk assessment was undertaken of which the aim was to identify the main potential negative impacts on the ecological receiving environment. The significance of these impacts will be assessed during the EIA phase after collection of relevant field data. An initial assessment indicates that some of these impacts are likely to be significant or that there is a legislative benefit to establishing whether they will occur or not.

No impacts were identified that could lead to a beneficial effect on the ecological environment since the proposed development is largely destructive as it involves the alteration of natural habitat. The major expected negative impact will be due to loss of habitat that may have direct or indirect impacts on individual organisms and communities. Impacts resulting from the construction and operation of solar plants are largely restricted to the physical impacts on biota or the habitat in which they occur. A number of direct risks to ecosystems that would result from construction of the proposed facility are as follows: • Clearing of land for construction; • Construction of access roads; • Placement of infrastructure, including power lines, cables and water pipelines (if applicable); • Establishment of borrow and spoil areas; • Chemical contamination of the soil by construction vehicles and machinery; operation of construction camps; and • Storage of materials required for construction.

Impacts were placed in three categories, namely: • Direct impacts: o Impacts on threatened and protected flora and fauna species and associated habitat; o Destruction of sensitive/ pristine habitat types; o Direct impacts on common flora and fauna species & regional habitat; o Direct impacts on Ecosystem functioning; • Indirect Impacts: o Changes to surrounding habitat/ sensitive features/ ecosystem functioning; o Faunal interactions with structures, servitudes and personnel; o Impacts on surrounding flora and fauna species; • Cumulative Impacts: o Impacts on SA’s conservation obligations & targets (VEGMAP vegetation types); o Increase in local and regional fragmentation/ isolation of habitat; and o Increase in environmental degradation.

Initial results indicate that no any immediate issues of concern are raised in terms of the biodiversity attributes of the study area. This preliminary statement will be verified in more detail during the EIA phase of the project.

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2 TERMS OF REFERENCE

Objectives of this Biodiversity Scoping Assessment are to establish the presence/ absence, variability and preliminary ecological sensitivity of macro habitat types within the proposed project area, providing comments on the terrestrial biodiversity attributes that may be present within the area, with particular reference to sensitive species. These results will ultimately be incorporated into the Impact Assessment phase in order to assess the sensitivity of the receiving environment towards the proposed development.

Terrestrial Flora and Fauna: • Obtain all relevant biodiversity data on a local and regional scale; • Compile a desktop assessment for all species recorded in the past, their RD and protected status, according National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, Northern Cape Conservation Act and relevant Red Data lists; • List all potential species that can possibly be present by conducting desktop studies and available species lists; • Compile a preliminary aerial photo analysis of the entire area by means of GIS applications; • Conduct a reconnaissance survey of the area to ascertain accuracy of preliminary aerial photo analysis; • Present an overview of relevant biophysical attributes and estimated sensitivity in terms of terrestrial biodiversity; • Compile preliminary species lists, including commons species, Red Data and protected species; • Identify expected impacts as part of the scoping phase; and • Compile a suitable Biodiversity Scoping Document.

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3 INTRODUCTION

Destructive activities in a natural environment require vigilance to ensure that the biological and cultural heritage of future generations is not adversely affected by activities of today. Concern is growing about the consequences of biodiversity losses, for ecosystem functioning, for the provision of ecosystem services and for human well being.

Why is Biodiversity Conservation Important? Biodiversity sustains life on earth. An estimated 40 percent of the global economy is based on biological products and processes. Biodiversity has allowed massive increases in the production of food and other natural materials, which in turn have fed the (uncontrolled) growth and development of human societies. Biodiversity is also the basis of innumerable environmental services that keep humans and the natural environment alive, from the provision of clean water and watershed services to the recycling of nutrients and pollination.

Current pressures on and losses of biodiversity are unfortunately threatening to undermine the functionality of natural ecological processes and adaptive responses of the environment. The last few centuries have witnessed brutal increases in the rate at which biodiversity is being altered by humanity. With uncontrolled growth of human population, consumption needs have increased exponentially as well as the drive to extract more economically valuable resources at everfaster rates. Natural habitats that harbour some of the world’s most valuable biodiversity are being lost at increasingly faster and over progressively wider areas, while managed lands are undergoing increasing simplification. Adopting ‘biodiversity friendly’ practices remains challenging within the entire developmental sphere, especially for smaller companies and peripheral players. This is partly because governments, while perhaps committed on paper to biodiversity, have found it difficult to create the right incentives and apply the necessary regulations in a way that could encourage all players to conserve biodiversity.

Humanity faces the challenge of supporting the needs of growing populations from a rapidly shrinking natural resource base. Achieving a balance while doing this will require a better understanding and recognition of conservation and development imperatives and this is only a step towards more strategic and integrated approach to land use planning and management that helps societies make betterinformed decisions. Evidence illustrate how management tools, rehabilitation and restoration processes, together with improved scientific knowledge, can help conserve biodiversity; also highlighting that mutual benefits can result from stronger collaboration between the mining and conservation sectors. Good practice, collaboration and innovative thinking can advance biodiversity conservation worldwide while ensuring that the minerals and products that society needs are produced responsibly.

In 1992, the Convention of Biological Diversity, a landmark convention, was signed by more than 90% of all members of the United Nations. The enactment of the National

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Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004), together with the abovementioned treaty, focuses on the preservation of all biological diversity in its totality, including genetic variability, natural populations, communities, ecosystems up to the scale of landscapes. Hence, the local and global focus changed to the sustainable utilisation of biological diversity.

4 LIMITATIONS OF THIS INVESTIGATION

• Findings, results, observations, conclusions and recommendations presented in this report are based on the authors’ best scientific and professional knowledge as well as information available to them at the time of compiling this report. • This company, the consultants and/or specialist investigators do not accept any responsibility for conclusions, suggestions, limitations and recommendations made in good faith, based on the information presented to them, obtained from the surveys or requests made to them at the time of this report. • Results presented in this report are based on a snapshot investigation of the study area and not on detailed and longterm investigations of all environmental attributes and the varying degrees of biological diversity that may be present in the study area. • In particular, rare and endemic species normally do not occur in great densities and, because of customary limitations in the search and identification of Red Listed species, the detailed investigation of these species was not possible. Results are ultimately based on estimations and specialist interpretation of imperfect data. • It is emphasised that information, as presented in this document, only have bearing on the site as indicated on accompanying maps. This information cannot be applied to any other area, however similar in appearance or any other aspect, without proper investigation. • Furthermore, additional information may become known during a later stage of the process or development. The authors therefore reserve the right to modify aspects of the report including the recommendations should new information may become available from ongoing research or additional work in this particular area, or pertaining to this investigation. • This report should always be considered as a whole. Reading and representing portions of the report in isolation could lead to incorrect conclusions and assumptions. In case of any uncertainty, the authors should be contacted to clarify any viewpoints, recommendations and/ or results. • Not all areas could be accessed during the respective site investigations. Results are extrapolated to include these properties, but no responsibility could be taken should discrepancies be indicated at a later stage. It is strongly recommended that these areas be subjected to a basic site investigation to confirm initial results.

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5 PROJECT OVERVIEW

The intention of SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD is to develop a largescale commercial renewable energy project on this property in an effort to diversify the local energy generation ‘mix’ and reduce South Africa’s dependency on nonrenewable fossil fuel resources. The National Energy Response Plan (NERP) acknowledges the role that independent power producers (IPPs) could play in ensuring sustainable electricity generation and supply.

The demand for electricity in South Africa has been growing at approximately 3% per annum. This growing demand can be attributed to rapid economic growth and social development within South Africa and Southern Africa, which places significant pressure on South Africa’s existing power generation capacity and supply capability. Coupled with the rapid advancement in community development, is also the growing awareness of environmental impacts, climate change and the need for sustainable development. The Solar Park will consist of a PV and CSP development. The CSP plant will consist of a molten salttype, Central Receiver (tower) technology and will primarily comprise of the following four components: (a) Solar Field consists of all services and infrastructure related to the management and operation of the heliostats (reflective mirrors); (b) Molten Salt Circuit includes the thermal storage tanks for storing liquid salt, a concentration receiver/tower, pipelines and heat exchangers; (c) The Power Block – housing the steam turbine; and (d) Auxiliary facilities & infrastructure includes a condensercooling system, electricity transmission lines to allow for grid connection, access routes, water treatment and supply amenities and a CSP plant startup energy supply unit.

This technology utilizes thousands of heliostats, which track the sun and reflect the beam radiation to a common focal point. This focal point (the receiver) is located at a predetermined height above the heliostat field in order to prevent interference between the reflected radiation and the other heliostats.

The PV development will consist of solar panels that will occupy up to site area in total. The PV will be developed in three blocks of 150ha, each of which will produce 75 MW. The PV development will produce 225MW of power in total. PV panels are typically up to 15m² in size and the rows of approximately 1km in length, made up of approximately 100m sections. The panels will be mounted on metal frames with a maximum height of approximately 3m from the ground, supported by concrete or screw pile foundations, facing north in order to maximise sunlight exposure. The facility will be either a fixed PV plant where the solar panels are stationary or a tracking PV plant where the solar panels rotate to track the sun’s movement.

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6 ALTERNATIVES

In terms of the NEMAEIA Regulations, feasible alternatives are required to be considered during the EIA Process. All identified, feasible alternatives are required to be evaluated in terms of social, biophysical, economic and technical factors. The following alternatives will be considered for the project: • Site Location Alternatives; • Site Layout Alternatives; • Technology Alternatives; and • Nogo Alternative.

7 APPROACH TO THIS ASSESSMENT

While a proper knowledge of the biodiversity of the region is not negotiable to the ultimate success of this project, an attempt was made to remove any subjective opinions that might be held on any part of the study area as far as possible. Inherent characteristics of a project of this nature implies that no method will be foolproof, mainly as a result of shortcomings in available databases and lack of site specific detail that could be obtained from limited detailed site investigations conducted over a short period of time. It is an unfortunate fact that inherent sensitivities within certain areas are likely to exist that could not be captured or illustrated during the process. This is a limitation of every scientific study; it simply is not possible to know everything or to consider aspects to a level of molecular detail. However, the approach followed in this study is considered effective in presenting objective comments on the comparison of biodiversity sensitivity of parts in the study area.

In order to present an objective opinion of biodiversity sensitivities of the study area and how this relates to the suitability/ unsuitability of any area within the site in terms of the proposed development, all opinions and statements presented in this document are based on the following aspects, namely: • A desktop assessment of all available biological and biophysical data; • Augmentation of existing knowledge by means of site specific and detailed field surveys; • Specialist interpretation of available data, or known sensitivities of certain regional attributes; and • An objective scoping assessment, estimating potential impacts on biological and biophysical attributes.

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7.1 ASSESSMENT PHILOSOPHY

The objective of the scoping phase study is to review botanical and faunal patterns within the study area in order to identify any sensitive areas that should be avoided during development, also allowing for technical adjustments based on results of the scoping surveys. The study area will ultimately be scrutinised in more detail during the EIA phase of the assessment. Results of the scoping phase study are provided in this report.

The overall goal of this scoping assessment is to establish a reference point for the biophysical and biological attributes and sensitivities of the study area by means of the Ecosystem Approach Principles. This approach is advocated by the Convention on Biological Diversity (www.cbd.int), recognizing that people and biodiversity are part of the broader ecosystems on which they depend, and that it should thus be assessed in an integrated way. Effective conservation of landscape heterogeneity (sensitive habitat types/ ecosystems frequently associated with biodiversity elements of high sensitivity or conservation importance) effectively implies the conservation/ protection of species that are highly sensitive to changes in the environment.

It is inevitable that the Landscape Ecology Approach will not function effectively in all cases since extremely localised and small areas of sensitivity might occur scattered in any region and cannot always be captured on available databases or might have been missed during the site investigations. Therefore, the compilation of basic species lists and the identification of localised ecological habitat by means of a basic site investigation will be implemented to augment initial results. It is important to identify areas of sensitivity on a local scale and, where possible, communities or species that are considered sensitive to influences arising from the proposed development. The Precautionary Principal is applied throughout the assessment1.

Thus, the general approach adopted for this type of study is to identify any critical biodiversity issues that may lead to the decision that the proposed project cannot take place, i.e. to specifically focus on red flags and/or potential fatal flaws. Biodiversity issues are assessed by documenting whether any important biodiversity features occur on site, including species, ecosystems or processes that maintain ecosystems and/or species. These can be organised in a hierarchical fashion, as follows: • Threatened and/or Protected: o plant species; o animal species; o ecosystems; • Critical conservation areas, including: o areas of high biodiversity o centres of endemism

1 (www.pprinciple.net/the_precautionary_principle.html).

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• Important Ecological Processes, including: o Corridors; o Megaconservancy networks; o Rivers and wetlands; and o Important topographical features.

7.2 BOTANICAL ASSESSMENT

The botanical assessment was conducted by R. A. J. Robbeson (Pr.Sci.Nat.).

7.2.1 General Botanical Attributes

In preparation for the site survey, physiognomic homogenous units are identified and delineated on digital aerial photos, using standard aerial photo techniques (downloaded from www.googleearth.com and georectified on Arcview 3.2). A brief site visit was conducted to examine the general floristic attributes and diversity of the study area. Objectives of this particular investigation included the verification and ground truthing of preliminary habitat types and making preliminary assessments of the status and sensitivity of available habitat types.

It is not the intention of this report to provide a comprehensive list of all species that occur on this site; this particular aspect will be addressed in more detail in the EIA phase of the project. However, the opportunity afforded to investigate the study area during the early summer period was taken to establish the presence of species that might only be present/ flowering during the dry period of the year.

7.2.2 Flora Species of Conservation Importance

The purpose of listing Red Data plant species is firstly to provide information on the potential occurrence of species of special concern in the study area that may be affected by the proposed infrastructure. Secondly, the potential occurrence of these species can then be assessed in terms of their habitat requirements in order to determine whether they have a likelihood of occurring in habitats that may be affected by the proposed infrastructure. Red Listed flora information, as presented by SANBI was used as a point of departure for this assessment. A snapshot investigation of an area, such as this particular investigation, represents a severe limitation in terms of locating and identification potential Red Listed flora species. Particular emphasis is therefore placed on the identification and assessment of habitat deemed suitable for the potential presence of Red Listed.

It should be noted that Red List species are, by nature, usually rare and difficult to locate. Compiling a list of species that could potentially occur in an area is limited by the paucity of collection records that make it difficult to predict whether a species may occur in an area or not. Notwithstanding the application of the Precautionary Principle, there is always the

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Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant likelihood that a species that is not included in a list might be unexpectedly present in an area.

7.2.3 Floristic Sensitivity

The aim of this exercise is to present an opinion on the inherent sensitivity of macro habitat types by means of the comparison of weighted floristic attributes. Results of this exercise are not final and will likely be modified during the EIA phase of the project.

Floristic Sensitivity Values are determined through a subjective calculation. This method is considered effective in highlighting sensitive areas, based on observed floristic attributes rated across the spectrum of communities. Phytosociological attributes (species diversity, presence of exotic species, etc.) and physical characteristics, e.g. human impacts, size, fragmentation are important in assessing the status of the various communities.

High Sensitivity Values indicate areas that are considered pristine, unaffected by human influences or generally managed in an ecological effective manner. These areas are comparable to nature reserves and even well managed farm areas. Low Sensitivity Index Values indicate areas of lower ecological status or importance in terms of vegetation attributes, or areas that have been negatively affected by human impacts or poor management. Sensitivity Criteria employed in assessing the floristic sensitivity of separate units may vary between different areas, depending on location, type of habitat, size, etc.

7.3 FAUNAL ASSESSMENT

The faunal assessment was conducted by D. Kamffer (Pr.Sci.Nat.), which included qualitative surveys across major habitat types observed in the study area. Note that the avifaunal component is excluded from this assessment, as it will be addressed as a stand alone report.

7.3.1 Ecological Status

The extent to which a site is ecologically connected to surrounding areas is an important determinant of its sensitivity. Systems with a high degree of landscape connectivity or with extensive grassland and drainage systems amongst one another are perceived to be more sensitive and will be those contributing to important faunal sensitivity or overall preservation of faunal diversity. A basic site investigation will reveal the current ecological status of available habitat types. A preliminary assessment will be presented in this report, but will ultimately be canvassed during the EIA phase of the project. A major objective of this part of the project is to identify areas that are regarded important on a local or regional scale that are likely to have a bearing on the project.

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7.3.2 Red Listed Fauna Probabilities

Three parameters are used to assess the Probability of Occurrence of Red Listed species that could potentially occur in the study area: • Habitat requirements (HR) Red Listed animals have specific habitat requirements and the presence of these habitat characteristics in the study area is evaluated. • Habitat status (HS) The status or ecological condition of available habitat in the study area is assessed. Often, a high level of degradation of a specific habitat type will negate the potential presence of Red Listed species (especially wetlandrelated habitats where water quality plays a major role); and • Habitat linkage (HL) Movement between areas used for breeding and feeding purposes forms an essential part of ecological existence of many species. The connectivity of the study area to surrounding habitats and adequacy of these linkages are evaluated for the ecological functioning of Red Listed species within the study area.

The estimated Probability of Occurrence for Red Data fauna species is presented in five categories, namely: • Very low; • Low; • Moderate; • High; and • Very high.

7.3.3 Faunal Habitat Sensitivities

Faunal habitat sensitivities are subjectively estimated based on the following criteria: • Habitat status; • Connectivity; • Observed species composition & RD Probabilities; and • Functionality.

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8 THE BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

8.1 LOCATION

The regional setting of the study area is illustrated in Figure 1. A composite of georeferenced Google Earth images of the site is presented in Figure 2. Aerial images were downloaded from the Google Earth website (www.googleearth.com) and georeferenced using Arcview GIS 3.2.

8.2 SURFACE WATER

Please note that a separate report is compiled for the wetland discipline. Only brief comments are therefore included in this report as some aspects of these habitats relate to local and regional biodiversity aspects. For a detailed description of these aspects, the reader is referred to the relevant report.

The study area falls within the Vaal Primary Catchment area. Several impoundments are present within the study area and immediate surrounds in the form of endorheic pans. Endorheic pans are typically circular to oval in shape, and where two or more pans have spread and combined, they form characteristically kidneyshaped or lobed wetlands. They are shallow, even when fully inundated, and usually less than about three meters deep. The southern Kalahari pans are characterised as ‘dry or ephemeral lakes. These areas may have bare clay or more or less vegetated surfaces, contained in isolated enclosed depressions. Inundation is characteristically ephemeral. In the most arid regions, pans can stand dry for years between temporary flooding. Water loss is largely due to evaporation, and the high evaporation rates in the western part of the country contribute as much as low precipitation to the usual desiccated state (Allan, et al.).

The presence of these endorheic pans is expected to influence the sensitivity of the site in terms of suitability for the proposed development.

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Figure 1: Regional setting of the study area 10' 35' 0 V "'" ts ~ Iffil 2805 ·asvuO' I ' ' IL l I' 1 15 r-r28 24°15 24° . Kilometers ' ' ~GS1984 D 24~10 ~ 24°10 : /' tum 40 45 a D ------_r------r ------r_------' I . 1 rr~ 24°5 24°5' ~ ~~ ~ / -- ~ .- 30 35 ~ \ ------I .. I 1_ -- _I 24°00' 24°00' Y ---- L 20 25 ~'= :.1 l ~ -'' 23°55' 23°55' 15 , 0''''"' 10 '00 l I ; ' 23~50' 23°50' : ' . K 23°45 23°45' --t------t_------5 0 5 j1~ ------_t------_1------_i------' ' ~ I I I I I . =t 23°40 23°40 :::: Roads Railway -- I ------t--- N N ~ I . 23~35' 23°35' . Roads rt( Roads ------~ ~ ~ ~~ 23°30' 23°30' Secondary Tertiary ~ -= -J ---- J::..I N '=:= ------. Area ~ ~ 23°25' '{5' Study ------~ r- J ,1- ' 23°20' 23°20' uu owns v Arriesfontein T 28°5 "·" 28 28°3:, • _

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n Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant

Figure 2: Composite Google Earth image of the major part of the study area 00 30" ' '00" '30" '00" R'30" 1 1 R 1 0 ~ ?RO ?R01<; ?R 1 I I l III " --t ---t- C"", ~.::.c- - D L , , ' i I _ - ;-G : /' 23°49'30" 23°49'30" ometers l _', Ki " " J 4 00 00 ' ' _ ~ •• 4\ .,;0:, " 23°49 23°49 • ~ ------i-----t-----I--- \ t . e 3 tII' ~ r.A. " ---j ~ 1 ... -~ 23°48'30" ... '!'fC " *? (:I '.. f----+-----+-----+--- ' 00 h ' 2 t ; -~- I G~ 1 ~~ Pflr i' I 23°48 - ~! - ';-. '" '~7' ( f - ~ ... -I~."-~ "~ "''-'" " . " . "~ ~ ---" - ~.~ ~' £"'! \ --,-,~,,:,::,-;:~ ~'j;;. 0 I'l! ". -~ ~ ' ,,'~;;'.. ;;;'~ " ,it 23°47'00" 23°47'30" 23°48'00" 23°48'30" 23°47'00" 23°47'30" .... --"', .".. .~;, ._ _~',J/,::7 .'~, -, ., \- \ , .' \ ' .,--- \ =----~ ___ \ .~ 23°46'30" 23°46'30" . _ , , \';.~~.: ) " ". 1 , 1 ',~ . " . ,,,.-~ t , . ~ . ' 1984 , \ ,.. .. ~ : 23°46'00" 23°46'00" ~ ~ / ':- f WGS , ~,..... \ '. ~~~- . D S. -:.' ; ~ : ~ ~, I! f,,; I <.. Datum 23°45'30" 23°45'30" , . -' • •. I ~~ 23°45'00" ' - Area - Study :~ -----+-----I------1--I -----+-----I-----i ----+-----+------I-----+-----I--I -----f-----+_ . l l 1 tl tl "'-t " "t 'I I1 0 3 00 Railway 23°44'00" 23°44'30" 23°45'00" ' ' ' Arriesfontein 15'30 17'00 19 16'30"1 0 D N 28° 28°16'00" 28 280 28°17'3 28° 28°18 28°18

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8.3 LAND COVER & LAND USE OF THE REGION

Land use often determines land cover; it is an important factor contributing to the condition of the land. Different uses have varying effects on the integrity of the land. Areas that are characterised by high levels of transformation and habitat degradation are generally more suitable for development purposes as it is unlikely that biodiversity attributes of importance will be present or affected by development. Conversely, areas that are characterised by extensive untransformed and pristine habitat are generally not regarded suitable options for development purposes, particularly in the selected cases where these habitat types are under threat from local and regional development.

8.4 TOPOGRAPHY, RELIEF AND SLOPES

The presence of habitat types of physical variability represents important biodiversity attributes. Hills and ridges have generally been shown to have a rich biodiversity consisting of an important habitat for sensitive species as well as high plant diversity. The topography of the study area is categorized as ‘Plains and Pans’ characterized by a gently undulating landscape. Various shallow drainage lines intersect the landscape. Altitude varies around 1,400 meters above sea level. No significant topographical features are present in the immediate vicinity of the study area.

8.5 GEOLOGY

The study area comprises mostly sand, with a small portion of Dolomite located in the western section of the study area (Figure 4).

From a geological viewpoint, sand is anything small enough to be carried by the wind but big enough that it doesn't stay in the air, roughly 0.06 to 1.5 millimeters. It indicates a vigorous environment. Most sand is made of quartz or its microcrystalline cousin chalcedony, because that common mineral is resistant to weathering. The farther from its source rock sand is, the closer it is to pure quartz. But many "dirty" sands contain feldspar grains, tiny bits of rock (lithics), or dark minerals like ilmenite and magnetite. Another important aspect is what the sand makes, namely dunes, sandbars, beaches, etc. The presence of limestone is noted throughout the study area.

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Figure 3: Land cover of the study area 1 A 11 8' 28°12' 28°14' 28°15' 28°18' 28°20' 28°22' 28°24' 23°58' "'"om''''' 23°55' " ' 54 " 3° 2 " " 23°52' " ' 23°50 ' 23°48 23°45' 0 , , , , ' ~ 23°44 ' Bushland / 23°42 Shrubland Wetland Grassland 23°40' _ _ ' Bushland / Area 23°38 Study Shrubland Plantations Categories r ve xotic Degraded E Arriesfontein _ _ D Landco

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Figure 4: Geological formations of the immediate region ' 15' 0 l[ I h"ol7' h,,018' h,,019' I.,Ro16 128 ' ' 23°50 23°50 "',m,"" , , 23°49' 23°49' , , J ...... , 23°48' 23°48' I , I I J...... 23°47' 23°47' , '... / , ' ' r- ,.. 23°46 23°46 / 0 , ' ' 23°45 23°45 ' I ' 23°44 23°44' Area Study r 1 Formations 1=:,11 o, 15' ° ° 28 28 Sand Dolomite Arriesfontein _ D Geological

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8.6 LAND TYPES

Although it is not in the scope of this report to present a detailed description of the soil types of the area, a basic description will suffice for this assessment as a strong association between ecological habitat types and land types are typically known to occur. Land types Ae9 and Fc4 are represented in the study area (Figure 5).

A land types generally represent flat or slightly undulating landscapes, on granite, shale and Karoo sediments, which mostly give rise to deep, freely drained soils. Yellow & red soils without a water table predominate, belonging in one or more of the Inanda, Kranskop, Magwa, Hutton, Griffon or Clovelly soil forms. The land does not qualify as a plinthic catena and one of the above soil forms occupy at least 40% of the area (red, high base status, >300mm deep, no dunes). Map units Aa to Ai refer to yellow and red soils without water tables and belonging in one or more of the following soil form: Inanda, Kranskop, Magwa, Hutton, Griffin and Clovelly. The map units refer to land that does not qualify as a plinthic catena and in which one or more of the above soil forms occupy at least 40% of the area.

Fc land types are intended to accommodate pedologically young landscapes that are not predominantly rock and not predominantly alluvial or Aeolian an in which the dominant soil formation processes have been rock weathering, the formation of orthic topsoil horizons and, commonly clay illuviation, giving rise typically to lithocutanic horizons. The soil forms, which epitomize these processes, are Glenrosa and Mispah. However, exposed rock and soils belonging in almost any of the other soil forms may be found in these land types, provided these other soils do not qualify the land for inclusion in another map unit. Shallow and deep soils of the Oakleaf form developed by rock weathering are accommodated here. Fc refers to land where lime occurs regularly in upland and valley bottom soils.

8.7 AREAS OF CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE

The mountainous western parts of the WC are covered by Kalahari Mountain Bushveld, and the eastern plateau area is covered by Kalahari Plateau Bushveld, both endemic to the centre (Low & Rebelo, 1996). Tarchonanthus camphoratus is a particularly common woody species in these two bushveld types. Typical mountain species include Searsia tridactyla, Croton gratissimus and Buddleja saligna. Pockets of Karootype vegetation increase towards the south and west, especially in overgrazed areas. Succulents of the Asclepiadaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Mesembryanthemaceae are well represented in the centre.

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The proximity of the GWC is signified by the pockets and tongues of windblown, orangered Kalahari sand that have accumulated in some of the intermontane valleys. The vegetation of the GWC is still fairly intact, although extremely poorly conserved. Apparently, the Kalahari Plateau Bushveld is the only Savanna Biome vegetation type that is not represented in any sizeable nature reserve (Van Rooyen & Bredenkamp, 1996b). Bush encroachment, which is due to inappropriate management practices (mainly overgrazing by domestic livestock), is a major problem in many parts of the region.

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Figure 5: Land Types of the general region 19'00" 15'30" 16'00" 17'00" 18'00" 0 0 0 0 IlXJ 128016'30" 128017'30" 128018'30" 128 128 128 128 "'om"", , 23°49'30" " -----+------.128° --t 6 23°49'00 I 23°48'30" , """ ----t---- ...... 1 l- I 23°48'00" , I " I 1 23°47'30 3 I J: ..... 23°47'00" 2 " I , 23°46'30 , 23°46'00" " 0 23°45'30 ' i 23°45'00" Area 23°44'30" Study 00" ' 23°44 Fc4 Arriesfontein Ae9 _ D Soils

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9 FLORA ASSESSMENT

9.1 REGIONAL VEGETATION

The regional vegetation is described as Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld (Mucina & Rutherford, 2006), comprising the flat plateau from around Campbell in the south, east of Danielskuil through Reivilo to around Vryburg in the north and is characterised by a welldeveloped shrub layer with Tarchonanthus camphoratus and Acacia karroo. The open tree layer has Olea europaea subsp. africana, A. tortilis, Ziziphus mucronata and Searsia lancea. Olea europaea is more important in the southern parts of the unit, while Acacia tortilis, A. hebeclada and A. mellifera are more important in the north and parts of the west of the unit. Much of the southcentral part of this unit has remarkably low cover of Acacia species for an arid savannah, dominated by the nonthorny Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Searsia lancea and Olea europaea subsp. africana.

The conservation status of this vegetation type is regarded Least Threatened, although none is conserved in statutory conservation areas. Only about 1% is transformed.

Biogeographically important species that occur in this unit include Calobota cuspidosa, Nuxia gracilis, Blepharis marginata, Putterlickia saxatilis, Tarchonanthus obovatus, Euphorbia wilmaniae, Prepodesma orpenii, Digitaria polyphylla, Panicum kalaharense, Corchorus pinnnatipartitus, Helichrysum arenicola and Orbea knobelii. The endemic taxon Rennera stellata is also present within this unit.

Trees Acacia erioloba, A. mellifera subsp. detinens, Searsia lancea, A. karroo, A. tortilis, subsp. heteracantha and Boscia albitrunca.

Shrubs Olea europaea subsp. africana, Rhigozum trichotomum, Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Ziziphus mucronata, Diospyros austro-africana, D. pallens, Ehretia rigida, Euclea crispa subsp. ovata, Grewia flava, Gymnosporia buxifolia, Lessertia frutescens, Searsia tridactyla, Acacia hebeclada subsp. hebeclada, Aptosimum procumbens, Chrysocoma ciliata, Helichrysum zeyheri, Hermannia comosa, Lantana rugosa, Leucas capensis, Melolobium microphyllum, Peliostomum leucorrhizum, Pentzia globosa, P. Viridis, Thesium hystrix and Zygophyllum pubescens.

Succulent shrubs Hertia pallens and Lycium cinereum.

Woody climber Asparagus africanus

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Graminoids Anthephora pubescens, Cenchrus ciliata, Digitaria eriantha subsp. eriantha, Enneapogon scoparius, Eragrostis lehmanniana, Schmidtia pappophoroides, Themeda triandra, Aristida adscensionis, A. congesta, A. diffusa, Cymbopogon pospischilii, Enneapogon cenchroides, E. desvauxii, Eragrostis echinochloidea, E. obtusa, E. rigidior, E. superba, Fingerhuthia africana, Heteropogon contortus, Sporobolus fimbriatus, Stipagrostis uniplumis and Tragus racemosus.

Herbs Barleria macrostegia, Geigeria filifolia, G. ornativa, Gisekia africana, Helichrysum cerastioides, Heliotropium ciliatum, Hermbstaedtia odorata, Hibiscus marlothianus, H. pusillus, Jamesbrittenia aurantiaca, Limeum fenestratum, Lippia scaberrima, Selago densiflora, Vahlia capensis subsp. vulgaris and Aloe grandidentata.

9.2 REGIONAL DIVERSITY

Information obtained from the SANBI database indicate the known presence of only 8 plant species within the ¼ degree grids in which the proposed sites are located (2823BD). Generally, it is estimated that any grid where less than 300 species are known to occur is regarded a result of undersampling and does not reflect the true floristic diversity of the particular area. The existing database is therefore not regarded an accurate reflection of the true floristic diversity of the region.

9.3 FLORA SPECIES OF CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE

South Africa’s Red List system is based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Version 3.1 (finalized in 2001), amended to include additional categories to indicate species that are of local conservation concern. The IUCN Red List system is designed to detect risk of extinction. Species that are at risk of extinction, also known as threatened or endangered species are those that are classified in the categories Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU).

No Red Data species are known to occur in the ¼ degree grids in which the study areas are located. However, since much of the study area comprises relative pristine habitat, the possibility that Red Data species might be present within the study area cannot be excluded.

In terms of the National Forests Act of 1998 certain tree species can be identified and declared as protected. All trees occurring in natural forests are also protected in terms of the Act. Protective actions take place within the framework of the Act as well as national policy and guidelines. Trees are protected for a variety of reasons, and some species require strict protection while others require control over harvesting and utilization. In terms of the National Forests Act of 1998, protected tree species may not be cut, disturbed, damaged,

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Terrestrial Biodiversity Scoping Assessment Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant destroyed and their products may not be possessed, collected, removed, transported, exported, donated, purchased or sold – except under license granted by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (or a delegated authority). The following species are present in the study area and are protected under this act: • Acacia erioloba; and • Boscia albitrunca.

The lack of floristic knowledge of the region is reflected in the absence of information on conservation important species. The likelihood of encountering Red Data flora species on the property is regarded medium low. Surveys conducted during the raining period are likely to reveal more accurate information on the presence/ absence of Red Data flora species within the study area.

9.4 PRELIMINARY MACRO HABITAT TYPES

Results of the photo analysis and basic site investigations revealed the presence of the following preliminary macro habitat types within the study area (Figure 6): • Calcareous Pans – usually devoid of vegetation or characterised by short grasses and low forbs, trees and shrubs generally absent. Ephemeral in nature, assumed to be dominated by more dense vegetation during periods of inundation; • Drainage Lines – similar to pans in appearance, devoid of vegetation, characterised by clayey substrate, low grasses and forbs, trees and shrubs generally absent; • Infrastructure, Homestead, etc. – no natural habitat remaining; • Natural Spring – lasting source of water, characterised by sedges and trees, relative dense vegetation; and • Natural Woodland – comprises the largest extent of the study area, vegetation typical to the regional vegetation with open savannah/ shrubland, dominated by Tarchonanthus camphoratus and other shrubs/ trees.

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9.5 PRELIMINARY FLORISTIC SENSITIVITY

Preliminary floristic sensitivity calculations are presented in Table 3 and illustrated in Figure 7.

Table 3: Preliminary floristic sensitivity estimations for the respective habitat types RD Landscape Species Functionality/ SENSITIVITY SENSITIVITY Criteria Status TOTAL species sensitivity diversity fragmentation INDEX CLASS Community Criteria Ranking Calcareous Pans 4 10 8 4 10 218 68% mediumhigh Drainage Line 3 10 7 6 8 206 64% mediumhigh Homesteads & Infrastructure 1 0 1 3 1 34 11% low Natural Spring 6 10 8 8 10 258 81% high Natural Woodland 4 5 8 7 8 187 58% medium

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Figure 6: Macro-habitat types of the study area " " " " " " " 30" 00 00 30 ' ' ' ' 5 9 6 7'30 8 1 1 1 1 1 17'00" 16'30 18'00 19'30 ° ° ° ° l[ I 28° 28° 28 28 28 28° 28° 28° 28 loltl4 I " " ~ 30 30 ' ' l::> ""ome", vv 23°49 23°49 : urn " " a 00 00 ' ' , 23°49 23°49 " " 30 30 ' ' t7 , ------23°48 23°48 .-/ " / " / ------/ , 23°48'00" 23°48'00 ~ / " " --'~ ( 1 / ~ --- "- , 23°47'30 23°47'30 / ---- ' \ '\ ~ " " ~ / r 1 N I .; ) - 23°47'00 23°47'00 f 0 ~ '-- C (r " " ~ 30 30 ' ' ~ I'-- - I"" - 23°46 23°46 l' , ~ ' ""'" " " / 00 ' ~ ..J I ( 46 ° 1 23°46'00 23 " / 30" ' d ~ 1 1 n a l g n / 23°45 23°45'30 ~ wood spri " l l ra u Natura Nat 23°45'00 23°45'00" -- _ " " 30 30 ' ' 23°44 23°44 omestead " " H s n / 00 00 ' ' re pa ne u li ct u 23°44 23°44 ' ' ' ' ' ' nage 00 00 30 30 ypes i ' ' ' ' T 5'30' 6 6 9 7'00 7'30' 8'00 8'30' frastr 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 19 Dra In Calcareous ° ° ° itat 28° 28° 28 28 28° 28° 28° 28° 28 b a _ _ _ H

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Figure 7: Preliminary Floristic/ Faunal/ Ecological Sensitivity of the study area " 16'00" 16'30" 17'00" 17'30" 18'00 18'30" 19'00" 19'30" 0 LAl l 8 28°15'30" 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 12 1 " 1984 ""'m~'" Y1GS D 23°49'30" 23°49'30 : " " 00 00 ' ' Datum I , 23°49 23°49 30" ' , 23°48'30" 23°48 '00" , 23°48 , 23°47'30" 23°47'30" 23°48'00" 23°47'00" 23°47'00" 0 " " 30 30 ' ' 23°46 23°46 ' 00" ' I 23°46'00" 23°46 " 23°45'30 '00" 23°45 um " Low Medi Sensitivity l _ 23°44'30 23°44'30" 23°45'00" 23°45'30" " " 00 00 cologica ' ' E 1 23°44 23°44 Faunal, 7'30" 8'00" 1 1 19'30"1 15'30" 16'00" 16'30" 17'00" 18'30" 19'00" Medium-high High 0 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 28° 28 _ Floristic,

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9.6 DISCUSSION

The vegetation of the study area exhibits the characteristics of the natural regional vegetation types and little degradation is noted across the site, which is mostly the result of grazing by cattle. The physiognomy is typically open shrubveld with occasional/ frequent trees and a small drainage line and natural spring in the central western part of the study area. A relative diverse herbaceous component was noted during the site investigation, this would be investigated in more detail during the EIA phase of the project.

The regional database indicates a relative low likelihood of encountering Red Data species within this area, but this is regarded a reflection of the undersampling of the region, rather than a true reflection of the floristic status thereof. Protected trees (Olea europaea and Acacia erioloba) occur in the study area, but at low abundance values.

While the conservation status of the regional vegetation is regarded as Least Threatened, mostly because of the untransformed nature of these vegetation types on a regional scale, the vegetation of the study area is found to be relative pristine. At this stage, a moderate floristic sensitivity is ascribed to the terrestrial vegetation types, but a mediumhigh floristic sensitivity is ascribed to macro habitat types that are associated with wetland habitat, comprising the pans, drainage line and natural spring (high).

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10 FAUNA ASSESSMENT

Please take note that although the faunal assessment in this document does not specifically addresses avifaunal aspects, general comments are included as it does related to an important section of the local and regional biodiversity.

10.1 REGIONAL FAUNAL DIVERSITY

The study area is located within the Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld regional vegetation community (Eastern Kalahari Bushveld Bioregion: Savanna Biome – VegMap 2006). This vegetation community is listed as Least Threatened and approximately 98% remains untransformed. The annual rainfall varies from 235mm in the Kalahari Savanna in the west (region of the study area) to more than 1,000 mm in the east. The great variation in environmental conditions results in significant vegetation variation and animal diversity (fire and animals play important roles in maintaining savanna ecosystem processes). Threats to this ecoregion includes rapidly expanding development of settlements for impoverished human populations and the associated need for firewood and building materials, diminishing water supply, agriculture (especially sugar cane and subtropical products) and overgrazing.

Red Data animals known to occur in the Northern Cape were included in the Red Data faunal assessment. The following databases were used for the various faunal groups (data concerning species’ habitat requirements and known regional distribution were used in concert with personal experience of the red data species of the Northern Cape): • Invertebrates: Butterflies (South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment – http://sabca.adu.org.za); • Amphibians: Frogs (Atlas and Red Data Book of the Frogs of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland); • Reptiles: Snakes and other Reptiles (South African Reptile Conservation Assessment – http://sarca.aduorg.za); • Birds: All bird groups (Roberts VII Multimedia: Birds of Southern Africa, PC Edition); and • Mammals: Terrestrial Mammals (Red Data Book of the Mammals of South Africa: A Conservation Assessment)

Animals known to be present in the Qgrid 2823BD were considered potential inhabitants of the study area (all species known from the Northern Cape Province were included in the assessment to limit the known effects of sampling bias; except for birds where sampling has been comprehensive in the last decade).

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10.2 FAUNAL DIVERSITY OF THE SITE

The presence of 80 animal species was confirmed during the site investigation (Table 4), by means of visual sightings, tracks, scats, burrows and speciesspecific calls. The following groups were observed: • 1 scorpion; • 1 dragonfly; • 1 termite; • 1 beetle; • 4 butterflies; • 1 bee; • 1 frog; • 8 reptiles; • 45 birds; and • 18 mammals.

The 80 species found to occur in the study area did not include any Red Data species. Additionally, invertebrates of 22 families were also confirmed to occur in the study area (for various reasons, these animals could only be identified to family level – Table 5).

The animals (species and families) observed in the study area are, for the most part, typical arid savanna species and representative of savanna animal communities that are widespread in the regional areas of the Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld and in the larger extent of the Eastern Kalahari Bushveld Bioregion.

Table 4: Animal species occurring in the study area Class Order Family Biological Name English Name Arachnida Scorpiones Scorpionidae Opistophthalmus carinatus Burrowing Scorpion Odonata Aeshnidae Anax imperator Blue Emperor Isoptera Termitidae Trinervitermes sp Snouted Harvester Termite Scarabaeidae Pachnoda sinuata Garden Fruit Chafer Insecta Nymphalidae Danaus chryssipus African Monarch Coleoptera Pieridae Belenois aurota Brownveined White Papilionidae Papilio demodocus Citrus Swallowtail Hymenoptera Apidae Apis mellifera Honey Bee Amphibia Anura Bufonidae Amietophrynus poweri Western Olive Toad Testudines Testudinidae Stigmochelys pardalis Leopard Tortoise Atractaspididae Atractaspis bibronii Bibron's Burrowing Asp Colubridae Dasypeltis scabra Common Egg Eater Elapidae Naja nivea Cape Cobra Reptilia Squamata Viperidae Bitis arietans Puff Adder Lacertidae Pedioplanis lineoocellata Spotted Sand Lizard Agamidae Agama aculeata Ground Agama Gekkonidae Pachydactylus capensis Cape Thicktoed Gecko Numididae Numida meleagris Helmeted Guineafowl Galliformes Phasianidae Scleroptila levaillantoides Orange River Francolin Aves Anas erythrorhyncha Redbilled Teal Anseriformes Anatidae Anas undulata Yellowbilled Duck January 2012 31

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Threskiornithidae Bostrychia hagedash Hadeda Ibis Ciconiiformes Ardeidae Ardea melanocephala Blackheaded Heron Falconiformes Accipitridae Melierax canorus Pale Chanting Goshawk Gruiformes Rallidae Fulica cristata Redknobbed Coot Burhinidae Burhinus capensis Spotted Thickknee Charadriiformes Vanellus armatus Blacksmith Lapwing Charadriidae Vanellus coronatus Crowned Lapwing Streptopelia capicola Ringnecked Dove Columbiformes Columbidae Spilopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove Cuculiformes Cuculidae Chrysococcyx caprius Diderick Cuckoo Tytonidae Tyto alba Western Barn Owl Strigiformes Caprimulgidae Caprimulgus rufigena Rufouscheeked Nightjar Apodiformes Apodidae Apus caffer Whiterumped Swift Nilaus afer Brubru Laniidae Lanius collurio Redbacked Shrike Lanius collaris Common Fiscal Corvidae Corvus albus Pied Crow Mirafra fasciolata Eastern Clapper Lark Alaudidae Calendulauda africanoides Fawncoloured Lark Pycnonotidae Pycnonotus nigricans African Redeyed Bulbul Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow Ptyonoprogne fuligula Rock Martin Hirundinidae Cecropis cucullata Greater Striped Swallow Cecropis semirufa Redbreasted Swallow Cisticola juncidis Zitting Cisticola Cisticolidae Prinia flavicans Blackchested Prinia Sylviidae Sylvia subcaerulea Chestnutvented TitBabbler Passeriformes Zosteropidae Zosterops pallidus Orange River Whiteeye Sturnidae Creatophora cinerea Wattled Starling Cossypha caffra Cape RobinChat Muscicapidae Erythropygia paena Kalahari Scrub Robin Sigelus silens Fiscal Flycatcher Passeridae Passer motitensis Great Sparrow Sporopipes squamifrons Scalyfeathered Weaver Ploceidae Ploceus velatus Southern Masked Weaver Estrildidae Uraginthus granatinus Violeteared Waxbill Viduidae Vidua regia Shafttailed Whydah Motacillidae Motacilla capensis Cape Wagtail Crithagra atrogularis Blackthroated Canary Fringillidae Crithagra flaviventris Yellow Canary Emberiza flaviventris Goldenbreasted Bunting Lagomorpha Leporidae Lepus capensis Cape Hare Sciuridae Xerus inauris Cape Ground Squirrel Rodentia Bathyergidae Cryptomys hottentotus Common Molerat Hystricidae Hystrix africaeaustralis Porcupine Felidae Caracal caracal Caracal Mammalia Hyaenidae Proteles cristata Aardwolf Cynictis penicillata Yellow Mongoose Carnivora Herpestidae Galerella sanguinea Common Slender Mongoose Suricata suricatta Meerkat Canis mesomelas Blackbacked Jackal Canidae Otocyon megalotis Bateared Fox January 2012 32

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Vulpes chama Cape Fox Tubulidentata Orycteropodidae Orycteropus afer Aardvark Hyracoidea Procaviidae Procavia capensis Rock Hyrax Suidae Phacochoerus africanus Common Warthog Strepsiceros strepsiceros Cape Kudu Artiodactyla Bovidae Raphicerus campestris Steenbok Sylvicapra grimmia Bush Duiker

Table 5: Invertebrate families occurring in the study area Class Order Family English Name Thysanura Lepismatidae Silverfish Mantodea Mantidae Praying Mantids Gryllidae Crickets Orthoptera Pyrgomorphidae Foam Grasshoppers Acrididae Shorthorned Grasshoppers Notonectidae Backswimmers Cicadellidae Leafhoppers Hemiptera Cicadidae Cicadas Pentatomidae Stink Bugs Insecta Gerridae Water Striders Thysanoptera Thripidae Common Thrips Carabidae Ground Beetles Meloidae Blister Beetles Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Scarab Beetles Tenebrionidae Darkling Beetles Culicidae Mosquitoes Diptera Tabanidae Horse Flies Muscidae House Flies Hymenoptera Formicidae Ants

10.3 PRELIMINARY RED DATA ASSESSMENT

Ninetysix Red Data animals are known to occur in the Northern Cape Province (butterflies, frogs, reptiles and mammals) and in the Qgrid 2823BD (birds) – Table 6. This includes 18 listed as Data Deficient (DD), 31 as Near Threatened (NT), 36 as Vulnerable (VU), 5 as Endangered (EN) and 6 as Critically Endangered (CR). It is estimated that 73 of the 96 animals listed have a low probability of occurring in the study area, 12 have a moderatelow probability, 6 a moderate probability, 3 a moderatehigh and 2 species a high probability of occurring in the study area.

The estimated probabilities of the red data fauna assessment are based on: • size of the study area; • location of the study area; • diversity and status of each faunal habitat within the study area; and • connectivity of the study area to other untransformed faunal habitats.

Surveys conducted during the EIA phase will be utilised to assess the status and diversity of habitat types in more detail. The preliminary probabilities ascribed to Red Data species could therefore be amended to allow for additional/ new information gathered during that period.

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Table 6: Red Data Fauna assessment for the study area Species Details Probability Biological Name English Name RD Assessment Butterflies Aloeides kaplani Kaplan's Copper VU low Aloeides nollothi Nolloth's Copper VU low Aloeides pallida jonathani Giant Copper DD low Chrysoritis azurius Azure Opal VU low Chrysoritis beaufortius stepheni Stephen's Opal VU low Chrysoritis dicksoni Dickson's Strandveld Copper CR low Chrysoritis pan lysander Lysander Opal DD low Chrysoritis trimeni Trimen's Opal VU low Chrysoritis turneri wykehami Wykeham's Opal VU low Lepidochrysops badhami Badham's Blue VU low Lepidochrysops penningtoni Pennington's Blue VU low Lepidochrysops titei Tite's Blue VU low Lepidochrysops wykehami Wykeham's Blue VU low Phasis pringlei Pringle's Arrowhead VU low Thestor dryburghi Dryburgh's Skolly VU low Thestor pringlei Pringle's Skolly VU low Tuxentius hesperis Western Pie DD low Tuxentius melaena griqua Black Pie DD low Frogs Cacosternum karooicum Karoo Caco DD low Pyxicephalus adspersus Giant Bullfrog NT low Strongylopus springbokensis Namaqua Stream Frog VU low Reptiles Bitis inornata Plain Mountain Adder VU low Bitis schneideri Namaqua Dwarf Adder VU low Cordylus macropholis Largescaled Girdled Lizard NT low Cordylus mclachlani McLachlan's Girdled Lizard VU low Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback Turtle CR low Gerrhosaurus typicus Karoo Plated Lizard NT low Goggia gemmula Richtersveld Pygmy Gecko DD low Goggia microlepidota Smallscaled Gecko NT low Homopus signatus Speckled Padloper NT low Lamprophis fiskii Fisk's House Snake VU low Typhlosaurus lomiae Lomi's Blind Legless Skink VU low Birds Phoenicopterus roseus Greater Flamingo NT low Phoenicopterus minor Lesser Flamingo NT low Mycteria ibis Yellowbilled Stork NT low Ciconia nigra Black Stork NT low Leptoptilos crumeniferus Marabou Stork NT low Sagittarius serpentarius Secretarybird NT high Gyps africanus Whitebacked Vulture VU moderatelow Gyps coprotheres Cape Vulture VU moderatelow Torgos tracheliotus Lappetfaced Vulture VU moderatelow Circus ranivorus African Marsh Harrier VU moderatelow Circus maurus Black Harrier VU moderatelow Aquila rapax Tawny Eagle VU moderate

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Polemaetus bellicosus Martial Eagle VU moderate Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel VU moderatelow Falco biarmicus Lanner Falcon NT moderate-high Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon NT moderatelow Ardeotis kori Kori Bustard VU high Neotis ludwigii Ludwig's Bustard VU moderate Anthropoides paradisea Blue Crane VU moderatelow Charadrius pallidus Chestnutbanded Plover NT low Rostratula benghalensis Greater Paintedsnipe NT low Glareola nordmanni Blackwinged Pratincole NT moderatelow Mammals Acinonyx jubatus Cheetah VU low Atelerix frontalis South African Hedgehog NT low Bathyergus janetta Namaqua Dune Molerat NT low Bunolagus monticularis Riverine Rabbit CR low Chrysochloris asiatica Cape Golden Mole DD low Chrysochloris visagiei Visagie's Golden Mole CR low Cistugo lesueuri Leseur's Winggland Bat NT low Cistugo seabrai Angolan Winggland Bat VU low Crocidura cyanea Reddishgrey Musk Shrew DD moderate Crocidura fuscomurina Tiny Musk Shrew DD low Crocidura hirta Lesser Red Musk Shrew DD low Crocidura silacea Lesser Greybrown Musk Shrew DD low Crocuta crocuta Spotted Hyaena NT low Cryptochloris wintoni De Winton's Golden Mole CR low Damaliscus lunatus lunatus Tsessebe EN low Diceros bicornis bicornis Black Rhinoceros arid ecotype CR low Elephantulus intufi Bushveld Elephantshrew DD low Equus zebra hartmannae Hartmann's Mountain Zebra EN low Erimitalpa granti Grant's Golden Mole VU low Graphiurus platyops Rock Dormouse DD low Hippotragus equinus Roan Antelope VU low Hyaena brunnea Brown Hyaena NT moderate Lycaon pictus African Wild Dog EN low Manis temminckii Pangolin VU low Mellivora capensis Honey Badger NT moderate-high Miniopterus schreibersii Schreiber's Longfingered Bat NT moderate Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal EN low Myosorex varius Forest Shrew DD low Mystromys albicaudatus Whitetailed Rat EN low Otomys slogetti Sloggett's Rat DD low Panthera leo Lion VU low Paratomys littledalei Littledale's Whistling Rat NT low Petromys typicus Dassie Rat NT low Poecilogale albinucha African Weasel DD moderatelow Rhinolophus capensis Cape Horseshoe Bat NT low Rhinolophus clivosus Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat NT moderatelow Rhinolophus darlingi Darling's Horseshoe Bat NT moderatelow Rhinolophus denti Dent's Horseshoe Bat NT low Rhinolophus fumigatus Ruppel's Horseshoe Bat NT low Suncus varilla Lesser Dwarf Shrew DD low Tatera leucogaster Bushveld Gerbil DD moderate-high Xerus princeps Mountain Ground Squirrel NT low

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10.4 FAUNAL HABITAT TYPES

For the purpose of this investigation, floristic units are considered representative of the faunal habitat types. The following characteristics of untransformed habitat types are regarded pertinent: • Calcareous Pans & Drainage Line – comprises unique ecological characteristics and complex and variable ecosystem processes, ephemeral in nature. Potentially significant during periods of high rainfall; • Infrastructure, Homestead, etc. – no natural habitat remaining; • Natural Spring –unique ecological feature of the arid landscape found, species found in the study area that were limited to the natural spring during the field investigation included the Yellowbilled Duck, Redbilled Teal, Redknobbed Coot, Western Olive Toad, Backswimmers (Notonectidae) and Water Striders (Gerridae), regarded a “biodiversity hotspot” on the scale of the study area as well as a regional unique landscape feature; and • Natural Woodland – dominates the regional landscape, currently not regarded to be under threat (listed as Least Threatened) and only small fragments of transformed habitat is present within the natural woodland present in the study area and surrounding regions.

10.5 PRELIMINARY FAUNAL HABITAT SENSITIVITY

During the field assessment, the study area was investigated and assessed in terms of the following biodiversity attributes: • Habitat status: level of habitat transformation and degradation vs. pristine faunal habitat; • Habitat diversity: the number of different faunal habitat types (both on micro and macroscale) found within the proposed site and bordering areas; • Habitat linkage: the degree to which the faunal habitat of the proposed site is linked to other natural areas enabling movement of animals to and from the habitat found on site; • Red Data species: the degree to which suitable habitat for the red data species likely to be found in the study area (larger study area) is located on each site; and • Sensitive faunal habitat: the relative presence of faunal sensitive habitat type elements such as surface rock associated with outcrops and hills as well as wetland elements.

The following preliminary faunal sensitivities are ascribed to the habitat types: • Calcareous Pans & Drainage Line – mediumhigh faunal sensitivity; • Infrastructure, Homestead, etc. – low faunal sensitivity; • Natural Spring –high faunal sensitivity; and • Natural Woodland – medium faunal sensitivity.

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Calculated faunal habitat sensitivities are similar to the floristic habitat sensitivities, for an illustration thereof, the reader is referred to Figure 7.

10.6 DISCUSSION

Little of the study has been transformed. Although overgrazing has resulted in limited degradation of the natural woodland and calcareous pans, most of the original ecological characteristics and ecosystem processes of the Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld is still observed in the study area. The natural woodland and wetland habitats found in the study area is also well connected to other untransformed woodland areas; the region in which the study area is located is characterised by large areas of untransformed faunal habitat of varying levels of degradation (mostly as a result of overgrazing).

Animals observed in the study area during the field investigation did not include any unique or conservation important species as far as the region of the study area is concerned. Many of the species found are found in most parts of South Africa; others are limited to the arid regions of the country. Except for the livestock present in the study area, no introduced or alien animal species were observed during the field investigation.

During the field investigation, none of the calcareous pans had significant surface water; it is reasonable to assume that the species richness of these areas will increase significantly when the presence of surface water attracts a variety of water birds and invertebrates.

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11 SCOPING ASSESSMENT

11.1 IDENTIFICATION OF IMPACTS

No impacts were identified that could lead to a beneficial effect on the ecological environment since the proposed development is largely destructive as it involves the alteration of natural habitat. A list of expected impacts were compiled from a generic list of possible impacts derived from previous projects of this nature and from a literature review of the potential impacts of similar facilities on the ecological environment. The major expected negative impact will be due to loss of habitat that may have direct or indirect impacts on individual organisms and communities.

Impacts resulting from the construction and operation of solar plants are largely restricted to the physical impacts on biota or the habitat in which they occur. Direct impacts, such as habitat destruction and modifications, are regarded immediate, longterm and of high significance. These impacts are mostly measurable and easy to assess since the effects are immediately visible and can be determined to an acceptable level of certainty. In contrast, indirect impacts (operation, waste handling & potential spillages, leaching, longterm changes in surrounds) are not immediately evident and can consequently not be measured immediately or accurately. A measure of estimation is therefore necessary in order to evaluate these impacts.

Lastly, impacts of a cumulative nature places direct and indirect impacts of this projects into a regional and national context, particularly in view of similar or resultant developments and activities. The following impacts were identified that are of relevance to the proposed development. Not all of these impacts might occur, or the extent of impact might be limited.

A number of direct risks to ecosystems that would result from construction of the proposed facility are as follows: • Clearing of land for construction; • Construction of access roads; • Placement of infrastructure, including power lines, cables and water pipelines (if applicable); • Establishment of borrow and spoil areas; • Chemical contamination of the soil by construction vehicles and machinery; operation of construction camps; and • Storage of materials required for construction. January 2012 38

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Other, more subtle impacts on biological components, such as changes in local, regional and global climate, effects of noise pollution on fauna species, increase in acid rain, ground water deterioration, etc. do exist. These are impacts that cannot be quantified to any acceptable level of certainty and is mostly subjective in nature as either little literature is available on the topic or contradictory information exist. Such impacts are omitted from the assessment.

11.2 NATURE OF IMPACTS

11.2.1 Impacts on Threatened & Protected Flora & Fauna Species & Habitat

This impact is regarded a direct impact as it results in the physical damage or destruction of Red Data or Threatened species or areas that are suitable for these species, representing a significant impact on the biodiversity of a region. Threatened species, in most cases, do not contribute significantly to the biodiversity of an area in terms of sheer numbers as there are generally few of them, but a high ecological value is placed on the presence of such species in an area as they generally only occur in pristine habitat. Conversely, the presence of pristine habitat conditions can frequently be accepted as an indication of the potential presence of species of conservation importance, particularly in moist habitat conditions.

Red Data species are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment, having adapted to a narrow range of specific habitat requirements. Habitat changes, mostly a result of human interferences and activities, are the greatest reasons for these species having a threatened status. Surface transformation/ degradation activities within habitat types that are occupied by species of conservation importance will ultimately result in significant impacts on these species and their population dynamics. Effects of this impact are usually permanent and recovery or mitigation is generally not perceived as possible.

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One of the greatest drawbacks in terms of limiting this particular impact is that extremely little information is available in terms of the presence, distribution patterns, population dynamics and habitat requirements of Red Data flora species in the study area. In order to assess this impact, it is necessary to assess the presence/ distribution of habitats frequently associated with these species. In addition, by applying ecosystem conservation principles in this assessment and subsequent planning and development phases, resultant impacts will be limited largely. Consequences of this impact may include: • Fragmentation of populations of affected species; • Reduction in area of occupancy of affected species; and • Loss of genetic variation within affected species.

The likelihood that this impact will occur is medium, mainly since the likelihood of conservation important species occurring on this site is relative low, but is nonetheless regarded to be of mediumhigh importance. In the event that this impact will occur, it will be longterm to permanent, but will be restricted to the site of the proposed facility.

11.2.2 Destruction of Sensitive/ Pristine Habitat Types

The loss of pristine habitat types or habitat that are regarded sensitive as a result of restricted presence in the larger region (atypical habitat) represents a potential loss of habitat and biodiversity on a regional scale. Sensitive habitat types include mountains, ridges, koppies, wetlands, rivers, streams and localised habitat types of significant physiognomic variation and unique species composition. It also includes forest, fynbos and wetland vegetation that leads to direct or indirect loss of such habitat. These areas represent centres of atypical habitat and contain biological attributes that are not frequently encountered in the greater surrounds. A high conservation value is generally ascribed to floristic communities and faunal assemblages that occupy these areas as they contribute significantly to the biodiversity of a region.

Furthermore, these habitat types are generally isolated and are frequently linear in nature, such as rivers and ridges. Any impact that disrupts this continuous linear nature will risk fragmentation and isolation of existing ecological units, affecting the migration potential of some fauna species adversely, pollinator species in particular.

Microhabitat conditions are changed because of the removal of the vegetation layer, affecting shade conditions, habitat competition, germination success of the herbaceous layer, etc. This is likely to result in the establishment of a species composition that is entirely different from original conditions and the immediate surrounds, in many cases also comprising species of an invasive nature, particularly shrubs.

Since various forms of wetland habitat types are present in the study area, the likelihood that this impact will occur is high and will be of high significance.

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11.2.3 Direct Impacts on Common Flora & Fauna Species & Regional Habitat

The extent and location of a development generally determines the significance of this impact. Larger developments situated within areas of natural or undisturbed habitat is likely to have a much higher effect on the commonly occurring flora and fauna species of an area. This impact results from the disruption of migration movements, loss of foraging and breeding habitat and, in the case of vegetation, fragmentation and isolation of remaining areas of natural vegetation. Continued impacts on species could potentially result in a change in the conservation status of certain species. While plant species are unable to avoid the point of impact, most fauna species are able to migrate away from unfavourable areas. The tolerance levels of some animal species are also of such a nature that surrounding areas will suffice in habitat requirements of species forced to move from areas of impact. Consequences of the potential loss of indigenous natural vegetation occurring may include: • Negative change in conservation status of habitat (Driver et al. 2005); • Increased vulnerability of remaining portions to future disturbance; • General loss of habitat for sensitive species; • Loss in variation within sensitive habitats due to loss of portions of it; • General reduction in biodiversity; • Increased fragmentation (depending on location of impact); • Disturbance to processes maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem goods and services; and • Loss of ecosystem foods and services.

Conversely, the location of a development within areas of low biodiversity sensitivity or where few biodiversity attributes of importance are likely to occur, will largely limit the significance of this impact. The likelihood that this impact will occur is high and is of mediumhigh significance.

11.2.4 Direct impacts on Ecosystem functioning

This includes impacts on any processes or factors that maintain ecosystem health and character, including the following: • disruption to nutrientflow dynamics; • impedance of movement of material or water; • habitat fragmentation; • changes to abiotic environmental conditions; • changes to disturbance regimes, e.g. increased or decreased incidence of fire; • changes to successional processes; • effects on pollinators; or • increased invasion by alien plants.

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Changes to factors such as these may lead to a reduction in the resilience of plant communities and ecosystems or loss or change in ecosystem function. The likelihood that this impact will occur is high and will be of high significance.

11.2.5 Changes to Surrounding Habitat/ Sensitive Features

This impact represents an indirect impact. The transformation of natural habitat during the construction process will inevitably result in the establishment of habitat types that are not considered representative of the region, in this case on the fringes of the development. This impact is generally regarded to be of low severity, impacted areas are frequently invaded by species not normally associated with the region (exotic and invasive species), but are easily mitigated. In addition, many species that are not necessarily abundant in the region will increase in abundance because of more favourable habitat conditions being created because of habitat manipulation activities (encroacher species). This effect is more pronounced in the floristic component, but changed habitat conditions in the habitat will inevitably imply minor changes in the faunal component that occupies the habitat.

If left unmitigated, this risk could result in decreased habitat on a local or regional scale, increased competition and lower numbers of endemic biota, the genetic pool of species might eventually be influenced by the introduction of nonendemic species. Different faunal assemblages and plant communities have developed separate gene structures as a result of habitat selection and geographical separation and the introduction of individuals of the same species that might be genetically dissimilar to the endemic species might lead to different genetic selection structures, eventually affecting the genetic structure of current populations and assemblages.

The likelihood that this impact will occur is high and will be of medium significance.

11.2.6 Impacts on Surrounding Flora & Fauna Species

This impact is similar to Impact 11.2.5 and is regarded an indirect impact since few of these impacts are immediately evident, only occurring during the life of the project.

Surrounding species of importance present in the direct vicinity of the study area could be affected by indirect impacts resulting from construction and operation activities. This indirect impact could potentially include all of the above impacts, depending on the sensitivity and status of surrounding habitat and species as well as the extent of impact activities. This impact becomes particularly significant in the event where sensitive species are known to occur near the development.

The likelihood that this impact will occur is high and will be of medium significance.

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11.2.7 Faunal Interactions with Structures, Servitudes & Personnel

It should be noted that animals generally avoid contact with human structures, but do grow accustomed to structures after a period. While the structures are usually visible, injuries and death of animals do occur sporadically because of accidental contact. An aspect that is of concern is the presence of vehicles on access and infrastructure roads, leading to road kills, particularly amongst nocturnal animals that abound in the study area. This impact was frequently observed in the study area during the site investigation period.

Alteration of habitat conditions within the development areas does not necessarily imply a decrease in faunal habitation. These areas are frequently preferred by certain fauna species.

The presence of personnel within the development area during construction and maintenance periods will inevitably result in some, but normally limited, contact with animals. While most of the larger animal species are likely to move away from human contact, dangerous encounters with snakes, scorpions and possibly scavengers always remain likely. Similarly, the presence of humans within areas of natural habitat could potentially result in killing of animals by means of snaring, poaching, poisoning, trapping, etc.

The likelihood that this impact will occur is high and will be of mediumhigh significance.

11.2.8 Impacts on SA’s Conservation Obligations & Targets

This impact is regarded a cumulative impact since it affects the status of conservation strategies and targets on a local as well as national level and is viewed in conjunction with other types of local and regional impacts that affects conservation areas. The importance of regional habitat types is based on the conservation status ascribed to vegetation types. The loss of any area of natural habitat, however insignificant, implies that the conservation status of this vegetation type can be further affected. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the conservation of pristine habitat be prioritised.

The likelihood that this impact will occur is medium and will be of mediumlow significance.

11.2.9 Increase in Local & Regional Fragmentation/ Isolation of Habitat

Uninterrupted habitat is a precious commodity for biological attributes in modern times, particularly in areas that are characterised by moderate and high levels of transformation. The loss of natural habitat, even small areas, implies that biological attributes have permanently lost that ability of occupying that space, effectively meaning that a higher premium is placed on available food, water and habitat resources in the immediate surrounds. This, in some instances might mean that the viable population of plants or

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animals in a region will decrease proportionally with the loss of habitat, eventually decreasing beyond a viable population size.

The danger in this type of cumulative impact is that effects are not immediately visible and normally when these effects become visible, they are beyond repair since the development represents a destructive activity. The likelihood that this impact will occur is high and will be of medium significance.

11.2.10 Increase in Environmental Degradation

Cumulative impacts associated with this type of development could lead to initial, incremental or augmentation of existing types of environmental degradation, including impacts on the air, soil and water present within available habitat. Pollution of these elements might not always be immediately visible or readily quantifiable, but incremental or fractional increases might rise to levels where biological attributes could be affected adversely on a local or regional scale. In most cases are these effects are not bound and is dispersed, or diluted over an area that is much larger than the actual footprint of the causal factor.

Similarly, developments in untransformed and pristine areas are usually not characterised by visibly significant environmental degradation and these impacts are usually most prevalent in areas where continuous and longterm impacts have been experienced. The likelihood that this impact will occur is mediumhigh and will be of mediumhigh significance.

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12 PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDS

Photo 1: The Burrowing Scorpion (Opistophthalmus carinatus) is one of eight invertebrate species identified for the study area.

Photo 2: Bibron’s Burrowing Asp (Atractaspis bibroniie), is one of eight reptiles confirmed for the study area

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Photo 3: Example of an open pan

Photo 4: Edge of pans are frequently characterised by termite activity

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Photo 5: Example of the natural spring in the study area

Photo 6: Example of wetland originating from the spring

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Photo 7: Example of a calcareous open pan

Photo 8: Example of the natural woodland of the study area

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Photo 9: Example of the natural woodland of the study area

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13 REFERENCES

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Harrison, J.A., Allan, D.G., Underhill, L.G., Herremans, M., Tree, A.J., Parker, V. & Brown, C.J. (eds.). 1997. The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Vol. 1 & 2. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg. HENNING, S.F. & HENNING, G.A. 1989. South African Red Listed Book – Butterflies. South African National Scientific Programmes Report No 158. HILDEBRAND, M. 1988. Analysis of Vertebrate Structure, 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. Hockey, P.A.R., Dean, W.R.J. & Ryan, P.G. (eds.) 2005. Roberts – Birds of Southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town. HOFFMAN T. & ASHWELL A. 2001. Nature Divided: Land degradation in South Africa. University of Cape Town Press, Cape Town HOLM, E. & MARAIS, E. 1992. Fruit Chafers of southern Africa. Ekogilde, Hartebeespoort. HOLM, E. 2008. Inseklopedie van SuiderAfrika. Lapa Uitgewers, Pretoria. HOLM, E. 1986. Insekgedrag Menslik Betrag. Ekogilde cc, Pretoria. HOCKEY, P.A.R.; DEAN, W.R.J. & RYAN, P.G. (eds.). 2005. Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town. http://sabca.adu.org.za. South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment. http://sarca.adu.org.za. South African Reptile Conservation Assessment. http://sabap2.adu.org.za. South African Bird Atlas Project 2. INTERIN RED LISTED LIST OF SOUTH AFRICAN PLANT SPEICIES. (2004). Produced by the Threatened Species Programme (TSP) in collaboration with National Botanical Institute (NBI), NORAD and the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). www.sanbi.org. IUCN. 2001. IUCN Red List Categories & Criteria. In: Red Listed Book of the Mammals of South Africa: A Conservation Assessment. CBSG Southern Africa, Parkview, South Africa. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. http://www.iucnredlist.org/. KAMFFER, D. 2004. Communitylevel effects of fragmentation of the afromontane grassland in the escarpment region of Mpumalanga, South Africa. M.Sc. Theses, University of Pretoria, Pretoria. KNOBEL, J. 1999. The magnificent natural heritage of South Africa. Sunbird Publishing, South Africa. KURE, N. 2003. Living with Leopards. Sunbird Publishing, Cape Town. LEEMING, J. 2003. Scorpions of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. LEROY, A. & LEROY, J. 2003. Spiders of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. LIEBENBERG, L. 2000. Tracks & Tracking in Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. Lötter, M.C. & Ferrar, A.A. 2006. Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation Plan Map. Mpumalanga Parks Board, Nelspruit. MINTER, L.R., BURGER, M., HARRISON, J.A., BRAACK, H.H., BISHOP, P.J. & LOAFER, D., eds. 2004. Atlas and Red Listed Book of the Frogs of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. SI/MAB Series #9. Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Morrison, K.L. 1998. Habitat utilization and the population ecology of cranes in the Dullstroom area of the Mpumalanga Province. MSc Thesis, University of Pretoria. Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C. (eds.). 2006. The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004). National Forests Act. 1998. (Act No. 84 of 1998). Northern Cape State of the Environment Report. 2005. Biodiversity Specialist Report. [Online Available: http://www.environment.gov.za/soer/ncape/default.htm. PEACOCK, F. 2006. Pipits of Southern Africa. Published by the author, Pretoria; www.pipits.co.za PERRINS, C. & HARRISON, C.J.O. 1979. Birds: Their Life, Their Ways, Their World, Reader’s Digest Ed. Elsevier Publishing Projects, New York. PICKER, M., GRIFFITHS, C. & WEAVING, A. 2002. Field Guide to Insects of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. PRINGLE, E.L.L., HENNING, G.A. & BALL, J.B. 1994. Pennington’s Butterflies of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. RETIEF, E & HERMAN, P.P.J. 1997. Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: keys and diagnostic characters. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. THREATENED SPECIES PROGRAMME (TSP). 2007. Interim Red Data List of South African Plant Species. Produced in collaboration with the National Botanical Institute (NBI), NORAD and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). SCHOLTZ, C.H. & HOLM, E. 1989. Insects of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban. SINCLAIR, I. & DAVIDSON, I. 1995. SuiderAfrikaanse Voëls, ‘n Fotografiese Gids. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. SINCLAIR, I., HOCKEY, P. & TARBOTON, W. 2002. SASOL: Birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. SKELTON, P. 2001. A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.

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SKINNER, J.D. & SMITHERS, R.H.N. 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. University of Pretoria, Pretoria. SMITH, M.M. & HEEMSTRA, P.C. (eds.). 2003. Smiths’ Sea Fishes. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. SMITHERS, R.H.N. 1986. South African Red Listed Book – Terrestrial Mammals. South African National Scientific Programmes Report No 125. SPATIAL REFERENCE. http://www.spatialreference.co.za. Topographical maps 2820BD, DB, 2821AC & CA Downloaded 2011 09 28. SPECTOR, S. 2002. Biogeographic crossroads as priority areas for biodiversity conservation. Conservation Biology 16(6): 14801487. STUART, C. & STUART, T. 2000. A field Guide to the Tracks and Signs of Southern and East African Wildlife. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. STUART, C. & STUART, T. 2000. A field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. SUTHERLAND, W.J. (ed.). 2006. Ecological Census Techniques, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, UK. SWANEPOEL, D.A. 1953. Butterflies of South Africa. Where, When and How they fly. Maskew Miller Limited, Cape Town. Tarboton, W. 2001. A guide to the Nests & Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. TAYLOR, P.J. 2000. Bats of Southern Africa. University of Natal Press, South Africa. TOLLEY, K. & BURGER, M. 2007. Chameleons of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. VAN RIET, W., P. CLAASSEN, J. VAN RENSBURG, T. VILJOEN & L. DU PLESSIS. 1997. Environmental Potential Atlas for South Africa. J.L. van Schaik, Pretoria. UNEP. 2002. Global Environment Outlook –3: Past, present and future perspectives. United Nations Environment Programme, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London. VAN WILGEN B.W. & VAN WYK E. 1999. Invading alien plants in South Africa: impacts and solutions. In: People and rangelands building the future. ELDRIDGE D. & FREUDENBERGER D. (eds). Proceedings of the VI International Rangeland Congress, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. July 1923 1999. 566571. VAN OUDTSHOORN, F. 2002. Gids tot die Grasse van SuiderAfrika. Briza Publikasies, Pretoria. VAN WYK B. & GERICKE N. (2000). People’s Plants. Briza Publications, Pretoria. VAN WYK, BE. & SMITH, G. 1996. Guide to the Aloes of South Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria. VELDSMAN, S.,G. 2008, Vegetation degradation gradients and ecological index of key grass species in the south-eastern Kalahari South Africa, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed 2010/07/28. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd08112009165447/ >. VISSER D.J.L. (1984). The Geology of the Republics of South Africa, Transkei, Bophutatswana, Venda and Ciskei en the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland. Fourth Edition. Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs. Republic of South Africa. WILSON, D.E. & MITTERMEIER, R.A. (eds.). 2009. Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Editions, Barcelona. WOOD, J., Low, A.B., Donaldson, J.S., & Rebelo, A.G. 1994. Threats to plant species through urbanisation and habitat fragmentation in the Cape Metropolitan Area, South Africa. In: Huntley, B.J. (Ed.) Botanical Diversity in Southern Africa. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. WOODHALL, S. 2005. Field Guide to the Butterflies of South Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. Wynberg R. 2002. A decade of biodiversity conservation and use in South Africa: tracking progress from the Rio Earth Summit to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. South African Journal of Science 98: 233243. www.nwgp.gov.za/Agriculture/NW_ENVIRONMENTAL_OUTLOOK www.sabap2.adu.org.za www.southafricanbiodiversity.co.za/endangered

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resources & energy

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix K – Geohydrological Scoping Study

Page 252 260380PWE : 1 Rev A : 2012-03-05

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant Geohydrological Impact Scoping Report

Report Prepared for

WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd

Report Number SRK 441553/Draft1

Report Prepared for

WorleyParsons RSA(Pty.)Ltd.

Report Prepared by

SRKNovember Report 2011 No: 433862_Draft

June 2011

SRK Consulting Project 441553: Arriesfontein STEP Plant Geohydrological Scoping Report Page i

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant Geohydrological Impact Scoping Report

WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd

P O Box 36155 Menlopark Pretoria 0102

SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd. 24 Schmidtsdrift Rd Verwoerdpark Kimberley 8301 South Africa e-mail: [email protected] website: www.srk.co.za

Tel: +27 (0) 53 861 5798 Fax:+27 (0) 53 861 5798 SRK Project Number 441553

November 2011

Compiled by: Peer Reviewed by:

CJ Esterhuyse P Rosewarne Principal Hydrogeologist Principal Hydrogeologist

Email: [email protected] Authors: CJ Esterhuyse and D Visser

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Table of Contents

Disclaimer ...... iv 1 Introduction ...... 1 1.1 Scope of Work ...... 1 1.2 Deliverables ...... 3 1.3 Methodology ...... 3 1.4 Work Programme ...... 4 2 Project Description ...... 4 3 Baseline Data ...... 5 3.1 Physiography and Climate ...... 5 3.2 Geology ...... 6 3.3 Geohydrology ...... 9 3.3.1 Aquifer Type ...... 9 3.3.2 NGA Data ...... 9 3.3.3 Hydrocensus Results ...... 15 3.3.4 Current Abstraction ...... 15 3.3.5 Groundwater Resource Potential ...... 16 3.3.6 Depth to Water Table and Inferred Groundwater Flow Directions ...... 17 3.3.7 Groundwater Quality ...... 17 3.3.8 Aquifer Vulnerability ...... 21 3.3.9 Lineament Mapping ...... 21 4 Conclusions ...... 23 5 Recommendations ...... 24 6 References ...... 25

ESTC/VISS 4415553_Arriesfontein Groundwater Impact Scoping Report_SRK Draft 30Nov11b November 2011 SRK Consulting Project 441553: Arriesfontein STEP Plant Geohydrological Scoping Report Page iii List of Tables

Table 1: Temperature data for Kimberley (South African Weather Service)...... 5 Table 2: Precipitation Statistics for the Arriesfontein Area (Source: South African Rain Atlas) ...... 6 Table 3: Summary of NGA Data for the Arriesfontein Area ...... 11 Table 4: Summary of Hydrocensus Results of the Arriesfontein Area...... 15 Table 5: Groundwater Exploitation Potential of the Arriesfontein Area...... 16

List of Figures

Figure 1: Locality of the Arriesfontein STEP Plant Site ...... 2 Figure 2: Rainfall Distribution in the Ariesfontein Area ...... 7 Figure 3: Geology of the Arriesfontein Area (after Council for Geoscience) ...... 8 Figure 4: Aquifer Type and Yield Potential in the Arriesfontein Area (After the DWA 1:500 000 Scale Hydrogeological Map Series Data) ...... 10 Figure 5: Localities of Surveyed Boreholes in the Arriesfontein Area ...... 14 Figure 6: Mean Annual Recharge in the Arriesfontein Area...... 18 Figure 7: Inferred groundwater flow directions in the Arriesfontein area ...... 19 Figure 8: Groundwater salinity in the Arriesfontein area ...... 20 Figure 9: Aquifer Vulnerability Map of the Arriesfontein Area ...... 22

The opinions expressed in this Report have been based on the information supplied to SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (SRK) by WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd and the local land owners as well as NGA data from the Department of Water Affairs. SRK has exercised due care in reviewing the supplied information. Whilst SRK has compared the available data with expected values, the accuracy of the results and conclusions from the review are entirely reliant on the accuracy and completeness of the available data. SRK does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in the supplied information and does not accept any consequential liability arising from commercial decisions or actions resulting from them. Opinions presented in this report apply to the site conditions and features as they existed at the time of SRK’s investigations, and those reasonably foreseeable. These opinions do not necessarily apply to conditions and features that may arise after the date of this Report, about which SRK had no prior knowledge nor had the opportunity to evaluate.

Aquifer: A water-bearing geological formation capable of supplying economic quantities of groundwater to wells, boreholes and springs.

Aquitard: A saturated geological unit with a relatively low permeability that retards, but does not prevent the movement of water; while it may not readily yield water to boreholes and springs, it may act as a storage unit.

Aquiclude: A geological unit with a very low permeability that severely restricts groundwater movement. GRU boundaries are commonly formed by aquicludes, e.g. dykes.

Contamination: The introduction of any substance into the environment by the action of man.

Fractured-rock Aquifer: Aquifers where groundwater occurs within fractures and fissures in hard-rock formations.

Groundwater: Refers to the water filling the pores and voids in geological formations below the water table.

Groundwater Flow: The movement of water through openings and pore spaces in rocks below the water table i.e. in the saturated zone. Groundwater naturally drains from higher lying areas to low lying areas such as rivers, lakes and the oceans. The rate of flow depends on the slope of the water table and the transmissivity of the geological formations.

Groundwater Recharge: Refers to the portion of rainfall that actually infiltrates the soil, percolates under gravity through the unsaturated zone (also called the Vadose Zone) down to the saturated zone below the water table (also called the Phreatic Zone).

Groundwater Resource: All groundwater available for beneficial use, including by man, aquatic ecosystems and the greater environment.

Groundwater Resource Units: (GRU’s) Represent provisional zones defined for the purposes of assessing and managing the groundwater resources of a region, in terms of large-scale abstraction from relatively shallow (depth < 300m) production boreholes. They represent areas where the broad geohydrological characteristics (i.e. water occurrence and quality, hydraulic properties, flow regime, aquifer boundary conditions etc.) are anticipated to be similar. Sometimes also called Groundwater Resource Units (GRU’s).

Intergranular Aquifer: Aquifers where groundwater is contained in original intergranular interstices of sedimentary and weathered formations.

Major Aquifer System: Highly permeable formations, usually with a known or probable presence of significant fracturing and/or intergranular porosity; may be highly productive and able to support large abstractions for public supply and other purposes; water quality is generally very good.

Minor Aquifer System: Fractured or potentially fractured rocks that do not have a high primary permeability, or other formations of variable permeability; aquifer extent may be limited and water quality variable. Although these aquifers seldom produce large quantities of water, they are important both for local supplies and in supplying base flow for rivers.

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Non-Aquifer: A groundwater body that is essentially impermeable, does not readily transmit water and/or has a water quality that renders it unfit for use.

Non-Aquifer Systems: formations with negligible permeability that are generally regarded as not containing groundwater in exploitable quantities; water quality may also be such that it renders the aquifer unusable; groundwater flow through such rocks does take place and needs to be considered when assessing the risk associated with persistent pollutants.

Permeability: The ease with which a fluid can pass through a porous medium and is defined as the volume of fluid discharged from a unit area of an aquifer under unit hydraulic gradient in unit time (expressed as m3/m2·d or m/d). It is an intrinsic property of the porous medium and is independent of the properties of the saturating fluid; not to be confused with hydraulic conductivity, which relates specifically to the movement of water.

Pollution: The introduction into the environment of any substance by the action of man that is, or results in, significant harmful effects to man or the environment.

Recharge: The addition of water to the zone of saturation, either by the downward percolation of precipitation or surface water and/or the lateral migration of groundwater from adjacent aquifers.

Saline Water: Water that is generally considered unsuitable for human consumption or for irrigation because of its high content of dissolved solids.

Saturated Zone: The subsurface zone below the water table where interstices are filled with water under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere

Specific Yield: Ratio of the volume of water that a given mass of saturated rock or soil will yield by gravity from that mass.

Storativity (S): The volume of water released from storage per unit of aquifer storage area per unit change in head.

Unconfined Aquifer: An aquifer with no confining layer between the water table and the ground surface where the water table is free to fluctuate.

Unsaturated Zone: That part of the geological stratum above the water table where interstices and voids contain a combination of air and water; synonymous with zone of aeration or vadose zone.

Water Table: The upper surface of the saturated zone of an unconfined aquifer at which pore pressure is at atmospheric pressure, the depth to which may fluctuate seasonally.

DWA Department of Water Affairs (previously DWAF)

DWAF Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

EC Electrical Conductivity

GA General Authorisation

GRU Groundwater Resource Unit

L/s litres per second

m metres

mamsl metres above mean sea level

mbgl metres below ground level

mg/L milligrams per litre

mm millimetres

mS/m milli-Siemens per metre

m3/a cubic metres per annum

m3/m cubic metres per month

NGA National Groundwater Archive (Previously NGDB)

STEP Plant Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant

SRK SRK Consulting

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1 Introduction During October 2011 SRK Consulting was requested by Mr. Francois Humphries of WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd to submit a cost proposal for a detailed groundwater resource assessment and provide specialist input to the Waste Management Licence Application, Environmental Impact Assessment and the Water Use Licence required for a proposed Concentrated Solar Power Plant (STEP Plant) on the farm Arriesfontein (the site) near Lime Acres in the Northern Cape Province.

The proposed development is located on a portion of the Farm Arriesfontein 267, Barkley Wes RD, Siyanda District Municipal Region and is located approximately 32 km south-east of the town of Daniëlskuil along the Sishen-Kimberley railway line (Figure 1). Towns (Daniëlskuil and Lime Acres) and mines (Idwala Lime, PPC Lime and Finch) in the area are largely dependent on groundwater with a lesser portion of the demand being supplied by the Vaal Gamagara pipeline. Farms are totally dependent on groundwater for domestic use, stock watering and some small-scale irrigation.

1.1 Scope of Work

The following scope of work and deliverables apply: 1. To provide a detailed description of the site topography, geological and geohydrological characteristics of the study area;

2. Depiction and characterization of the groundwater regime in a regional geological and geohydrological context indicating the overall characteristics of the geological settings and aquifer parameters, and identification of immediate groundwater users;

3. Data obtained from hydrocensus survey as well as the data obtained from the National Groundwater Archive (NGA) to be incorporated into the GIS database for interpretation;

4. A desktop study to be undertaken for the analysis of data obtained from the NGA;

5. Site visit for purposes of the hydrocensus; and consultation with relevant landowners to obtain additional borehole data, if available;

6. Determination of pre-project groundwater quality by means of baseline groundwater quality monitoring and sampling;

7. Assess the potential impacts (direct, indirect and cumulative) of the proposed development and the significance thereof on groundwater resources and downstream water users in the general area.

8. Description of groundwater management measures related to all project phases;

9. Compile groundwater monitoring protocols and a report containing groundwater data and analysis;

10. A groundwater model illustrating the above mentioned analysis will be required;

F E· ......

Figure 1: Locality of the Arriesfontein STEP Plant Site

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11. Attend a specialist integration workshop to be held with the specialist project team during the EIA phase of the project prior to the finalisation of the respective specialist reports. The aim of this workshop will be to:

1) Discuss and evaluate the findings of each of the various specialist studies;

2) Integrate findings to identify workable solutions;

3) Recommend appropriate mitigation measures, where required, and

4) Formulate final recommendations.

12. Following the phase-specific specialist workshop, specialists will be required to finalise the various specialist reports for inclusion in the EIA Report.

13. Recommendations on any further studies / additional scope of work that may be required during or after the EIA process.

1.2 Deliverables Project deliverables:

1. Groundwater Resource Assessment and Scoping Report (for the EIA/Waste Management Licence); and

2. Groundwater Impact Assessment Report (for the EIA/Waste Management Licence).

1.3 Methodology

The methodology employed for the investigation up to scoping level was as follows:

 All existing groundwater related information was collated and reviewed for the property and its surrounds. This included information from existing reports, the Department of Water Affairs’ NGA(, Water Authorisation and Registration Management System (WARMS database) and published maps;

 A detailed hydrocensus was carried out on existing boreholes, shallow wells and springs on the property, as well as a representative number of private boreholes, wells and springs that occur on the surrounding properties. During this field survey water levels, current abstraction, type of equipment, water usage, and basic chemistry based on field testing and any other information that was available from the owners/operators were measured and recorded;

 Groundwater resource units (GRUs) were delineated for the site and the recharge, exploitation potential, and water balance of the groundwater resources in each GRU were derived. For this purpose the GIS grids generated for the DWA National Groundwater Resource Assessment, Phase 2 was used. The quality of the groundwater resources in each GRU was also assed. All data were captured into an ArcGIS 10 database and the aquifers defined and groundwater flow directions, aquifer boundaries, e.g. structural and lithological were defined;

 The current and anticipated groundwater uses were compared to the exploitation potential of the aquifers in the GRUs;

 Potential groundwater bearing structures and formations were mapped on satellite imagery and aerial photographs using the ArcGIS desktop software. The geological data of the area

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were obtained and georeferenced for use in the GIS. The boreholes and other relevant groundwater information were superimposed on GIS generated maps for analysis; and

 The data were analyses and collated for this Scoping Report.

1.4 Work Programme

A hydrocensus of the boreholes on the site was conducted on 18 November 2011. The owners of three adjacent farms (Mr. Johan Visser of Hartebeesput, Mr. Keith Williams of Arbeidsloon and Mr. Kobus van Niekerk of Kristalpan) could not be located and the fourth, Mr. Gerrit Nieuwoudt owner of the farms Constantia, Vlakpan and Hopefield, was busy with farming activities and could not meet with field personnel for the hydrocensus. Boreholes on Arriesfontein were visited in the presence of the owner, Mr. Gerrie Cloete, and geohydrological data like borehole depths, yields, groundwater strikes and depth of pump intakes were obtained from him. Other relevant geohydrological data like groundwater levels, quality, equipment, etc. were measured and recorded. Simultaneously, the local geology was noted and red flag areas sensitive to geohydrological impact identified.

2 Project Description A Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant (hereinafter referred to as a STEP Plant) is proposed for the site. The STEP Plant generates power by concentrating the heat from the sun on a receiver where after the salt (heat transfer medium) is heated for the generation of electricity. Unlike wind and photovoltaic technology, the technology implemented by the proposed STEP Plant has the ability to store energy, which means that electricity can be delivered as and when needed dependent solely on demand and not climatic factors.

STEP Plants are designed as Solar Power Towers, which captures and focuses the sun's thermal energy with thousands of heliostats (tracking mirrors) arranged within a circle shaped heliostat field with an estimated land coverage of 3 km2. The tower is erected slightly off-centre in the heliostat field. The heliostats focus concentrated sunlight towards the tower where it is absorbed by a receiver on top of the tower. The concentrated sunlight within the receiver, heats molten salt to over 550ºC, which then flows into a salt thermal storage tank.

The molten salt is eventually pumped to a steam generator to generate steam to drive a standard turbine in order to generate electricity. This process is very similar to the operations of a standard coal-fired power plant, except for the fact that it is fuelled by clean, renewable and free solar energy.

In short the electricity generation process can be summarised as follows:

 Heliostats reflect the solar radiation towards the central receiver tower;

 The salt complex is pumped from the cold salts thermal storage tank to the central receiver. The salt complex is transported through the central receiver tower by means of extremely thin tubes;

 The molten salt complex is heated up to approximately 566ºC and is circulated in the central receiver tower;

 The molten salt concentration is then transported to the hot salt thermal storage tank;

 Energy is transferred by means of a heat exchanger or steam generator to generate steam for the turbine;

 The highly pressurised steam is then passed through a steam turbine to generate electricity;

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 The salt complex cools down to an approximate 288ºC in the steam generator; and

 After this process is completed, the molten salt concentrate is transported to the cold salt thermal storage tank – in order for the electricity generation cycle to commence once more.

The STEP Plant comprises four main subsystems which will be summarised below:

1. Solar Field – the solar field consists out of all services and infrastructure related to the management and operation of the heliostats;

2. Molten Salt Circuit which includes the thermal storage tanks for storing the hot and cold liquid salt, a concentration tower, pipelines and heat exchangers);

3. The Power Block; and

4. Auxiliary facilities and infrastructure which includes the steam turbine, condenser-cooling system, electricity transmission lines, a grid connection, access routes, water supplies and facility start-up energy plant (gas or diesel generators).

3 Baseline Data

3.1 Physiography and Climate The site is located ~32 km south-east of Daniëlskuil (Figure 1) and ~9 km south of the R31 route from Kimberley to Postmasburg. Drainage is in a southerly direction towards the Klein Riet River, which drains in a south-easterly direction to the Vaal River. The terrain in the study area is very flat with a general slope of ~1:2 000 or 0.05% to the south-east.

The elevation of the study area varies between ~1 410 mamsl in the south-eastern corner of the farm and 1 425 mamsl at the Arriesfontein homestead near the north-western boundary of the farm. Numerous pans occur in the area of which several are most likely formed by subsidence of sinkholes.

The climate of the area is typical of a semi-desert with very hot summers and cold winters. Temperature data for Kimberley, ~140 km east of the site (as supplied by the South African Weather Service), for the period 1961-2000 is summarized in Table 1 below. The data indicate that January is the hottest month with an average maximum daily temperature of 32oC and June the coldest with an average maximum daily temperature of 18.4oC. During July the average minimum daily temperature drops to only 2.5oC. The maximum temperature reached during this period was 40.9oC and the lowest -8.1oC.

Table 1: Temperature data for Kimberley (South African Weather Service)

KIMBERLEY CLIMATIC AVERAGES 1960-2000 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YEAR MAX TEMP 32.6 31.2 28.9 25 21.5 18.4 18.8 21.4 25.7 28 30.1 32.1 26.2 MIN TEMP 17.7 17.3 15.2 10.7 6.2 2.8 2.5 4.7 8.8 11.9 14.5 16.5 10.7 AVE TEMP 25.2 24.3 22 17.9 13.9 10.6 10.6 13.1 17.3 19.9 22.3 24.3 18.5 KIMBERLEY CLIMATIC ABSOLUTES 1960-2000 HIGHEST TEMP 40.4 39.9 37.8 34.9 31.3 26.6 26.8 31.2 36.6 37.6 39.2 40.9 40.9 LOWEST TEMP 6.5 5.6 2 -2.8 -5.7 -7.9 -8.1 -7.8 -5.5 -0.5 2.5 3.8 -8.1

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The average monthly precipitation and standard deviation (SD) values for the study area, as provided by the South African Weather Service, are summarized in Table 2 below. The site falls within the summer rainfall area with a mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 458 mm.

Table 2: Precipitation Statistics for the Arriesfontein Area (Source: South African Rain Atlas)

Average monthly precipitation for Arriesfontein (Station Coordinates: S28o17' E023o46'

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean (mm): 73.9 87.1 88.8 48.5 17.1 5.9 4.1 6.4 12.8 25.3 35.7 52.4 458.2 SD (mm): 40.3 44.6 43.5 30.8 16.3 8.8 7.2 9.8 14.9 21.1 24.9 32.0 94.2

The data indicate that 84% of the precipitation occurs during the months November to April. This phenomenon is characteristic of a summer rainfall area. March is the wettest month with an average precipitation of ~89 mm, whilst July is the driest with 4 mm.

The rainfall distribution for this area is indicated in Figure 2 over page. Rainfall generally decreases from site to the east, west and south and increases to the north. The highest precipitation in the Arriesfontein area and its direct surrounds occurs immediately north of the northern corner of the property, where the MAP exceeds 480 mm. The lowest precipitation occurs in the southern part of the farm with a MAP of ~445 mm.

3.2 Geology The geology of the study area is depicted in Figure 3 on page 8. The geological map indicates that significant parts of the study area are covered by Recent deposits of mainly red to pale coloured windblown sand of the Gordonia Formation, surface limestone and some rock rubble. These deposits occur along the flat laying areas and are generally thin, seldom exceeding 10 m in vertical thickness in this area. However, thick Recent deposits can occur along drainage channels and in some pans where leaching of the dolomite took place. Closer to the Asbestos Hills the rubble can reach a vertical thickness of >70 m as indicated by exploration drilling supervised by the author during the 1990s. During this exploration drilling a NW-SE striking palaeo-river channel was intersected on the farm Beadle ~22 km west of Arriesfontein. The exploration borehole intersected some surface limestone on top followed by banded ironstone gravel. Dolomitic bedrock was only intersected at 60 mbgl. Diamonds are presently mined from these alluvial deposits.

A salt pan located on the farm Soutpan ~17 km south of Ariesfontein has formed as a result of Dwyka sediments that have collapsed in a sinkhole. The Dwyka sediments are ~80 m thick at this location (Based on a hydrocensus survey conducted by the author during the early 1990s).

Arriesfontein homestead is located between the parallel NE-SW striking dolerite dykes which can likely be linked to faults in the dolomitic rocks of the Lime Acres Member of the Ghaap Plateau Formation, Campbell Group. Rocks of this Member consist mainly of dolomite with interbedded limestone, chert and chert breccia. Though not indicated on geological maps, drilling programmes have indicated that thin interlayers of black shale occur in the dolomite and limestone. These layers are seldom >1 m in vertical thickness and weathers negative due to its relative softness. The interbedded chert formations occur as layers and lenses, whilst the limestone occurs mostly as lenses.

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· -

/'V_0 ___ _.

Figure 2: Rainfall Distribution in the Ariesfontein Area

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ARRIESFONTE1N SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY POWER (STEP) PLANT: ...... ASSESSMENT

Figure 3: Geology of the Arriesfontein Area (after Council for Geoscience)

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Dolerite dykes seldom outcrop, but can in most cases be identified on surface by prominent tree lines and calcrete ridges. These linear ridges can protrude >1 m above the surrounding flat areas. A prominent chert layer occurs east of the farm. This layer forms the base of the Lime Acres Member, with the Fairfield Member, consisting mainly of re-crystallized dolomite, underneath.

The general dip of the sediments in this area is ~2o to the west, but the dip steepens westwards towards the Asbestos Hills. On the eastern flank of the Asbestos Hills rock dips of >6o west can be encountered.

3.3 Geohydrology

3.3.1 Aquifer Type

Groundwater in this area occurs mainly in semi-confined fractured-rock aquifers, also known as secondary aquifers (Figure 4 over page). These aquifers are formed by jointing and fracturing of the otherwise solid bedrock by compressional and tensional forces that operates in the Earth’s crust from time to time. The fractures are formed by faulting, folding, intrusion of dolerite dykes and other geological forces. Slightly acidic rainwater infiltrates along these joints and fractures and slowly dissolves the alkaline rocks to eventually form solution cavities. Solution cavities commonly also form on contact zone of dolomite with other rock types like chert and black shale.

Unconfined interganular aquifers (also known as primary aquifers) occur in and near drainage channels and in some pans where the groundwater levels are shallow and within the unconfined unconsolidated sediments and weathered zone. These areas have been leached by water and are characterized by loose, unconsolidated material extending to well below 10 mbgl. The unconsolidated deposits and weathered zone on the site are, however, limited in both horizontal and vertical extend and consist mainly of clay and silt. These result in a poorly developed, low yielding primary aquifer that is vulnerable to droughts. Therefore the primary aquifer in this area can be regarded as insignificant.

3.3.2 NGA Data

The geohydrological information retrieved from the NGA is summarized in Table 3 page 11. The table indicates that borehole yields are highly variable and four of the 115 boreholes have yields >12 L/s. The average borehole yield of the successful boreholes is 2.02 L/s compared to the median yield of 0.43 L/s, which emphasize the fact that the average borehole yield is skewed by a few extraordinary high yielding boreholes. Therefore the median yield is a much better indication of the yield that can be expected from a successful borehole in this area. The median yield correlates well with DWA’s yield map which suggests an average yield of 0.1 - 0.5 L/s for successful boreholes. Average borehole depths for this area are >50 mbgl whilst the median depth is ~40 mbgl. This again indicates that the average borehole depth is skewed by a few deep boreholes (>200 mbgl) drilled on the farms Rooipan and Geluk. The localities of the NGA boreholes are indicated in Figure 5 on page 14. Field measured electrical conductivities (ECs) are generally well below 200 mS/m except for a few anomalous ECs recorded on the farms Jonasbank, Weiveld and Farm 266. The very high EC (for this area) of 404 mS/m recorded at Jonasbank is suspected to be a result of nitrate pollution from soak-away pits kraals and or stock water points.

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...... GEOHYOROlOGICAl ASSESSMEKT

Figure 4: Aquifer Type and Yield Potential in the Arriesfontein Area (After the DWA 1:500 000 Scale Hydrogeological Map Series Data)

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Table 3: Summary of NGA Data for the Arriesfontein Area

Accuracy Elevation Farm Depth Yield EC ID Type Latitude Longitude Farm pH (m) (mamsl) No (mbgl) (L/s) (mS/m)

2823BC00013 Borehole -28.35620 23.64028 1440 LANGVERWAGHT 299 45 2823BC00011 Borehole -28.35620 23.64028 1440 LANGVERWAGHT 299 60 5.00

2823BC00012 Borehole -28.35620 23.64028 1440 LANGVERWAGHT 299 100 2.13

2823BA00131 Borehole -28.23341 23.64945 100 JONASBANK 263 4.2

2823BA00132 Borehole -28.22869 23.65306 100 JONASBANK 263 4.6

2823BA00133 Borehole -28.21229 23.66084 100 JONASBANK 263 60 2823BA00134 Borehole -28.21257 23.66251 100 JONASBANK 263 6 113 7.20 2823BC00035 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 30.78

2823BC00033 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 61.26

2823BC00036 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 46.02 0.08

2823BC00029 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 53.95 5.69

2823BC00034 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 54.86 0.03

2823BC00031 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 73.15 0.01 2823BC00028 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 85.04 3.79

2823BC00032 Borehole -28.38370 23.66612 1440 ROOIPAN 507 137.16 1.22

2823BC00030 Borehole -28.38370 23.66613 1440 ROOIPAN 507 94.49

2823BA00125 Borehole -28.23562 23.67529 100 JONASBANK 263 11.2 131 7.60 2823BC00044 Borehole -28.27260 23.67779 1440 TEVREDE 300 39 3.20 2823BC00043 Borehole -28.27260 23.67779 1440 TEVREDE 300 60 0.10

2823BC00050 Borehole -28.37450 23.68278 1420 ROOIPAN 507 29 0.60

2823BC00048 Borehole -28.37450 23.68278 1420 WITPUT 507 50

2823BC00049 Borehole -28.37450 23.68279 1420 WITPUT 507 62

2823BA00123 Borehole -28.24396 23.68722 100 JONASBANK 263

2823BC00042 Borehole -28.32230 23.68806 1440 TREWIL 299 30.78 1.60

2823BC00040 Borehole -28.32230 23.68806 1440 TREWIL 299 45.11 0.17 2823BC00041 Borehole -28.32230 23.68806 1440 TREWIL 299 57.3

2823BC00039 Borehole -28.32230 23.68806 1440 TREWIL 299 75.59

2823BA00121 Borehole -28.24146 23.68806 100 JONASBANK 263 6.3 12.60 118 7.28 2823BA00120 Borehole -28.24174 23.68945 100 JONASBANK 263 12.60 143 7.07 2823BA00129 Borehole -28.19979 23.68972 100 JONASBANK 263 5.3 172 7.14 2823BC00045 Borehole -28.37060 23.69334 1420 VLEIPLAAS 298 75.9 0.06

2823BA00124 Borehole -28.23230 23.69334 100 JONASBANK 263 13.6 12.60

2823BC00046 Borehole -28.37060 23.69335 1420 VLEIPLAAS 298 57.3

2823BA00128 Borehole -28.22619 23.69472 100 JONASBANK 263 6.4

2823BA00127 Borehole -28.22591 23.69472 100 JONASBANK 263 6.9 192 7.33 2823BA00130 Borehole -28.19424 23.70028 100 JONASBANK 263 60

2823BA00122 Borehole -28.24729 23.70084 100 JONASBANK 263 20.5 103 7.31 2823BA00126 Borehole -28.21063 23.70167 100 JONASBANK 263 116 7.79 2823BA00135 Borehole -28.18685 23.71233 100 WEIVELD 246 11 192.5

2823BC00027 Borehole -28.38290 23.71612 1420 PADDAFONTEIN 297 26.15 1.82

2823BA00136 Borehole -28.17141 23.71817 100 WEIVELD 246 11 220

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Accuracy Elevation Farm Depth Yield EC ID Type Latitude Longitude Farm pH (m) (mamsl) No (mbgl) (L/s) (mS/m)

2823BA00119 Borehole -28.22869 23.71918 100 JONASBANK 263 27 0.37 69 7.30 2823BC00107 Borehole -28.26400 23.71945 100 1440 PLAAS 265 265 13.7 197 7.12 2823BA00118 Borehole -28.21758 23.72140 100 JONASBANK 263 36 0.37 404 7.07 2823BC00108 Borehole -28.25810 23.72168 100 1440 PLAAS 265 265 9.4 144 7.07 2823BA00155 Borehole -28.19136 23.72528 100 KAIS 245 19.8 215

2823BC00002 Borehole -28.31920 23.72863 1420 CONTENT 298 45.72 3.79

2823BA00137 Borehole -28.16307 23.73078 100 WEIVELD 246 2.73 153.5

2823BA00138 Borehole -28.16302 23.73104 100 WEIVELD 246 16.68

2823BA00141 Borehole -28.23146 23.73917 100 PLAAS 265 265 11.9 81 7.04 2823BC00109 Borehole -28.25480 23.73945 100 1430 PLAAS 265 265 7.9

2823BA00154 Spring -28.16886 23.74175 100 KAIS 245 12.60 140.5 2823BC00110 Borehole -28.27420 23.74500 100 1430 PLAAS 266 266 11.7 147 7.09 2823BD00084 Borehole -28.28920 23.75167 100 1430 PLAAS 266 266 26.6 89 7.74 2823BD00081 Borehole -28.25590 23.75945 1440 PLAAS 266 266

2823BD00083 Borehole -28.28060 23.76028 100 1430 PLAAS 266 266 6.1 102 7.14 2823BD00086 Borehole -28.28290 23.76056 100 1430 PLAAS 266 266 17.6 203 7.20 2823BD00079 Borehole -28.25400 23.76112 1440 PLAAS 266 266 4.8 99 7.29 2823BD00074 Borehole -28.28200 23.76612 1420 PLAAS 267 267 5.6 81 7.44 2823BB00037 Borehole -28.20040 23.76612 VERGENOEG 244 83.21

2823BB00036 Borehole -28.20040 23.76612 VERGENOEG 244 60.04 0.05

2823BB00039 Borehole -28.20040 23.76612 VERGENOEG 244 76.5 1.81 2823BB00035 Borehole -28.20040 23.76612 VERGENOEG 244 81.99 0.07

2823BB00038 Borehole -28.20040 23.76614 VERGENOEG 244 131.06 2823BD00077 Borehole -28.30060 23.76668 1420 PLAAS 267 267 7.2 119 7.45 2823BD00085 Borehole -28.27060 23.76890 100 1430 PLAAS 266 266 6.1 81 7.18 2823BD00076 Borehole -28.28480 23.77529 1420 PLAAS 267 267 82 7.09 2823BB00048 Borehole -28.20370 23.77960 100 SURPRISE 243 3.69 159.6

2823BD00075 Borehole -28.28200 23.78029 1420 PLAAS 267 267 9.4 84 7.18 2823BD00078 Borehole -28.27060 23.78223 1420 PLAAS 267 267 11.3 93 7.14 2823BD00013 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 48.15

2823BD00011 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 126.8

2823BD00009 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 30.48

2823BD00007 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 213.96 2823BD00003 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 93

2823BD00002 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 34 1.29 2823BD00008 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 123.44 0.03

2823BD00005 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 126 0.98

2823BD00014 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 150.57 0.43

2823BD00006 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 195.98 0.04

2823BD00012 Borehole -28.27260 23.78278 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 223.11 1.16 2823BD00004 Borehole -28.27260 23.78279 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 129

2823BD00010 Borehole -28.27260 23.78282 1420 HOPEFIELD 267 90.52

2823BB00049 Borehole -28.21900 23.79836 100 SURPRISE 243 7.14

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Accuracy Elevation Farm Depth Yield EC ID Type Latitude Longitude Farm pH (m) (mamsl) No (mbgl) (L/s) (mS/m)

2823BB00055 Borehole -28.24920 23.79889 PLAAS 267 267 12.3 112 6.99 2823BB00044 Borehole -28.18370 23.79945 WATERKOP 244 96.92 0.63

2823BD00071 Borehole -28.40900 23.80195 1390 PLAAS 510 510 51.4

2823BB00050 Borehole -28.17520 23.8127 100 SURPRISE 243 12.09 171.9 2823BD00060 Borehole -28.40400 23.82418 1390 PLAAS 13 13 6.65 89 7.48 2823BB00046 Borehole -28.18620 23.82999 100 SURPRISE 243 6.12 161.4

2823BB00047 Borehole -28.18650 23.83050 100 SURPRISE 243 7.45 162.2

2823BD00034 Borehole -28.30040 23.84167 1400 SMITHSHOOP 269 54.86 0.05

2823BD00033 Borehole -28.30040 23.84167 1400 SMITHSHOOP 269 69.49 0.13 2823BD00030 Borehole -28.30040 23.84167 1400 SMITHSHOOP 269 70.4 0.18

2823BD00032 Borehole -28.30040 23.84167 1400 SMITHSHOOP 269 76.5 0.42 2823BD00031 Borehole -28.30040 23.84167 1400 SMITHSHOOP 269 88.08 0.1

2823BD00087 Borehole -28.30920 23.84695 1400 CONSTANTIA 269 59.44

2823BB00041 Borehole -28.21700 23.84945 GELUK 242 152.4 0.26

2823BB00040 Borehole -28.21700 23.84945 GELUK 242 213.36 0.04

2823BD00061 Borehole -28.41060 23.85418 1380 PLAAS 13 13 12 129 7.68 2823BB00014 Borehole -28.23370 23.85835 MIDDELPOS 241 19.5 2.52

2823BB00015 Borehole -28.23370 23.85835 MIDDELPOS 241 39.92 0.90

2823BB00016 Borehole -28.23370 23.85835 MIDDELPOS 241 46.32 2.83

2823BB00017 Borehole -28.23370 23.85835 MOOIPLAATS 370 75.59 0.11

2823BB00018 Borehole -28.23370 23.85835 MOOIPLAATS 370 83.51 0.30 2823BD00035 Borehole -28.31700 23.86613 1400 VAALPAN 269 49.68 2.14

2823BB00002 Borehole -28.20040 23.86613 BAKKIESDRAAI 207 31.08 1.76 2823BB00003 Borehole -28.20040 23.86613 BAKKIESDRAAI 207 36.57 0.01

2823BB00001 Borehole -28.20040 23.86613 BAKKIESDRAAI 207 53.34 0.07

2823BB00056 Borehole -28.19140 23.86646 100 BAKKIESDRAAI 207 5.68 124.8

2823BB00057 Borehole -28.19150 23.86672 100 BAKKIESDRAAI 207 5.39

2823BB00063 Borehole -28.19680 23.88077 100 PLAAS 207 207 8.25 152.9 2823BB00061 Borehole -28.16890 23.89452 100 BAKKIESDRAAI 207 6.19 170.1

2823BB00062 Borehole -28.19100 23.89641 100 PLAAS 207 207 15.14

2823BB00032 Borehole -28.24760 23.89946 BRAKPAN 240 52.12 0.42

Average 50.65 2.02 141.5 7.27 Median 39.92 0.43 131.0 7.20

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Figure 5: Localities of Surveyed Boreholes in the Arriesfontein Area

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3.3.3 Hydrocensus Results The hydrocensus results are summarized in Table 4 below with the localities of these boreholes indicated in Figure 5 on the previous page. Seven boreholes and one non-perennial spring were surveyed on the site. Of these three were equipped with windpumps, one with a submersible pump and one with a plunger pump for stock watering purposes. The two high yielding boreholes AFN3 and AFN4 were vandalized and can no longer be used as production boreholes. All three high yielding boreholes (AFN3, AFN4 and AFN5) are close to dolerite dykes. The relatively deep water level measured in borehole AFN6 could be due to a recovering water level after pumping having been measured. According to the owner, borehole AFN5 becomes artesian after good rains.

Table 4: Summary of Hydrocensus Results of the Arriesfontein Area.

Est. Pump Depth Yield WL* EC** Abstrac- Bh No Latitude Longitude pH Equipment Use Intake Comments (mbgl) (ℓ/s) (mbgl) (mS/m) tion (mbgl) 3 (m /a) WP 100mm Domestic, AFN1 -28.28006 23.76747 9 2.0 3.55 7.5 Cylinder Stock 3 400 32mm Domestic, AFN2 -28.28016 23.76793 40 1.5 3.21 76 7.80 15.0 3 942 Submersible Stock

AFN3 -28.27929 23.76800 60 >10 None None 0 Blocked

AFN4 -28.28235 23.76771 >10 None None 0 Was pumped at 12 mbgl

Plunger Pump AFN5 -28.28499 23.77537 30 10.0 1.87 173 7.65 60mm Stock 12 629 Artesian during wet spells Cylinder WP 60mm AFN6 -28.30119 23.76640 80 0.2 29.68 101 7.45 Stock 70 1 359 Cylinder WP 60mm AFN7 -28.27605 23.78019 36 0.6 111 7.30 Stock 18 1 359 Cylinder

AFN8 -28.27961 23.76912 0 0.5 0.00 80 7.70 None None 15 768 Spring, flows intermittently Average 36.43 4.35 7.66 108.2 7.58 TOTAL 26 457

Median 36.00 1.75 3.21 101.0 7.65

*WL = Water Level **EC= Electrical Conductivity

Groundwater is mainly abstracted for stock watering purposes (see Error! Reference source not ound. on the previous page), except for the groundwater flowing out at the Arriesfontein non- perennial spring during wet spells. A small lucerne field of ~0.25 ha was observed on the adjacent farm Hartebeesput, but the owner could not be located and the borehole(s) supplying the irrigation water could therefore not be visited.

3.3.4 Current Abstraction The estimated current abstraction from the site is summarised inTable 4. For the three windpumps a 24 h/d operation at 12% of the maximum yield (which is determined by the cylinder size) was assumed. This assumption is based on the author’s personal experience in the Karoo area. The Arriesfontein (spring) flow currently at an estimated 0.5 L/s. Unfortunately the flow could not be measured as the spring is partially submerged by the out flow, which accumulates in a pan where it largely evaporates. According to the owner this spring only flows during exceptional wet periods and has only flowed during 1974-1976, 1988 and since the beginning of 2011. No large scale irrigation takes place in the area and most of the farms are uninhabited. Based on the assumptions a total current abstraction of approximately 26,500 m3/a is calculated for the site. During normal to dry

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years the spring does not flow and therefore the total groundwater abstraction for this area will only be ~10,700 m3/a.

3.3.5 Groundwater Resource Potential

The site falls within the western part of the Quaternary Drainage Region D92A (see Figure 3) for which the amount of water available under General Authorisation is listed under Zone A of the Groundwater Taking Zones, where no water may be taken from this drainage regions except as set out under Schedule 11 and small industrial users2 (DWAF, 2004). Therefore, if the water demand is to be satisfied from the groundwater resources, a Water Use Licence Application will have to be submitted.

Three Groundwater Management Units (GRU’s) were defined for this area. These are based on surface drainage, measured groundwater elevations and lineaments such as faults and dykes. The boundaries of these GRU’s are indicated in Figure 3 The GRA2 grid datasets (DWAF, 2005) were used to derive the MAP, effective recharge and groundwater resource potential for this GRU. As boreholes cannot intersect all the available recharge in an area, an exploitability factor (DWAF, 2005) was used to calculate the volume of groundwater that can actually be abstracted through boreholes. Current abstraction based on the hydrocensus data was subtracted from this value to determine the current Groundwater Exploitation Potential. These calculated values are summarised in Table 5 below.

Table 5: Groundwater Exploitation Potential of the Arriesfontein Area

5m Mean Annual Potential Average Groundwater Groundwater Volume of Drawdown Recharge Resource Potential Exploitation Potential Quaternary Area Water stored 3 3 3 Storage (m /a) (m /a) (m /a) Catchment (m2) in Aquifer 3 Volume (m /a) 3 Wet Dry Wet Dry Wet Dry (m /a) Period Period Period Period Period Period C92A 3 913 568 868 2 508 530 000 164 529 000 40 286 400 26 763 500 199 557 000 186 037 000 80 706 200 75 380 300

Arriesfontein 18 401 759 11 795 209 773 622 189 428 125 843 938 325 874 753 379 484 354 441

GRUs C92A-1 6 178 275 3 960 167 259 739 63 599 42 251 315 037 293 693 127 409 119 001 C92A-2 5 468 394 3 505 146 229 895 56 292 37 396 278 839 259 948 112 770 105 328 C92A-3 15 776 359 10 112 373 663 248 162 402 107 889 804 453 749 951 325 342 303 873 TOTAL 27 423 027 17 577 686 1 152 882 282 293 187 536 1 398 329 1 303 592 565 522 528 202

The GRA2 data indicate that the three Ariesfontein GRU’s (C92A-1, C92A-2 and C92A-3) has a combined estimated average mean recharge of ~188 000 m3/a for dry periods and ~282 000 m3/a for wet periods. The average groundwater exploitation potential for these GRUs is ~528 000 m3/a for dry periods and ~566 000 m3/a for wet periods. The volume of water that is potentially stored in the

1 Not taking more than 10 cubic metres from groundwater on any given day. 2 •“Small industrial users” mean water users who qualify as work creating enterprises that do not use more than twenty cubic metres per day (i.e. 20 000 litres/day) and identified in the Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (5th edition), published by the Central Statistics Service, 1993, as amended and supplemented, under the following categories:- a) 1: food processing; b) 2: prospecting, mining and quarrying; c) 3: manufacturing; d) 5: construction

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aquifers of the three GRUs is ~17.6 million m3, whilst the potential storage of the upper 5 m is ~1.2 million m3.

The mean annual recharge in the Arriesfontein area is shown in Figure 6 over page which indicates that the recharge decreases from the north-west of the property towards the south-east. Average annual recharge values vary between 11 mm/a in the extreme north-western corner of the property and 9 mm/a in the south-eastern corner thereof.

3.3.6 Depth to Water Table and Inferred Groundwater Flow Directions

The hydrocensus data indicate that the depth to water level at the site varies between ground surface (Arriesfontein spring) and ~30 mbgl. These data and data from the NGDB were used to plot the groundwater elevations on the topographical map, from which the groundwater flow directions were inferred (Figure 7 over page). The groundwater elevations generally mimics the surface elevation contours and generally flows from higher lying to lower lying areas. The inferred flows are from the higher lying areas north and north-west of the property towards the lower lying Riet River south thereof. The general direction of groundwater flow can be diverted by NE-SW striking dolerite dykes to form springs in low laying areas.

3.3.7 Groundwater Quality The groundwater salinity, expressed as Electrical Conductivity (EC) in mS/m, of the site and surrounds is shown in Figure 8 (page 19). The map suggests that the groundwater quality throughout the area falls in the range 70-300 mS/m. Field measured ECs at equipped boreholes and the spring at Arriesfontein vary between 76 and 173 mS/m, which correlates well with this suggested value. Based on field measured ECs only the groundwater from borehole AFN5 is unsuitable for long term human consumption3. The variable groundwater quality is likely caused by pollution from over flowing dams and kraals.

Groundwater samples were taken at boreholes AFN2, AFN5 and AFN7 and delivered to M&L Laboratories for macro-chemical analysis, but the results thereof have not been received yet.

3 <150 mS/m is acceptable for long term human consumption (SABS, 2006)

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--- •

......

Figure 6: Mean Annual Recharge in the Arriesfontein Area

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• • • - • -- -

. -

7 p' - ...... GEOHVDROLOG1CAL ASSESSMENT

Figure 7: Inferred groundwater flow directions in the Arriesfontein area

......

Figure 8: Groundwater salinity in the Arriesfontein area

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3.3.8 Aquifer Vulnerability Figure 9 over page shows aquifer vulnerability as determined by evaluating seven parameters (DWAF, 2005), namely:

 Depth to groundwater;

 Recharge;

 Aquifer media;

 Soil media;

 Topography;

 Impact on vadose zone; and

 Hydraulic conductivity.

Aquifer vulnerability is defined as the likelihood for contamination to reach a specified position in the groundwater system after being introduced at some point above the uppermost aquifer. The aquifers at Arriesfontein are classified as having very high vulnerability to contamination. Though not indicated on the map, the lowest vulnerability occur in the southern part of the farm where the groundwater levels are deeper, whilst the highest vulnerability occurs at the homestead where the groundwater level is very shallow and leached zones associated with the well-defined dyke allow rapid vertical infiltration of contaminated surface water. In view of this aquifer vulnerability, care should be taken to establish the facilities with the highest contamination risk, e.g. the evaporation ponds, as far as possible away from the high risk areas, i.e. dykes and areas with shallow groundwater levels. Best position for these facilities will be in the southern and south-eastern parts of the site where the aquifer vulnerability will be lowest due to relative deep water levels.

3.3.9 Lineament Mapping During the hydrocensus survey attention was given to structures that can pose a risk to groundwater pollution from surface sources. The visible dykes could be identified on the ground. Satellite imaginary was used to identify other less visible lineaments and these were used to define the GRU’s. Five semi-parallel NE-SW striking dolerites dykes occur in the area. These are intersected by two E-W striking dykes and a N-S striking dyke to form four groundwater compartments in the area. The eastern three of these compartments form the three GRU’s at Arriesfontein, whilst the western compartment falls outside the site boundary. These structures were mapped and overlaid on the geological map as indicated in Figure 3 on page 8. In planning the layout of the evaporation ponds, special care should be exercised to avoid these lineaments.

ESTC/VISS 4415553_Arriesfontein Groundwater Impact Scoping Report_SRK Draft 30Nov11b November 2011 SRK Consulting Project 441553: Arriesfontein STEP Plant Geohydrological Scoping Report Page 22

Figure 9: Aquifer Vulnerability Map of the Arriesfontein Area

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4 Conclusions Based on the information discussed in this report the following can be concluded regarding the groundwater conditions at Arriesfontein:

 Local geological observations during the hydrocensus and lineament mapping from Google Earth images indicate that several NE-SW striking dolerite dykes are present in the area. These structures may allow surface water to rapidly percolate down to the groundwater level;

 Two E-W striking dykes intersect the above-mentioned dykes to form groundwater compartments or GRUs;

 Maximum immediate yields of boreholes drilled in this area vary largely between 0 (dry) and >10 L/s;

 All the high yielding boreholes are linked to dolerite dykes;

 Only seven boreholes and one spring were identified during the hydrocenus of which five are operative. Groundwater levels could be obtained at four boreholes;

 An estimated 26,500 m3 of groundwater is abstracted per annum from this area with the Arriesfontein spring yielding ~15,800 m3 (~60%) thereof when flowing. The Arriesfontein spring only flows during extremely wet years;

 No large scale irrigation occurs in the area and groundwater abstracted from boreholes is mainly used for stock watering purposes;

 Groundwater quality, measured as salinity (EC), in the surveyed area is generally good and varies between 76 and 173 mS/m. This quality is fit for long term human consumption except the 173 mS/m measured at borehole AFN5, which is only fit for short term human consumption;

 Groundwater levels in the area are shallow (<10 mbgl) except for borehole AFN6 where it is ~30 mbgl.;

 The GRA2 data indicate that the three Ariesfontein GRU’s (C92A-1, C92A-2 and C92A-3) has a combined estimated average mean recharge of ~188 000 m3/a for dry periods and ~282 000 m3/a for wet periods. The average groundwater exploitation potential for these GRU’s is ~528 000 m3/a for dry periods and ~566 000 m3/a for wet periods.

 The volume of water that is potentially stored in the aquifers of the three GRUs is ~17.6 million m3, whilst the potential storage of the upper 5 m is ~1.2 million m3.;

 The General Authorisation for taking of groundwater from Drainage Region D92A is zero, except for schedule one and small scale industrial purposes. Therefore, if any groundwater is to be abstracted from the groundwater resources in this area for the STEP plant, a Water Use Licence Application will have to be submitted to the DWA;

 From aquifer vulnerability point of view the proposed area for the STEP Plant is favourable as long as possible sources of groundwater pollution are contained to the south-eastern part of the farm and kept away from areas where lineaments have been identified. Best area for the evaporation pond will be the south-eastern part of the farm where aquifer vulnerability is the lowest. The groundwater level in this area is expected to be >20 mbgl with argillaceous material expected in the upper part of the geological profile which will give some protection from surface pollution.

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5 Recommendations Based on the conclusion of this preliminary report the following is recommended:

1. The evaporation ponds at Arriesfontein should be placed preferably in the south-eastern part of the farm and far away from lineaments, drainage channels and pans;

2. Heliostats can be placed all over the area as these do not pose a groundwater pollution hazard;

3. All existing boreholes (used and unused) must be properly sealed at the surface to prevent surface pollution of the groundwater. This measure will also prevent bees from invading the borehole;

4. A more detailed hydrogeological impact assessment including drilling of test boreholes and test pumping of existing and the test boreholes must be carried out;

5. At least three (3) shallow monitoring boreholes (two downstream and one upstream) must be drilled and pump tested near the evaporation ponds to obtain aquifer parameters for the numerical model and contamination transport model. These boreholes can be used for monitoring purposes in future;

6. Existing boreholes AFN2, AFN5 and AFN6 must also be yield tested to obtain aquifer parameters in areas with high as well as low aquifer potential; and

Prepared by

CJ Esterhuyse Pr Sci Nat Des Visser Pr Sci Nat Principal Hydrogeologist Principal Hydrogeologist SRK Consulting SRK Consulting

Reviewed by

P Rosewarne Pr Sci Nat Principal Hydrogeologist SRK Consulting

All data used as source material plus the text, tables, figures, and attachments of this document have been reviewed and prepared in accordance with generally accepted hydrogeological and environmental practices.

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6 References

Bear, Jacob (1979). Hydraulics of Groundwater. McGraw-Hill Company.

Council for Geoscience. 1 : 250,000 Geological map 2822 Postmasburg.

DWAF, (1997): Minimum Standards and Guidelines for Groundwater Resource Development for the Community Water Supply and Sanitation Programme. Department of Water Affairs & Forestry, Pretoria.

DWAF, (2003). 1 : 500,000 Hydrogeological Map Series Sheet 2722 Kuruman.

DWAF, (2004): Revision of General Authorisations in Terms of Section 39 of the National Water Act, 1998. Government Gazette no. 26187, Government Notice No. 399, 26 March 2004.DWAF, (2004). Revision of General Authorisations in Terms of Section 39 of the National Water Act, 1998. Government Gazette no. 26187, Government Notice No. 399, 26 March 2004.

DWAF, (2005). Groundwater Resource Assessment Phase 2. Reports 2C and 3E. Pretoria.

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (2006). List of Activities and Competent Authorities Identified in Terms of Sections 24 and 24D of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 – EIA Regulations 2006, made under section 24(5) of the Act. Published in Government Notice no. R 385 of 2006.

SABS (2006). South African National Standard for Drinking Water. SANS 241:2006, Edition 6.1, ISBN 0-626-18876-8.

South African Committee for Stratigraphy (SACS), (1980). Stratigraphy of South Africa. Part 1. Litostratigraphy of the Replublic of South Africa, South West Africa/Namibia, and the Republics of Bophuthatswana, Transkei and Venda: Handb. geol. Surv. S. Afr., 8.

South African Weather Service: http://www.weathersa.co.za

Water Research Commission: South African Rain Atlas: http://134.76.173.220/rainfall/

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SRK Report Distribution Record

Report No. 441553/Scoping/Draft1

Copy No. 1

Name/Title Company Copy Date Authorised by Mr Francois Humphries WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd 1 30 November 2011 D Visser Menlopark Pretoria 0102 Gauteng South Africa Project file SRK, Cape Town, G-Drive 2 30 November 2011 D Visser Library SRK, Cape Town 3 30 November 2011 D Visser

Approval Signature:

This report is protected by copyright vested in SRK (SA) (Pty) Ltd. It may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever to any person without the written permission of the copyright holder, SRK.

ESTC/VISS 4415553_Arriesfontein Groundwater Impact Scoping Report_SRK Draft 30Nov11b November 2011

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix L – Hydrological Scoping Study

Page 253 260380PWE : 1 Rev A : 2012-03-05

ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PROJECT

SPECIALIST SCOPING REPORT - HYDROLOGY

REPORT 303-00378/01-01

JANUARY 2012

Prepared for : WorleyParsons Resources and Energy

Prepared by : Knight Piésold Consulting

Knight Piésold CONSULTING Project No : 303-00378/01 Tel: +27 11 806 7111 Fax: +27 11 806 7100 P O Box 221 Rivonia 2128 [email protected] www.knightpiesold.com

ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PROJECT

SPECIALIST SCOPING REPORT - HYDROLOGY REPORT NO. 303-00378/01-01

JANUARY 2012

Prepared for WorleyParsons Resources and Energy

Prepared by : N Pilz Design Engineer

Reviewed by : A Beater Hydrology Specialist

Knight Piésold (Pty) Limited Consulting Engineers P O Box 221 RIVONIA 2128 Tel: +27 11 806 7111 Fax: +27 11 806 7100 e-mail: [email protected] Web: www.knightpiesold.com

ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PROJECT

SPECIALIST SCOPING REPORT - HYDROLOGY REPORT NO. 303-00378/01-01

JANUARY 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Background Information ...... 1 1.2 Scope of Work ...... 5 2 BACKGROUND ...... 6 2.1 Legislative Framework ...... 6 2.2 Assumptions and Limitations ...... 7 3 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF THE SITE AND SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT ..... 8 3.1 Meteorological Conditions ...... 9 3.1.1 Rainfall ...... 10 3.1.2 Evaporation ...... 12 3.1.3 Water Deficit ...... 13 3.1.4 Temperature ...... 13 3.1.5 Wind Speed and Direction ...... 15 3.2 Hydrological Conditions ...... 16 3.3 Surface Water Features ...... 16 3.3.1 Risks of Pollution ...... 17 3.3.2 Watercourse Hydraulics and Flood Line Determination ...... 17 3.3.3 Site Specific Stormwater Management ...... 17 4 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ...... 20 4.1 Project Impacts on the Environment ...... 20 4.2 Mitigation Measures ...... 20 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 22 5.1 Conclusions ...... 22 5.2 Recommendations ...... 22 5.2.1 Continued Baseline Monitoring ...... 22 5.2.2 Fatal Flaw Risk Analyses and Worst Case Scenarios ...... 22 5.2.3 Reliable Meteorlogical Information ...... 22 6 REFERENCES ...... 23

Arriesfontein EIA iii Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 : South African Renewable Energy Resource Database – Annual Solar Radiation (CSIR, ESKOM Corporate Technology and DME) ...... 1 Figure 1.2 : Regional Locality Map ...... 3 Figure 1.3 : Locality Map ...... 4 Figure 3.1 : Quaternary Location of the Arriesfontein Solar Reserve Project site ...... 9 Figure 3.2 : Average rainfall at the Arriesfontein Project site (mm) ...... 10 Figure 3.3 : Arriesfontein Solar Project site and nearest Rainfall Gauges (Google Earth) ...... 12 Figure 3.4 : Average S-Pan Evaporatrion at Arriesfontein Project Area (mm) ...... 13 Figure 3.5 : Postmasburg Averages Temperatures (˚C) ...... 14 Figure 3.6 : Postmasburg Maximum and Minimum Temperatures (˚C) ...... 14 Figure 3.7 : Daylight hours to be experienced at Arriesfontein Solar Project area ...... 15 Figure 3.8 : Regional Monthly Average and Maximum Wind Speeds (kph) ...... 15 Figure 3.9 : Occurance of dolomite in the Lower Vaal WMA (DWAF, 2006) ...... 16 Figure 3.10 : Map showing shaded relief at the proposed Arriesfontein Site ...... 18 Figure 3.11 : Map showing the proposed Arriesfontein Site footprint and any main streams ..... 19

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 : Climate Information relating to Site and Catchment Area ...... 10 Table 3.2 : Rain Gauge Information ...... 11 Table 4.1 : Project Elements and Potential Impacts ...... 20

LIST OF PLATES

Plate 3.1: Topography of the Arriesfontein Site ...... 8

ACRONYMS / ABBREVIATIONS

CV Coefficient of Variance DME Department of Minerals and Energy DWA Department of Water Affairs CSP Concentrated Solar Power EIA Environmental Impact Assessment GIS Geographic Information Systems MAE Mean Annual Evaporation MAP Mean Annual Precipitation MAR Mean Annual Runoff ML/a Megalitres per annum MW Megawatts PV Photovoltaic WMA Water Management Area

Arriesfontein EIA iv Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information

WorleyParsons Resources & Energy (WorleyParsons) approached Knight Piésold (Pty) Ltd (Knight Piésold) to provide informative input on a hydrological (surface water) specialist scoping study and impact assessment for input into the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Project, Northern Cape, South Africa.

South Africa currently generates approximately 85% of its power demand using traditional coal fired power stations. Various government departments and private consultancies have identified the significant medium and long term benefits to diversifying the generation mix to a more sustainable basis. Renewable energy, and particularly Solar power, was identified as one sutiable option. Figure 1.1 clearly indicates the significant potential for solar power projects, particularly around the Upington and Kimberley regions.

Figure 1.1 : South African Renewable Energy Resource Database – Annual Solar Radiation (CSIR, ESKOM Corporate Technology and DME)

The Arriesfontein Project area is located approximately 108 km north-west of Kimberley and 70 km west of Postmasburg in the Northern Cape Province, as shown in Figure 1.2 and Figure 1.3. Four alternative project layouts have been considered, all falling within the same footprint.

Arriesfontein EIA 1 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

The four alternative layouts are as follows:

 Arriesfontein Photovoltaic Power Plant – Phase 1: 75MW Development;  Arriesfontein Photovoltaic Power Plant – Phase 2: 75MW Development;  Arriesfontein Photovoltaic Power Plant – Phase 3: 75MW Development; and  Arriesfontein Concentrated Solar Power Plant – Phase 4: 100MW Development.

Each alternative has similar hydrological impacts and associated mitigation measures.

Arriesfontein EIA 2 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology Knight Piisold CONSULTING

RG Tsantsabane

Legend

• Mojor Towno

- Arteri.1 Rood -MoinRoad

U Al'it'tontBin C Loea l MCI'Iieipalily

30 Kilomelers

Figure 1.2 : Regional Locality Map

Arriesfontein EIA 3 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology Knight Piisold CONSULTING \ r :,/1 ') , " ,J .-~ ,/ "-x'- .•. . ' . .' 4 6 " ' . T;, i / I / ,/} / .1\ I I ./ '" ,

.. \ . ...1,.-- -R r .'-

/J.

-a" ..

-' Legend / Alrie.fOnlein / B locol Mmj~ . l i y '\ Topography (m) , .. ~-'-' -" .~ -. " ". -• .f...... High ' 1808.23 , --- Low ' 1086.28 i;/, .. ~ ! 750 1 500 3000 4 500 6 000 Meters

Figure 1.3 : Locality Map

Arriesfontein EIA 4 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

1.2 Scope of Work

The Scoping Study will include a description of the status quo (baseline) environment and the identification of potentiall environmental impacts associated with the proposed project. The scope of work for the specialist scoping study relating to the hydrology is as follows:

 Undertake a desktop study to review all existing information available for the project area and relevant catchment;  Undertake a site survey to identify all surface water resources occurring within the project area. The survey will assess the extent of watercourses (perennial / non- perennial) occurring within the project area;  Mapping of all surface water resources identified during the desktop study and site survey using a GIS platform;  Identify all relevant legislation, permits and standards that would apply to the development;  Provide a baseline description of the hydrological and associated physical characteristics of the study area that may be affected by the proposed project activities: o Identify impacts on watercourses (surface water) and run-off associated with the proposed project; o Identify impacts associated with the proposed development on watercourses and provide mitigation measures for the identified impacts; and  Mitigation measures to be identified for ensuring efficient use of water including alternatives to reduce the consumption of water such as water use minimisation, recycling, conservation and technological improvements.

The hydrological investigation of the project site has assumed a phased approach. A preliminary desktop review including the initial site visit was carried out followed by a detailed hydrological baseline assessment.

This hydrological scoping study will identify all the hydrological resources and associated impacts and develop mitigation measures to avoid or minimize the impacts on the site hydrology.

Arriesfontein EIA 5 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

2 BACKGROUND

2.1 Legislative Framework

Assessment of the hydrological setting of solar power plants in the South African context must take into consideration certain legal requirements. These legal requirements are contained in the following documents:

National Legislation Including:  Water Act, Act 54 of 1956;  Water Amendment Act of 1978;  Water Act, Act 36 of 1998; and  National Environmental Management Act of 1998.

In terms of legal requirements pertaining to surface water, the following notable issues are raised:

Water Act, Act 54 of 1956:

Section 168A – “Information pertaining to floods and polluted water” (1) The Minister may at any time in respect of any public stream or Government water work make available to the public in such manners as he may deem fit, information relating to: a) a flood which has occurred or which is expected to occur b) the presence in any water of any substance which is not ordinarily present in water or which is present therein in an abnormal concentration.

Water Amendment Act of 1978 (specifically the amendment to section 169A of Act 54 of 1956):

Defining guidelines pertaining to any township development (e.g. Solar Power Plant) in a catchment exceeding 1 km2. The catchment at the proposed site exceed 1 km2.

Water Act, Act 36 of 1998:

Chapter 14, Part 3: Information on Floodlines, Floods and Droughts Information on floodlines, floods and droughts must be made available to the public. Township layout plans must indicate floodlines.

National Environmental Management Act of 1998: Chapter 7 of the Act deals with compliance and protection compliance, enforcement and protection of environmental hazards. Essentially, this chapter is relevant in terms of the potential for environmental degradation and/or pollution to occur as a result of poor or inadequate stormwater control measures. The Act clearly outlines the responsibility that must

Arriesfontein EIA 6 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

be taken by an owner of land or premises, a person in control of land or premises or a person who has a right to use the land or premises to take reasonable measures to prevent degradation from occurring, continuing or re-occurring.

2.2 Assumptions and Limitations

This Scoping report has been based on a limited scale desktop study and a reconnaissance visit to the site, carried out by Knight Piésold Consulting. The main information sources used in the preparation of this report were the following:

 WR90;  WR2005;  South African Weather Bureau;  Available orthophothographs and imagery; and  Google Earth.

This report contains information pertaining to general catchment descriptions, rainfall and climate information.

Arriesfontein EIA 7 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology Knight Piisold CONSULTING

3 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF THE SITE AND SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT

The Arriesfontein Project is located about 108 km north-west of Kimberley and 70 km west of Postmasburg in the Northern Cape of South Africa. (See

Arriesfontein EIA 8 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology Knight Piisold CONSULTING

RG Tsantsabane

Legend

• Mojor Towno

- Arteri.1 Rood -MoinRoad

U Al'it'tontBin C Loea l MCI'Iieipalily

30 Kilomelers

Figure 1.2). The project area is situated within a small confined catchment, draining in a south easterly direction to the Vaal River. The contributing catchment area for the project covers an

Arriesfontein EIA 9 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

area of approximately 93.44 km2 and has an estimated mean annual runoff volume in the order of 663 ML/year. The project footprint covers an area of approximately 19 km2. There are no major water storage, diversion or supply infrastructure within the project area, other than small water containers and temporary ponds.

No surface water licenses are present within the catchment area, and what little surface water that is used, is used for livestock. The majority of the catchment area is used purely for grazing along with small pockets of land supporting mixed uses.

The area in which the project is located, comprises slightly undulating, bare ground, consistent with a semi-desert region (See Plate 3.1). There are small, isolated rock outcroppings scattered through out the catchment. Generally the catchment area is cover with tuft grasses and small shrubs. All streams within the catchment are considered ephemeral and tend to flow only for short periods following heavy rainfall.

Plate 3.1: Topography of the Arriesfontein Site

The catchment area has an arid climate with a mean annual rainfall of generally less than 350 mm. The site experiences low annual runoff, significantly high runoff rates can be experienced due to the short duration, high intensity rainfall events that can occur in the region. During such events significant runoff will report to the minor streams on the site and appropriate surface water management will be required to minimise erosion.

3.1 Meteorological Conditions

The Arriesfontein Solar Project area is located within the quaternary catchment, C92A in the Lower Vaal Water Management Area (WMA). The project area is located within an endoreic area or hydrologically isolated part (WRC, 1994 and WRC, 2008) of the C92A catchment as shown in Figure 3.1. About 59 % of the C92A catchment area of 3923 km2 is hydrologically isolated. This means that any runoff generated in this area is NOT contributing to the surface water systems of the Lower Vaal catchment. In addition there is no surface / groundwater connection (this means that the groundwater is not contributing to the surface water flow).

Arriesfontein EIA 10 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

Arriesfontein

Figure 3.1 : Quaternary Location of the Arriesfontein Solar Reserve Project site

The climatic information for Arriesfontein Project area and the C92A catchment are summarised in Table 3.1. The runoff for the entire catchment and for the hydrologically connected part of the C92A catchment is provided. There is not much difference between the runoff records developed by the WR90 and WR2005 studies with an acceptable 9 % decline in runoff for the longer WR2005 (1920 – 2004) record.

Table 3.1 : Climate Information relating to Site and Catchment Area

Area Evaporation MAE (S-pan) Rain MAP MAR Unit runoff Catchment (km2) Zone (mm) Zone (mm) (106m3) (mm) C92A 3923 7A 2250 C9C 367 30.70 7.8 C92A 3923 7A 2250 C9C 367 27.85 7.1 C92A 1612 7A 2250 C9C 367 12.60 7.8 C92A 1612 7A 2250 C9C 367 11.45 7.1

Arriesfontein EIA 11 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

Arriesfontein 93.44 7A 2250 C9C 340 0.663 7.1 Source: Water Resources of South Africa 1990, Volume III Appendices; WRC, 1994 Water Resources of South Africa, 2005 Study; WRC, 2008; WRC Report # TT 382/08

All surface water runoff that originate in this part of the C92A catchment is ephemeral or non- perennial in nature only flowing after storms events. The runoff is so sporadic in nature that the Arriesfontein Project area lies within what is known as a locally endoreic area. In the Arriesfontein Solar Reserve Project area, the average unit runoff is 7.1 mm / km2 / annum (WR2005, 2008).

3.1.1 Rainfall The Arriesfontein Project area is estimated to receive about 340 mm of rain per annum, with most of the rainfall (85 %) occurring during the summer months of November through to April. About 55 % of annual rainfall is experienced during the months of January, February and March. The rainfall is convectional in nature and consists mostly of high intensity, short duration events. Rainfall in the other months is generally less than 15 mm. While rainfall is lower in winter it is possible that rain can occur in this area throughout the year. The rainfall in the winter months is most likely frontal in nature. The chart in Figure 3.2 shows the average monthly rainfall values for the Arriesfontein project area.

70 65 65

60 56 MAP: 340 mm/a 50 40 40 31 32 30 19 20 11 8 6 10 4 3

0 ONDJFMAMJJAS

Figure 3.2 : Average rainfall at the Arriesfontein Project site (mm)

There are a number of South Africa Weather Bureau Rainfall gauges in the vicinity of the Arriesfontein Solar Project area. The nearest gauge is at Vaalpan (322648) and is located 10 km’s east of the Project area and has MAP 323 mm/a (1936 – 2004). There are 3 more gauges within a radius of 20 km to 35 km; these include gauges at Silverstreams, Danielskuil and Potfontein. All the gauges in the project area are listed in Table 3.2 and gauge sites relative to the Project site are shown in Figure 3.3.

Arriesfontein EIA 12 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

Table 3.2 : Rain Gauge Information

Gauge MAP Record length Latitude Longitude Height CV Gauge Name Number (mm) (yrs) (deg S) (deg E) (masl) (%) 256453 W Douglas-Police* 317 1900 - 2007 29 03’ 23 46’ 1030 45.1 287885 W Poplars* 338 1935 - 2007 28 45’ 23 30’ 1433 37.6 288416 W Kalkdam 275 1928 – 1998 28 56’ 23 44’ 1067 50.3 288528 W Tweefontein* 336 1919 – 2007 28 48’ 23 48’ 1204 47.2 288610 W Salmonsfontein 332 1920 – 1998 28 40’ 23 51’ 1417 48.1 289102 W Schmidtsdrift 324 1923 – 1998 28 42’ 24 04’ 991 46.9 289243 W Muirton 369 1952 – 1998 28 33’ 24 10’ 990 40.7 289302 W Caerwinning 357 1927 – 1956 28 32’ 24 11’ 998 36.3 322071 W Danielskuil* 375 1914 – 2007 28 11’ 21 33’ 1402 38.0 322063 W Silverstreams 340 1923 – 1998 28 20’ 23 35’ 1445 43.9 322329 W Papkuil 361 1919 – 1998 28 29’ 23 40’ 1450 48.3 322648 W Vaalpan 323 1936 – 2004 28 19’ 23 52’ 1450 57.2 323065 W Potfontein 393 1925 – 1998 28 24’ 22 05’ 1215 43.8 * Station open

Figure 3.3 : Arriesfontein Solar Project site and nearest Rainfall Gauges (Google Earth)

Arriesfontein EIA 13 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

3.1.2 Evaporation The Symons-pan evaporation or MAE for the catchment C92C is 2250 mm/annum, which is significant compared to the rainfall in the area. Any surface water storage in this area will be subjected to significant rates of evaporation. Stored surface water should be used as it becomes available or should be stored in a covered reservoir. The chart in Figure 3.4 shows the average monthly evaporation values for the Arriesfontein project area.

350 308 306 300 268

250 227 235 MAE: 2250 mm/a 203 200 Evap Zone : 7A 169 142 150 122 102 90 100 78

0 ONDJ FMAMJ JAS

Figure 3.4 : Average S-Pan Evaporatrion at Arriesfontein Project Area (mm)

3.1.3 Water Deficit The water deficit of the area indicates a value exceeding 1 900 mm.

3.1.4 Temperature The average high temperature for the Postmasburg area is approximately 19°C. This average annual temperature was calculated from the average daily maximum and minimum temperatures. The average maximum temperature is 25°C and the record maximum temperature is 40°C, while the average minimum temperature is 12°C and the record minimum temperature is -7°C. The hottest month of the year is January, with average daily temperatures ranging from 32 C to 19 C, while the coolest month of July temperatures range between 18 C to 6 C. The annual monthly record maximum and minimum temperatures, and the average maximum and minimum temperatures are illustrated in Figure 3.5 and Figure 3.6.

Arriesfontein EIA 14 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

Figure 3.5 : Postmasburg Averages Temperatures (˚C)

Figure 3.6 : Postmasburg Maximum and Minimum Temperatures (˚C)

Arriesfontein EIA 15 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

The length of daylight hours experienced in Kimberly are presented in the Figure 3.7 and range from about 14 hours in December and January to 10 hours in June. Similar day light conditions would apply at the project site.

Figure 3.7 : Daylight hours to be experienced at Arriesfontein Solar Project area

3.1.5 Wind Speed and Direction The predominant winds experienced in the region blow from a north easterly direction. The average wind speeds experienced at the site do not vary significantly. The average wind speeds range between 10 kpm and 16 kpm. The monthly average and extreme wind speeds for the site are summarised in Figure 3.8.

Figure 3.8 : Regional Monthly Average and Maximum Wind Speeds (kph)

Arriesfontein EIA 16 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

3.2 Hydrological Conditions

As there are no perrential streams within the study area and no stream gauges to evaluate.

3.3 Surface Water Features

General comments relating to surface water features (and their potential use) can only be made at this preliminary stage. The area is characterized with very low rainfall (MAP less than 350 mm). This scarcity of rain dictates that no meaningful surface water features are relevant. There are no visible watercourses within the project area, other than dried up pans.

Relatively high ‘coefficient of variation’ (CV) numbers indicate that watercourses, if present within the catchment, are generally non-perennial. All surface run-off drains in a south easterly direction (See Figure 3.10) to the Vaal River before draining into the Orange River near Douglas in the Northern Cape. There are no specific or sensitive environments downstream of the project site that can suffer any contamination from runoff from the site.

The project area is located within a hydrologically “unimportant” area in terms of surface water hydrology but in terms of groundwater it is important as there are dolomitic aquifers in the area. The dolomitic areas of the Lower Vaal and Lower Orange WMA’s are shown in Figure 3.9. These aquifers are already extensivelyexploited by mining, agriculture and domestic users.

Figure 3.9 : Occurance of dolomite in the Lower Vaal WMA (DWAF, 2006)

Arriesfontein EIA 17 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

It is apparent that the water requirements of the Arriesfontein Solar Project may have to be sourced, mostly, from local groundwater resources. The Sedibeng Water Board operates in this area, providing water via the Vaal-Gamagara pipeline and from groundwater resources.

The slightly undulating terrain present in the project area results in local low points or pans. These low points tend to collect stormwater runoff for short periods, before it evaporates or is consumed by the livestock.

The drainage lines are seldom active, but they are geomorphologically important because they carry large loads of sediment during spate events. This process of mobilising and redistributing sediments shapes the landscape that characterises the gravel plains and the vegetation that occur in the area have adapted to this process. The proposed solar power project is likely to impede this process by rerouting the flow of stormwater and the sediments that they carry. This can have long-lasting impacts on the downstream landscape, with consequent implications for the abundance and species composition of plants and in extreme cases, may lead to problems of erosion and damage to infrastructure.

3.3.1 Risks of Pollution Pollution risks resulting from hydrological influences will be limited to plant design response to peak and normal design rainfall.

3.3.2 Watercourse Hydraulics and Flood Line Determination Floodlines and flood levels on natural watercourses have not been developed at this stage, but will play a significant role in the site sensitivity analysis. There are indications that the streams within the site will interfere with the proposed project layouts. It is expected that the flood lines associated with these streams will encroach into the project area.

3.3.3 Site Specific Stormwater Management The plant design will have to be sensitive to peak rainfall.

Arriesfontein EIA 18 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology Knight Piisold CONSULTING

Legend

--Ri,,,. Cl Ar r ~. fo n \'" Topography (m) O BoIOW 1200 0 1200 .1300 D 1300 1 400 0 1400 1 420 ~ 1 420_ 1 440 . 1 0140 1 460 • 1 4&l·14&:l 0 1 460 1500 0 1500 1 540 . ' 5401560 . 1Wl 1560 . 1 580 1600 - ,~ . 1 620 . 1 640 1 560 . ' 000 1700 GJ 1 700 1 720 01 720 1740 0 1740 1 7&0 D Il6() 1700

1° 11252250 4500 6750

Figure 3.10 : Map showing shaded relief at the proposed Arriesfontein Site

Arriesfontein EIA 19 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology Knight Piisold CONSULTING

o-- 312.5 625

Figure 3.11 : Map showing the proposed Arriesfontein Site footprint and any main streams

Arriesfontein EIA 20 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

4 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

4.1 Project Impacts on the Environment

Potential impacts of the project on the surface water environment (identified in Section3) are listed in Table 4.1 below.

Table 4.1 : Project Elements and Potential Impacts

Action Possible Impacts Hardening of catchments with impermeable surfaces (in the plant area and associated Site stormwater control infrastructure) will increase base and peak runoff. Erosion risks associated with stormwater disposal. Drainage of the plant area could result in Potential transport of contaminants via contaminants entering the downstream Stormwater environments This may result in drainage of surface water Un-natural drainage of surface water features (e.g. ponds). It is apparent that the solar footprint does encroach on some watercourses introducing Development on watercourses many impacts relating to flood risk, water quality and the need for responsible stormwater management. The natural unavailability of fresh water may result in significant measures introduced by the project to obtain fresh water from distant Fresh water supply sources. These measures are likely to introduce a new range of impacts (e.g. construction of pipelines from distant sources) Accurate hydrological assessment will be required to ensure that plant stormwater Stormwater management runoff is effectively controlled under extreme rainfall conditions. Stormwater management may result in the re-allignment of natural streams. This may Stormwater management infrastructure lead to reduced sediment volumes being transported downstream, thus affecting the downstream landscape.

4.2 Mitigation Measures

The fact that the site is positioned well away from significant watercourses largely limits the hydrological impacts to issues pertaining to site stormwater control. Responsible civil engineering design of stormwater management will mitigate any impacts.

Arriesfontein EIA 21 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

The following mitigation measures are aimed at preventing sedimentation and pollution of watercourses:

 Activities on the banks of the streams should be avoided as far as possible;  Watercourse crossings and stormwater management infrastructure should be implemented along access roads. The infrastructure should not alter the flow of water in the watercourses;  Adequate measures must be implemented to reduce the contamination of clean runoff with dirty plant runoff;  There are no significant watercourses within the project area. Mitigation measures, such as diversion canals and berms, are not expected to be necessary, but may have to be implemented to avoid soil erosion in some instances;  Soil erosion control measures, such as protection berms, should be employed where necessary;  Containment and stormwater management measures should be implemented by the contractor to prevent the loss of topsoil;  Land clearing should be kept to a minimum and limited to development areas; and  No development may be located within 100 m of a watercourse or within the 1:50 yr floodlines.

Arriesfontein EIA 22 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusions

More detailed investigations will be necessary particularly when the proposed plant layout has been finalised. This is necessary to determine the interaction between the plant design and the exposed integrated surface water management.

This is particularly pertinent to the potential development of the solar power project footprint, which could quite possible encroach on surface water features, such as streams.

The hydrological studies conducted thus far have not identified any fatal flaws in terms of the project but a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment is required in order to expand on and verify current findings regarding the natural environment.

5.2 Recommendations

5.2.1 Continued Baseline Monitoring Water quality and aquatic ecosystems should be monitored throughout the project life cycle in order to quantify impacts and manage any deterioration in the aquatic environment at an early stage.

5.2.2 Fatal Flaw Risk Analyses and Worst Case Scenarios During the project scoping phase, no fatal flaws were identified in terms of environmental impacts. A fatal flaw analysis should be preformed as part of the input to the ESIA.

5.2.3 Reliable Meteorlogical Information At present, there are no meteorlogical data for the project area, other than data obtained from weather stations, more than 20 km away from the site. A weather station should be installed at the project site, to monitor the rainfall, evaporation, wind speed and direction and hours of daylight.

Arriesfontein EIA 23 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

6 REFERENCES

1. Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), November 2007, Handbook on Environmental Assessment Legislation in the SADC Region

2. Weather Data from http://www.dwa.gov.za/orange/low_orange/Kimberley.htm

3. Weather Data from http://www.bdb.co.za/kimberley/climate.htm

4. Weather Data from http://weather.news24.com/Forecasts.aspx?loc=SA&cityId=77257

5. Weather Data from http://www.kwathabeng.co.za/weather/postmasburg-weather.html

6. Weather Data from http://www.climatedata.eu/climate.php?loc=sfzz0040&lang=en

7. Daylight Data from http://www.climate-charts.com

8. Wind data from http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/southafrica/kimberley.php

9. Robile, J., 2011. South African SOLAR PARK PROJECT – UPDATE. Proceedings from the Energex Africa 2011 Conference.

10. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, 2006. Guideline for groundwater resources within dolomitic areas of South Africa. Volume 2, Process and Related Activities

11. Water Research Commission, 1994. Water Resources of South Africa, 1990 Study (WR90). Water Research Commission Report, 298/4.1/94, Prepared by Midgley DC, Pitman WV and Middleton BJ

12. Water Research Commission, 2008. Water Resources of South Africa, 2005 Study (WR2005). Water Research Commission Report, Contract K5/1491, Prepared by Middleton BJ and Bailey AK (2005)

Arriesfontein EIA 24 Jaunary 2012 Specialist Scoping Report – Hydrology

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix M – Heritage and Archaeological Scoping

Study

Page 254 260380PWE : 1 Rev A : 2012-03-05

SolarReserve SA (Pty) Ltd

Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Daniëlskuil , Northern Cape Province

Heritage Scoping

Issue Date: 17 November 2011 Revision No.: 1 Project No.: DEA Reference:

Professional Grave Solutions (Pty) Ltd T/A PGS Heritage & Grave Relocation Consultants PO Box 32542 Totiusdal 0134, T +27 12 332 5305 F: +27 86 675 8077 Reg No 2003/008940/07

Declaration of Independence

The report has been compiled by PGS Heritage & Grave Relocation Consultants an appointed Heritage Specialist for Worley Parson RSA. The views stipulated in this report are purely objective and no other interests are displayed during the decision making processes discussed in the Heritage Impact Assessment Process that includes the Scoping as well as this final report

HERITAGE CONSULTANT: PGS Heritage & Grave Relocation Consultants

CONTACT PERSON: Wouter Fourie Tel: +27 (0) 12 332 5305 Email: [email protected]

SIGNATURE: ______

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT

CLIENT: Worley Parsons RSA

CONTACT PERSON: Francois Humphries Tel: +27 (0) 12 425 6300 Fax: +27 (0) 86 2968740

Email: [email protected] SIGNATURE: ______

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PGS Heritage & Grave Relocation Consultants was appointed by Worley Parson RSA to undertake a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) that forms part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape Province.

Heritage resources are unique and non‐renewable and as such any impact on such resources must be seen as significant.

The Heritage Scoping Report has shown that the study area and surrounding area has a rich historical and archaeological history.

Initial field work has also identified heritage sensitive areas within the study area that will need further investigation during the HIA/EIA phase.

Palaeontology The overall impact significance of the proposed development is therefore likely to be LOW and no no‐go areas or buffer zones for palaeontological heritage resources have been identified by this desktop study. No further specialist palaeontological studies, monitoring or mitigation are recommended for this development.

Archaeology and History These findings provide the basis for the recommendation of further field thruthing through an archaeological walk down covering the whole of the study area. The aim of this will be to compile a comprehensive database of heritage sites in the study area, with the aim of developing a heritage management plan for inclusion in the EMP as derived from the EIA.

The data will be compiled in a report that will utilise the Plan of Study for the EIA/HIA (Appendix B) as well as the significance rating (Appendix E) that will assist in incorporating the impacts on heritage resources into the total EIA report.

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CONTENTS Page

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Scope of the Study 1

1.2 Specialist Qualifications 1

1.3 Assumptions and Limitations 2

1.4 Legislative Context 2

2 TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE PROJECT 8

2.1 Site Location and Description 8

2.2 Technical Project Description 8

3 CURRENT STATUS QUO 9

3.2 Heritage Issues and Potential Impacts 27

4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 28

5 REFERENCES 29

List of Appendices

A Palaeontological Desktop Study B Plan of Study for EIA C Legislative Requirements – Terminology and Assessment Criteria D Heritage Assessment Methodology E The Significance Rating Scales for the EIA

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List of Figures

Figure 1 – Human and Cultural Time line in Africa (Morris, 2008) ...... 7 Figure 2 – Arriesfontein locality ...... 8 Figure 3 – Pans visible from satellite imagery ...... 10 Figure 4 – General view of vaalbos and grasland ...... 11 Figure 5 – View of one of the numerous pans on the property ...... 11 Figure 6 – Farmstead on property ...... 12 Figure 7 – Workers housing ...... 12 Figure 8 – Extract from 1: 250 000 geological map 2822 Postmasburg (Council for Geoscience, Pretoria) showing approximate location of proposed Arriesdrift Solar Power Plant study area c. 24 km southeast of Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape Province (blue polygon)...... 13 Figure 9 - Map of archaeological sites (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983) ...... 14 Figure 10 - Central Transorangia during the nineteenth century (Legassick 1989) .. 19 Figure 11 – Headstone in cemetery dating to 1932 ...... 23 Figure 12 – View of the fountain on Arriesfontein ...... 25 Figure 13 – Cemetery situated just east of the original farmstead area ...... 26 Figure 14 – Heritage Sensitivity Map ...... 26

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope of the Study

The aim of the study is to identify possible heritage sites and finds that may occur in the proposed development area. The Heritage Impact Assessment aims to inform the EIA in the development of a comprehensive EMP to assist the developer in managing the discovered heritage resources in a responsible manner, in order to protect, preserve, and develop them within the framework provided by the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 (Act 25 of 1999) (NHRA).

1.2 Specialist Qualifications

This Heritage Scoping Report was compiled by PGS Heritage & Grave Relocation Consultants (PGS).

The staff at PGS has a combined experience of nearly 40 years in the heritage consulting industry. PGS and its staff have extensive experience in managing HIA processes. PGS will only undertake heritage assessment work where they have the relevant expertise and experience to undertake that work competently.

Wouter Fourie, Principal Archaeologist for this project, and the two field archaeologist, Henk Steyn and Marko Hutton are registered with the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) and has CRM accreditation within the said organisation.

Since 2002 Dr Almond has also carried out palaeontological impact assessments for developments and conservation areas in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape under the aegis of his Cape Town‐based company Natura Viva cc. He is a long‐standing member of the Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites Committee for Heritage Western Cape (HWC) and an advisor on palaeontological conservation and management issues for the

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Palaeontological Society of South Africa (PSSA), HWC and SAHRA. He is currently compiling technical reports on the provincial palaeontological heritage of Western, Northern and Eastern Cape for SAHRA and HWC. Dr Almond is an accredited member of PSSA and APHAP (Association of Professional Heritage Assessment Practitioners – Western Cape).

1.3 Assumptions and Limitations

Not subtracting in any way from the comprehensiveness of the fieldwork undertaken, it is necessary to realise that the heritage resources located during the fieldwork do not necessarily represent all the possible heritage resources present within the area. Various factors account for this, including the subterranean nature of some archaeological sites and the current dense vegetation cover. As such, should any heritage features and/or objects not included in the present inventory be located or observed, a heritage specialist must immediately be contacted.

Such observed or located heritage features and/or objects may not be disturbed or removed in any way until such time that the heritage specialist had been able to make an assessment as to the significance of the site (or material) in question. This applies to graves and cemeteries as well. In the event that any graves or burial places are located during the development the procedures and requirements pertaining to graves and burials will apply as set out below.

1.4 Legislative Context

The identification, evaluation and assessment of any cultural heritage site, artefact or find in the South African context is required and governed by the following legislation:

i. National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) Act 107 of 1998 ii. National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) Act 25 of 1999 iii. Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) Act 28 of 2002 iv. Development Facilitation Act (DFA) Act 67 of 1995

The following sections in each Act refer directly to the identification, evaluation and assessment of cultural heritage resources.

i. National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) Act 107 of 1998

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a. Basic Environmental Assessment (BEA) – Section (23)(2)(d) b. Environmental Scoping Report (ESR) – Section (29)(1)(d) c. Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) – Section (32)(2)(d) d. EMP (EMP) – Section (34)(b) ii. National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) Act 25 of 1999 a. Protection of Heritage resources – Sections 34 to 36; and b. Heritage Resources Management – Section 38 iii. Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) Act 28 of 2002 a. Section 39(3) iv. Development Facilitation Act (DFA) Act 67 of 1995 a. The GNR.1 of 7 January 2000: Regulations and rules in terms of the Development Facilitation Act, 1995. Section 31.

The NHRA stipulates that cultural heritage resources may not be disturbed without authorization from the relevant heritage authority. Section 34 (1) of the NHRA states that “no person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years without a permit issued by the relevant provincial heritage resources authority…”. The NEMA (No 107 of 1998) states that an integrated EMP should (23:2 (b)) “…identify, predict and evaluate the actual and potential impact on the environment, socio‐economic conditions and cultural heritage”. In accordance with legislative requirements and EIA rating criteria, the regulations of SAHRA and ASAPA have also been incorporated to ensure that a comprehensive legally compatible AIA report is compiled.

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Terminology Abbreviations Description

AIA Archaeological Impact Assessment ASAPA Association of South African Professional Archaeologists CRM Cultural Resource Management DEA Department of Environmental Affairs DWA Department of Water Affairs EIA practitioner Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioner EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESA Early Stone Age GPS Global Positioning System HIA Heritage Impact Assessment I&AP Interested & Affected Party LSA Late Stone Age LIA Late Iron Age MSA Middle Stone Age MIA Middle Iron Age NEMA National Environmental Management Act NHRA National Heritage Resources Act PHRA Provincial Heritage Resources Agency PSSA Palaeontological Society of South Africa ROD Record of Decision SADC Southern African Development Community SAHRA South African Heritage Resources Agency

Archaeological resources This includes: i. material remains resulting from human activity which are in a state of disuse and are in or on land and which are older than 100 years including artefacts, human and hominid remains and artificial features and structures; ii. rock art, being any form of painting, engraving or other graphic representation on a fixed rock surface or loose rock or stone, which was executed by human agency and which is older than 100 years, including any

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 4 of 30

area within 10m of such representation;

iii. wrecks, being any vessel or aircraft, or any part thereof which was wrecked in South Africa, whether on land, in the internal waters, the territorial waters or in the maritime culture zone of the republic as defined in the Maritimes Zones Act, and any cargo, debris or artefacts found or associated therewith, which is older than 60 years or which SAHRA considers to be worthy of conservation; iv. features, structures and artefacts associated with military history which are older than 75 years and the site on which they are found.

Cultural significance This means aesthetic, architectural, historical, scientific, social, spiritual, linguistic or technological value or significance

Development This means any physical intervention, excavation, or action, other than those caused by natural forces, which may in the opinion of the heritage authority in any way result in the change to the nature, appearance or physical nature of a place or influence its stability and future well‐being, including: i. construction, alteration, demolition, removal or change in use of a place or a structure at a place; ii. carrying out any works on or over or under a place; iii. subdivision or consolidation of land comprising a place, including the structures or airspace of a place; iv. constructing or putting up for display signs or boards; v. any change to the natural or existing condition or topography of land; and vi. any removal or destruction of trees, or removal of vegetation or topsoil

Early Stone Age The archaeology of the Stone Age between 400 000 and 2500 000 years ago.

Fossil Mineralised bones of animals, shellfish, plants and marine animals. A trace fossil is the track or footprint of a fossil animal that is preserved in stone or consolidated sediment.

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Heritage That which is inherited and forms part of the National Estate (Historical places, objects, fossils as defined by the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999).

Heritage resources This means any place or object of cultural significance

Holocene The most recent geological time period which commenced 10 000 years ago.

Late Stone Age The archaeology of the last 30 000 years associated with fully modern people.

Late Iron Age (Early Farming Communities) The archaeology of the last 1000 years up to the 1800’s, associated with iron working and farming activities such as herding and agriculture.

Middle Stone Age The archaeology of the Stone Age between 30‐300 000 years ago associated with early modern humans.

Palaeontology Any fossilised remains or fossil trace of animals or plants which lived in the geological past, other than fossil fuels or fossiliferous rock intended for industrial use, and any site which contains such fossilised remains or trace.

Refer to Appendix C for further discussions on heritage management and legislative frameworks

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Figure 1 – Human and Cultural Time line in Africa (Morris, 2008)

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2 TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE PROJECT

2.1 Site Location and Description

Location (S28.28808 E23.78031), The proposed development site is situated an approximate 30 kilometers outside of the town Daniëlskuil. Land 1846Hectares of land under option. Land The land is currently utilised for grazing purposes and consists of gras Description and bush cover with some perennial pans scattered over the area over most of the property.

Daniëlskuil

Figure 2 – Arriesfontein locality

2.2 Technical Project Description

The following brief project description for the solar plant has been abstracted from the Background Information Document prepared by Worley Parsons RSA (Pty) Ltd.

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1. The CSP plant being considered is a molten salt‐type, central receiver (tower) technology. The plant requires approximately 6 km2 of low‐relief terrain and will primarily comprise the following four components: Solar Field ‐ consists of all services and infrastructure related to the management and operation of the heliostats (reflective mirrors). It is estimated that approximately 17 000 heliostats with an area of approximately 65 m2 each will be required for the solar field in order to obtain a power output of approximately 100 MW; Molten Salt Circuit ‐ includes the thermal storage tanks for storing liquid salt, a concentration receiver/tower, pipelines and heat exchangers; The Power Block – housing the steam turbine; Auxiliary facilities and infrastructure ‐ includes a condenser‐cooling system, electricity transmission lines to allow for grid connection, access routes, water treatment and supply amenities and a CSP plant start‐up energy supply unit (gas or diesel generators).

2. The PV development will consist of photo‐voltaic solar panels that will occupy up to 450 ha of the site area in total. The PV will be developed in three blocks of 150 ha. Each block of 150 ha will produce 75 MW. The PV development will produce 225 MW of power in total. The panels will be situated in rows extending across the site in lines. PV panels are typically up to 15 m2 in size and the rows will be approximately 1 km in length, made up of approximately 100 m sections depending on the final design and layout of the development. The panels will be mounted on metal frames with a maximum height of approximately 3 m above the ground, supported by concrete or screw pile foundations, and they will face north in order to capture the maximum sunlight. The facility will either be a fixed PV plant where the solar panels are stationary; or a tracking PV plant where the solar panels rotate to track the sun’s movement (the exact type of PV plant system will be determined following on‐site solar resource modelling and detailed development design.

3 CURRENT STATUS QUO

3.1. Site Description The Arriesfontein Farm study area is located in very flat‐lying terrain at 1420‐1430m amsl extending from the eastern edge of the Asbesberge near the mining town of Daniëlskuil. It is transected by the Kimberley – Postmasburg – Sishen railway line and lies some 6 km south of the R31 road between Barkly West and Postmasburg (Figure 2). The shallow WNW‐ESE trending water courses of the Steenbokrivier and Klein‐Rietrivier run across the semi‐arid

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 9 of 30 plains some 12 km to the north and south of the study area. Several small pans are visible on satellite images of the area (Figure 3), designated as panneveld on many maps, and the much larger Groot Pan and Rooipan lie less than 20 km to the west.

The general condition of the property range from mixed gras and vaalbos areas (Figure 4) to open spaces generally associated with dry pans (Figure 5).

The south eastern section of the property is also characterised by old mining activity that left large open trenches in the area (Error! Reference source not found.).

Figure 3 – Pans visible from satellite imagery

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Figure 4 – General view of vaalbos and grasland

Figure 5 – View of one of the numerous pans on the property

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Current structures on the property consist of a farmstead with house dating from the mid 1920’s (Figure 6) and workers houses (Figure 7).

Figure 6 – Farmstead on property

Figure 7 – Workers housing

3.1.1 Archival findings

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The archival research focused on available information sourced that was used to compile a background history of the study area and surrounds. This data then informed the possible heritage resources to be expected during field surveying.

Palaeontology (Refer to Annexure A for full Report)

The proposed Arriesfontein solar power plant development near Daniëlskuil is located in an area that is in part underlain by at most sparsely fossiliferous sedimentary rocks of Precambrian and Late Caenozoic age, the latter comprising mainly Quaternary to Recent calcretes and downwasted rock rubble.

5 km

Figure 8 – Extract from 1: 250 000 geological map 2822 Postmasburg (Council for Geoscience, Pretoria) showing approximate location of proposed Arriesdrift Solar Power Plant study area c. 24 km southeast of Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape Province (blue polygon).

Potentially fossiliferous sedimentary rock units mapped within the broader study region include:

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Vgl (pale blue) = Precambrian limestones, dolomites and cherts of the Ghaap Group (Campbell Rand Subgroup) Vgl (dark green) = Precambrian banded cherts and chert breccia of the Ghaap Group Ql (yellow) = Late Caenozoic calcretes (Kalahari Group in part) Buff with triangular symbols = superficial downwasted “rubble” (verweringspuin)

Archaeological background

Most archaeological material in the Northern Cape is found near water sources such as rivers, pans and springs, as well as on hills and in rock shelters. Sites usually comprise of open sites where the majority of evidence of human occupation is scatters of stone tools (Parsons 2003). The region in which Daniëlskuil is located is known as the Ghaap Plateau. The town itself is located in the foothills of the Kuruman Hills that are found to the west. It is in these hills, between Daniëlskuil and Kuruman, that the most significant archaeological site in the region is found, Wonderwerk Cave, which has material from the Earlier Stone Age to historical times. Much information about the archaeology of the region derives from this site, especially regarding chronology (Beaumont & Vogel 2006).

Figure 9 ‐ Map of archaeological sites (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983)

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Early Stone Age (400 000 – 2 million Before Present/BP) The Early Stone Age at Wonderwerk dates to approximately 780 000 years old and is characterised by Acheulean stone tools such as prepared cores, bifacial cleavers and refined handaxes. A few pieces of haematite were also found in the uppermost MSA layers. Bedding material recovered indicates that the site was used as a home base by the end of the ESA. A few small irregular flakes and cores may belong to the older, Oldowan era, but the dating of this material is uncertain (Beaumont & Vogel 2006).

Middle Stone Age (30 000 – 300 000 BP) Middle Stone Age artefacts belonging to the Fauresmith industry are also found in the region. The Fauresmith is characterised by prepared cores, long, narrow flake blades, convergent points and small, broad handaxes (Mitchell 2002). At Wonderwerk, layers with Fauresmith tools were dated to 276 00 – 510 000 BP. Associated with MSA materials were several incised stone slabs, most with curved parallel lines. Pieces of haematite were also found. The cave was abandoned between 70 000 and 12 500 BP due to significantly drier conditions. During this time, much of the region was abandoned and settlement only occurred at a few sites near permanent water sources (Beaumont & Vogel 2006).

Later Stone Age (30 000 BP – recent times) The earlier LSA industry of the region forms part of the Oakhurst industry (some have labelled this local variant the Kuruman), characterised by rare retouched artefacts, most of which are large scrapers that are oblong with retouch on the side. The predominant raw materials are banded ironstone and dolomite. Very few adzes and blades are found, while backed artefacts and bone tools are absent. Ostrich eggshell beads and fragments are found (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983). At Wonderwerk, Oakhurst assemblages were dated to 8000 – 10 500 BP (Beaumont & Vogel 2006).

This was followed by the Wilton industry, characterised by the use of various raw materials including banded ironstone, chert, chalcedony, jasper and quartz. The main retouched tools are elongated scrapers with retouch on the end and backed artefacts such as segments and blades. Other retouched tools include adzes, unifacial points, borers and notched artefacts. At other sites, bifacial points and bifacial tanged and barbed arrowheads are found. At Wonderwerk, few bone points have been found. Ostrich eggshell beads, pendants and decorated fragments, as well as stone rings were found (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983). Wilton layers at Wonderwerk have been dated to 2000 – 8000 BP. Associated with LSA

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 15 of 30 materials were 20 fine‐line incised engraved stone slabs, most with schematic motifs. One example of a mammal depiction has been found. Pieces of haematite and specularite were also found in these layers (Beaumont & Vogel 2006).

Pottery made its appearance in the region by approximately 1400 BP and at Wonderwerk, Ceramic Later Stone Age layers have been dated to 900 – 2000 BP (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983; Beaumont & Vogel 2006). Two discrete, contemporary stone tool industries are associated with pottery remains in the Northern Cape: Swartkop and Doornfontein (Beaumont et al.1995). Swartkop is a Wilton industry characterised by acircular blades, a high proportion of backed blades, coarse undecorated pottery sherds that commonly contain grass temper, and a few iron items. It seems scrapers were favoured over blades on the Ghaap plateau (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983). These sites are usually found near water sources, such as pans and springs, or on the sides of low hills. Stone circles and ovals are sometimes also found and may represent the bases of dwellings. A late phase of this industry can be linked with the /Xam San who lived in the Karoo. Doornfontein is characterised by the predominance of coarse irregular flakes, frequent use of quartz as a raw material, and very little retouch. Many ceramics are found, which are amphora‐like in shape with grit temper and decoration on the necks and rims. Later sites contain some large ostrich eggshell beads, iron objects, and coarser sherds with grass temper. These sites are found along the Orange River and nearby permanent water sources. This tradition is probably associated with Khoekhoen groups (Beaumont et al. 1995).

Two prehistoric specularite mines have been excavated near Postmasburg–Doornfontein (Beaumont & Boshier 1974) and Blinklipkop (Thackeray et al. 1983). These sites show that specularite mining started before 1200 BP. This substance was prized as a cosmetic by hunter‐gatherers, Khoekhoen pastoralists and Iron Age peoples, making it an important trade item. At Blinkklipkop, there is evidence of either trade with or occupation by Iron Age peoples by the seventeenth century. Historical sources indicate that Tlhaping Sotho‐Tswana peoples occupied the mine in 1801 (Thackeray et al. 1983).

Rock Art Rock engravings are principally found in the interior of South Africa and are plentiful in the Northern Cape. Engravings are found on rocky outcrops, river beds and boulders. They are made by pecking away the surface of the rock with another rock, incising it with a sharp

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 16 of 30 stone or scraping it off with another stone. Unfortunately, there are no scientific methods for securely dating engravings and research into this is still at an experimental stage.

Most engravings were made by the San and were associated with their religious beliefs and rituals. San shamans went into trance to perform certain tasks such as controlling game, protecting the group and rainmaking. Certain animals were believed to hold supernatural power and thus many of the engraved animals can be seen as both sources and symbols of supernatural power. The places where engravings were made were also sources of supernatural power, especially in rainmaking rituals. Certain geometrics such as zigzags and dots are likely to have been associated with forms called entoptics seen whilst in trance (Dowson 1992).

Some engravings–particularly those featuring nonentoptic geometrics and aprons–were probably made by Khoekhoen people. Similar motifs are found in finger painted Khoekhoen rock art sites in certain regions of the Northern Cape, especially in the Vaal‐Harts region to the east. Khoekhoen rock art is typified by finger paintings and roughly pecked engravings of geometrics that are located near water sources (Smith & Ouzman 2004). The rock paintings found in the Kuruman hills (Morris 1988) are probably of Khoekhoen authorship. Korana rock art–mostly painted–has also been identified in the Vaal‐Harts region but may stretch into the Daniëlskuil region (Ouzman 2005). These depictions are characterised by finger painted and rough brush painted horses, human figures, geometrics, aprons, guns and finger dots. They are painted in shelters that are either hidden or not easily accessible. The complex issues of ethnicity and authorship of rock art–especially engravings–are still being researched.

There are several engraving sites in the Daniëlskuil area–notably Townlands (Collins 1973) that is pecked on a flat mass of limestone above a river bed just northeast of the town and Ouplaas 2 south of the town, which is engraved on exposed dolerite slabs (Morris & Beaumont 1994). These sites share a similar repertoire of subjects depicted, mainly of nineteenth century origin. This includes horses, often with a human figure riding them, human figures wearing hats or dresses, and wagons. There are also images of ostriches and geometrics such as rough rectangles with subdivisions and roughly grid‐shaped designs resembling brickwork. A fat‐tailed sheep, a handprint and few initials were also found. They may have been made by nineteenth century people of Khoekhoen descent such as the

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Korana (Morris & Beaumont 1994). Rock engravings are also found near Lime Acres southwest of Daniëlskuil (Morris 2008).

Iron Age Sotho‐Tswana agro‐pastoralist peoples settled in the eastern portion of the Northern Cape in the seventeenth century (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983), possibly as far west as the Langeberg. They were driven further northeast by the arrival of the Korana in the eighteenth century and settled in the Kuruman area and further north (Humphreys 1976). By the early nineteenth century, they were mostly hunters and pastoralists and they dominated trade between the north and south of the interior (Shillington 1985). This included control over the specularite mine at Blinkklipkop (Legassick 1969).

Historical background

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Ghaap Plateau was inhabited by San hunter‐ gatherers, Khoekhoen people (mostly Korana), and Tlhaping and Tlharo Sotho‐Tswana peoples in the northeast (Humphreys & Thackeray 1983). Small Korana groups started moving into the area in the eighteenth century, disrupting the Sotho‐Tswana as they extended their influence over the area (Legassick 1989).

The Korana were originally descended from Khoekhoen groups living in the south‐western Cape, who moved into the interior in the eighteenth century and became known as !Kora. There were also indigenous !Kora groups living on the Middle Orange and at the Vaal‐ Orange confluence. To distinguish between the two, Korana is used for post‐frontier !Kora groups.

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Figure 10 ‐ Central Transorangia during the nineteenth century (Legassick 1989)

Eighteenth century Korana groups were armed and mounted and attracted people of other descent such as colonial fugitives, escaped slaves, San, Sotho‐Tswana and Griqua individuals. The Tlhaping interacted closely with the Korana and many chiefs had Korana wives (Legassick 1989). A key part of Korana identity was their lifestyle of nomadic cattle herding and raiding (Ouzman 2005). The main Korana chiefs in central Transorangia were Abraham Kruger, Piet Witvoet, Knecht Windvogel and Jan Bloem (Ross 1976). Jan Bloem was a German deserter from the navy and fugitive from the Cape colony who moved from the Middle Orange region–with a mostly Korana following–to Transorangia in the late eighteenth century and built up a following amongst the Korana and San. They raided over a vast area, often targeting Sotho‐Tswana groups. In about 1800, Bloem was poisoned and was succeeded by his son Jan Bloem II, who being half Korana, became chief of the Springbok Korana (Legassick 1969).

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Oorlams, Bastaards and other groups started moving from the Karoo, to the Middle Orange and then to central Transorangia. Oorlams were Khoekhoen people who had attached themselves to European frontiersmen. Bastaards were people of mixed white, Khoekhoen and slave descent who enjoyed a higher social status in the colony, were Christianised and spoke low Dutch. One of these was Adam Kok I, a freed slave, as well as Klaas Berends. The Kok and Berends families moved to central Transorangia in the beginning of the nineteenth century. They had each acquired large

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 19 of 30 followings and were quite wealthy. The Bastaards soon established trade relationships with the Tlhaping, who sold them cattle, ivory and metal items in exchange for sheep, tobacco, dagga and beads.

By the early nineteenth century, an illegal arms trade had started in Transorangia, which caused much disruption in the region. Many followers left the Bastaards in favour of Korana and Sotho‐Tswana groups. This was exacerbated when mixed Xhosa‐led groups from the Eastern Frontier began operating in the region between 1805 and 1814. Coenraad de Buys, the famous European frontier rebel, moved into the area in 1815 and led the most infamous raiding group in the region. He later moved north out of Transorangia. This incessant raiding by armed horsemen led to the breakdown of existing social structures.

In the midst of this turmoil, the Bastaards were strengthening their community. They received their first missionary, William Anderson of the London Missionary Society, in about 1801. Under his influence, Klaarwater was established in 1804, where houses were built and crops planted. This community was led by Adam Kok II and Berend Berends, as well as several magistrates. At the suggestion of visiting missionary John Campbell, they started calling themselves the Griqua, their capital was renamed Griquatown and they adopted a constitution in 1813. However, dissension broke out the following year after colonial authorities demanded Griqua conscription. There was a rebellion in 1815 and a group of dissenters, the Hartenaars, moved to the Vaal‐Harts river region. There was much hostility towards the leading Griqua families and in 1816, Berend Berends and Peter David moved to Daniëlskuil and most of the Koks under Cornelis Kok II moved to Campbell (Legassick 1969). The LMS established a mission station at Kuruman amongst the Tlhaping in 1816 under James Read, who was replaced by Robert Moffat in 1821 (Shillington 1985). Read was travelling between Griquatown and Dithakong in 1816 when he encountered a natural crater, in which there was a dead springbuck, hence he named it Daniel’s den or kuil (Snyman 1985).

A missionary outpost had been established among the San at Kramersfontein 10km north of Daniëlskuil a few months prior to Berend’s move there. Both the LMS and Wesleyans were involved in the Daniëlskuil area. The settlement of the Griqua here caused initial conflict between the San and both the Griqua and the Sotho‐Tswana (Snyman 1988). Many San were eventually reduced to clients who tended Griqua cattle (Legassick 1969). The Sotho‐Tswana name for Daniëlskuil was Tlhaka le tlou ‘reeds of the elephant’ and the Korana knew it as

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Xaub (Snyman 1985). Many Korana and other Khoesan people were incorporated into the Daniëlskuil community (Snyman 1988). At the end of the 1820s, Berends moved from Daniëlskuil to Boetsap and later to the Vaal‐Harts region (Legassick 1989).

In 1820, Andries Waterboer–of San descent–was elected as the new Griqua kaptyn (Legassick 1989). However, many resented his appointment, as well as the appointment of a government agent. In 1822, the Bergenaar rebellion broke out, causing much turmoil in the region. Dissidents gathered on the Modder River, along with Korana and San groups (Legassick 1969). From here, they raided Tlhaping and Tlharo groups around Kuruman mission station (Shillington 1985). In 1826, Adam Kok II and his followers (mostly Bergenaars) moved to Philippolis (Ross 1976).

The area was also affected by the turmoil of the Dfecane in the 1820s and 1830s and several Bantu‐speaking raiding groups targeted the area (Legassick 1989). In 1823, Waterboer led a commando to defend the Tlhaping at Old Dithakong against Southern Sotho attackers (Legassick 1969). Conditions were exacerbated by a drought in the 1830s, which caused many Griquas to leave Griquatown. Waterboer attempted to extend his sphere of influence over the Tlhaping and make them his clients. This met with limited success. In 1834, he signed a treaty with colonial authorities recognising his authority over central Transorangia but without defining its northern limits where the Tlhaping lived (Legassick 1969).

Part of Waterboer’s expansion policy included stationing Griqua families at Daniëlskuil, which brought him into conflict with Berends who still had claim to the land. He eventually bought the land from Berends (Legassick 1969). In 1831, a school was established at Daniëlskuil and European traders started to move into the area at the same time. Daniëlskuil became part of the “Missionary Road” between Griquatown, Campbell and Kuruman (Snyman 1985). Greater numbers of Tlhaping and Tlharo started settling at nearby Kramersfontein, resulting in the displacement and ultimate extermination of the local San (Snyman 1988).

During the 1840s, there were further contests over land in central Transorangia. In 1841, an agreement was made between Waterboer and Kok formalising the boundaries between Campbell and Griquatown. The following year, Waterboer made an agreement with the Tlhaping chief Mahura defining their relative spheres of influence and borders. This marked the end of Griqua expansion and the start of Griquatown’s decline. Furthermore, at the end

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 21 of 30 of the 1840s, Cornelius Kok II started allowing European farmers to purchase land near Campbell, hastening the expansion of the Orange Free State into central Transorangia.

By the 1860s, European farmers were encroaching on the region (Legassick 1969). This was intensified by the discovery of diamonds on the lower Vaal in the late 1860s. The diamond trade was initially controlled by the Sotho‐Tswana but by 1870s, Europeans had gained control of diamond prospecting and trading. Desire for control of the diamond fields caused border disputes between the different Griqua polities and the Tlhaping polities, in addition to the British and the Boer polities of the Transvaal and Orange Free State (Legassick 1969; Shillington 1985). At the end 1871, Griqualand West was established and the area was brought under British control. The Tlhaping resisted colonial authority. A few skirmishes occurred near Daniëlskuil. In 1877, chiefly authority was brought to an end in Griqualand West when the Thlaping were placed in locations, one being to the northwest of Daniëlskuil. In the process, many Sotho‐Tswana such as the Thlaping, Korana and Griqua lost their independence, resulting in a rebellion in 1878 (Snyman 1985). This rebellion did nothing to stop the advance of colonial rule and Griqualand West was officially annexed by the Cape in 1880 (Shillington 1985). In 1892, Daniëlskuil was established as a European town (Snyman 1985).

During the South African War (1899‐1902), most of the farmers in the Daniëlskuil area supported the Boers and joined their forces. In 1900, the British, fearing the rebels would jeopardise their western flank, appointed a task force under Sir Charles Warren to rid Griqualand West of Boer rebels. They occupied Daniëlskuil in June, forcing the bulk of the rebels to surrender. The remaining rebels were captured and tried for treason. The British built a fort overlooking the town as well as a system of trenches around the town. Early the following year, Boer forces tried to recapture the town but the attack failed (Snyman 1988).

Farm History The Warren report (1877) paved the way for the proclamation of farms in the Daniëlskuil area. Sir Bartle Frere envisaged the establishment of a considerable township around Daniëlskuil and commissioned Warren to allocated 163 hectares to white farmers, 122 000 hectares to Griqua farmers and a further 32 600 hectares as location area

The farm Arriesfontein was allocated to I. Johnson as part of a large land grant to the white farmers, most of who was of English decent with substantial trade influence (Snyman 1988).

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 22 of 30

The current owners Mr and Mrs Cloete have been staying on the farm since the early 1970’s when Mrs Cloete inherited the farm from her farther Mr Venter. Mr Venter inherited the farm from his step‐father a Mr Roux.

The Roux family have been associated with the farm since the late 1800’s, this fact is confirmed by the family cemetery on the farm with two of the three headstone bearing Roux names dating to 1932 and earlier (Figure 11).

Figure 11 – Headstone in cemetery dating to 1932

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3.1.2 Findings of the Heritage Scoping Document

The findings can be compiled as follow and is combined to produce a heritage sensitivity map for the project:

Palaeontology The study area for the proposed Arriesfontein solar power plant near Daniëlskuil is underlain at depth by Early Precambrian marine carbonate sediments of the Ghaap Group that are only sparsely fossiliferous (e.g. microbial mounds or stromatolites). Most of the study area is mantled by Late Caenozoic superficial deposits including Quaternary to Recent calcretes (pedogenic limestones) and downwasted rock rubble of comparable age, all of which are of low to very low palaeontological sensitivity. Extensive, deep excavations are unlikely to be involved in this sort of solar power plant project.

The overall impact significance of the proposed development is therefore likely to be LOW and no no‐go areas or buffer zones for palaeontological heritage resources have been identified by this desktop study. No further specialist palaeontological studies, monitoring or mitigation are recommended for this development.

Archaeology The possibility of archaeological finds in the study area has been indicated by previous research and field work in the greater Daniëlskuil area. This is confirmed by an initial site visit by an archaeologist from PGS to the study area. Concentrations of Stone Age artefact around the pans and dry runs.

Mr Cloete indicated that a local teacher, and tenant on his farm, had a great interest in archaeology and spent numerous hours on Arriesfontein investigating the pan areas and identifying Stone Age Scatters.

This fact along with the evidence of stone artefacts found during the site visit indicates the possibility of sensitive archaeological areas being present in the study area.

Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant 25 January 2012 Page 24 of 30

Historical

Discussion with the current owner Mr Gerrie Cloete, also revealed a rich history around the farm with the Arriesfontein fountain (Figure 12) playing a major role on the transport routes in the area. The fountain was utilised as an outspan when the transport route followed the current rail line that passes just to the south of the fountain and farmstead.

Mr Cloete further indicated that the original farmstead was situated just to the west of the fountain in the area where the current farm workers houses and cemetery of the Roc family are situated (Figure 7 and Figure 13).

Figure 12 – View of the fountain on Arriesfontein

An eavaluation othe available information and the site visit data enabled the development of a heritage sensitivity map (Figure 14) to guide further investigations during the EIA phase of the project that entails detailed field work in the study area.

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Figure 13 – Cemetery situated just east of the original farmstead area

Figure 14 – Heritage Sensitivity Map

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3.2 Heritage Issues and Potential Impacts

ISSUE Impact on archaeological sites DISCUSSION As seen from the archival work and discussion in Sections 3.1.1‐ 3.1.2 the possibility of archaeological finds have been confirmed and thus further field work is required to develop a comprehensive Heritage Management Plan. EXISTING IMPACT None known PREDICTED IMPACT Unidentified archaeological sites and the discovery of such sites during construction can seriously hamper construction timelines.

Field work can thus provide valuable information on such site in the study area and provide timeous management of such site through realignment of development or mitigation of such sites where needed. EIA INVESTIGATION Archaeological walk down of study area REQUIRED CUMULATIVE EFFECT None foreseen at this stage.

ISSUE Impact on palaeontological sites DISCUSSION As seen from the archival work and discussion in section 3.1 the possibility of palaeontological finds have been identified as being low and thus no further field work is required.

ISSUE Impact on historical sites DISCUSSION As seen from the archival work and discussion in section 3.1‐3.2 a high possibility of historical finds in the study area has been identified and thus further field work is required to develop a comprehensive Heritage Management Plan. EXISTING IMPACT None known PREDICTED IMPACT Unidentified historical structure and the discovery of such structures during construction can seriously hamper construction timelines.

Field work can thus provide valuable information on such site in the

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study area and provide timeous management of such site through realignment of development or mitigation of such sites where needed. EIA INVESTIGATION Archaeological walk down of the study area will identify possible REQUIRED impacted sites

ISSUE Impact on graves and cemeteries site DISCUSSION The existence of graves and cemeteries has been confirmed and further field work is required to determine exacts positions of these sites. EXISTING IMPACT None known PREDICTED IMPACT Unidentified graves and cemeteries and the discovery of such structures during construction can seriously hamper construction timelines.

In the event that these graves and cemeteries could not be avoided a grave relocation proses needs to be started. Such a process impacts on the spiritual and social fabric of the next of kin and associated communities.

Field work can thus provide valuable information on such site in the study area and provide timeous management of such site through realignment of development or relocation of such sites where needed. EIA INVESTIGATION Archaeological walk down of the study area will identify possible REQUIRED impacted sites CUMULATIVE EFFECT None foreseen at this stage.

4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Heritage resources are unique and non‐renewable and as such any impact on such resources must be seen as significant.

The Heritage Scoping Report has shown that the study area and surrounding area has a rich historical and archaeological history.

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Initial field work has also identified heritage sensitive areas within the study area that will need further investigation during the HIA/EIA phase.

Archaeology These findings provide the basis for the recommendation of further field thruthing through an archaeological walk down covering the whole of the study area. The aim of this will be to compile a comprehensive database of heritage sites in the study area, with the aim of developing a heritage management plan for inclusion in the EMP as derived from the EIA.

5 REFERENCES

BEAUMONT, P.B. AND BOSHIER, A.K. 1974. Report on Test Excavations in a Prehistoric Pigment Mine near Postmasburg, Northern Cape. South African Archaeological Bulletin 29: 41‐59. BEAUMONT, P.B., SMITH, A.B., AND VOGEL, J.C. 1995. Before the Einiqua: the archaeology of the frontier zone. A.B. Smith (ed.). Einiqualand: studies of the Orange River frontier p236‐ 264. Cape Town: UCT Press. BEAUMONT, P.B. AND VOGEL, J.C. 2006. On a timescale for the past million years of human history in central South Africa. South African Journal of Science 102: 217‐228. COLLINS, S. 1973. Rock‐Engravings of the Daniëlskuil Townlands. South African Archaeological Bulletin 28: 49‐57. DOWSON, T.N. 1992. The rock engravings of southern Africa. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.

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HUMPHREYS, A.J.B. 1976. Note on the Southern Limits of Iron Age Settlement in the Northern Cape. South African Archaeological Bulletin 31: 54‐57. HUMPHREYS, A.J.B. AND THACKERAY, A.I. 1983. Ghaap and Gariep: Later Stone Age studies in the Northern Cape. Cape Town: South African Archaeological Society Monograph Series No 2. LEGASSICK, M.C. 1970. The Griqua, the Sotho‐Tswana, and the missionaries, 1780‐1840: the politics of a frontier zone. PhD Dissertation. University of California, Los Angeles. – 1989. The northern frontier to c. 1840: the rise and decline of the Griqua people. Elphick, R. & Giliomee, H. (eds) The Shaping of South African Society, 1652‐1840 p358‐420. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. MITCHELL, P.J. 2002. The archaeology of Southern Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. MORRIS, D. 1988. Engraved in place and time: a review of variability in the rock art of the Northern Cape and Karoo. South African Archaeological Bulletin 43: 109‐121. – 2008. Archaeological and Heritage Impact Assessment on Remainder of Carter Block 458, near Lime Acres, Northern Cape. McGregor Museum. MORRIS, D. AND BEAUMONT, P.B. 1994. Ouplaas 2: Rock engravings, Daniëlskuil. McGregor Museum. OUZMAN, S. 2005. The magical art of a raider ration: central South Africa’s Korana rock art. South African Archaeological Society Goodwin Series 9: 101‐113. PARSONS, I. 2003. Lithic expressions of Later Stone Age lifeways in the Northern Cape. South African Archaeological Bulletin 58: 33‐37. ROSS, R. 1976. Adam Kok's Griquas: a study in the development of stratification in South Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, SHILLINGTON, K. 1985. The Colonisation of the Southern Tswana, 1870‐1900. Braamfontein: Ravan Press. SMITH, B.W.S. AND OUZMAN, S. 2004. Taking stock: identifying Khoekhoen herder rock art in southern Africa. Current Anthropology 45(4): 499‐526. SNYMAN, P.H.R. 1985. Daniëlskuil: die trunk mite. Contree 17: 21‐24. – 1988. Daniëlskuil: van Griekwa‐buitepos tot dienssentrum. Pretoria: HSRC. THACKERAY, A.I, THACKERAY, J.F. AND BEAUMONT, P.B. 1983. Excavations at the Blinkklipkop Specularite Mine near Postmasburg, Northern Cape. South African Archaeological Bulletin 38:17‐25.

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Appendix A PALAEONTOLOGICAL DESKTOP STUDY

CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER HSR– ROOIPUNT 25 January 2012

PALAEONTOLOGICAL SPECIALIST STUDY: DESKTOP ASSESSMENT

Proposed Solar Thermal Energy Power Park on Farm Arriesfontein, near Daniëlskuil,

Postmasburg District, Northern Cape Province

John E. Almond PhD (Cantab.) Natura Viva cc, PO Box 12410 Mill Street, Cape Town 8010, RSA [email protected]

November 2011

SUMMARY

The company SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD is proposing to construct a 325 MW Solar Power Park on the Farm Arriesfontein, Barkley West Regional District, Siyanda District Municipal Region in the Northern Cape. The planned solar park will comprise both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) components. The proposed development site is situated in flat terrain on the eastern side of the Asbesberge, approximately 24 km southeast of the town of Daniëlskuil and 110 km northwest of the city of Kimberley.

The study area for the proposed Arriesfontein solar power plant near Daniëlskuil is underlain at depth by Early Precambrian marine carbonate sediments of the Ghaap Group that are only sparsely fossiliferous (e.g. microbial mounds or stromatolites). Most of the study area is mantled by Late Caenozoic superficial deposits including Quaternary to Recent calcretes (pedogenic limestones) and downwasted rock rubble of comparable age, all of which are of low to very low palaeontological sensitivity. Extensive, deep excavations are unlikely to be involved in this sort of solar power plant project. The overall impact significance of the proposed development is therefore likely to be LOW and no fatal flaws, no‐go areas or buffer zones for palaeontological heritage resources have been identified by this desktop study. No further specialist palaeontological studies, monitoring or mitigation are recommended for this development.

During the construction phase of the solar power plant the ECO responsible for the development should be aware of the possibility of important fossils being present or unearthed on site and should monitor all substantial excavations into fresh (i.e. unweathered) sedimentary bedrock for fossil remains. In the case of any significant fossil finds (e.g. vertebrate teeth, bones, burrows, petrified wood, calcretised termitaria) during construction, these should be safeguarded ‐ preferably in situ ‐ and reported by the ECO as soon as possible to the relevant heritage management authority (SAHRA) so that any appropriate mitigation by a palaeontological specialist can be considered and implemented, at the developer’s expense.

These recommendations should be incorporated into the EMP for the solar power plant development.

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1. INTRODUCTION

The company SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD is proposing to construct a 325 MW Solar Power Park on the Farm Arriesfontein, Barkly West Regional District, Siyanda District Municipal Region in the Northern Cape. The planned solar park will comprise both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) components. The proposed development site is situated in flat terrain on the eastern side of the Asbesberge, approximately 24 km southeast of the town of Daniëlskuil and 110 km northwest of the city of Kimberley (Figs. 1 & 2). The development site is located within the institutional boundaries of the Kgatelopele Local and Siyanda District Municipalities.

Fig. 1. Extract from 1: 250 000 topographical map 3822 Postmasburg showing location of the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant study area (red polygon) located c. 24 km southeast of Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape (Image kindly provided by PGS (Pty) Ltd).

The following brief project description for the solar plant has been abstracted from the Background Information Document prepared by WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 93155, Menlo Park 0102, South Africa, dated October 2011:

 Solar Field ‐ consists of all services and infrastructure related to the management and operation of the heliostats (reflective mirrors). It is estimated that approximately 17 000 heliostats with an area of approximately 65 m2 each will be required for the solar field in order to obtain a power output of approximately 100 MW;

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 Molten Salt Circuit ‐ includes the thermal storage tanks for storing liquid salt, a concentration receiver/tower, pipelines and heat exchangers;

 The Power Block – housing the steam turbine;

 Auxiliary facilities and infrastructure ‐ includes a condenser‐cooling system, electricity transmission lines to allow for grid connection, access routes, water treatment and supply amenities and a CSP plant start‐up energy supply unit (gas or diesel generators).

2. The PV development will consist of photo‐voltaic solar panels that will occupy up to 450 ha of the site area in total. The PV will be developed in three blocks of 150 ha. Each block of 150 ha will produce 75 MW. The PV development will produce 225 MW of power in total. The panels will be situated in rows extending across the site in lines. PV panels are typically up to 15 m2 in size and the rows will be approximately 1 km in length, made up of approximately 100 m sections depending on the final design and layout of the development. The panels will be mounted on metal frames with a maximum height of approximately 3 m above the ground, supported by concrete or screw pile foundations, and they will face north in order to capture the maximum sunlight. The facility will either be a fixed PV plant where the solar panels are stationary or a tracking PV plant where the solar panels rotate to track the sun’s movement (the exact type of PV plant system will be determined following on‐site solar resource modelling and detailed development design). A detailed technical description for this project has not yet been developed.

The proposed development area is underlain at depth by Early Precambrian marine sediments but also features a variety of Late Caenozoic superficial sediments, some of which may contain sparse fossil remains.

The extent of the proposed development (over 5000 m2) falls within the requirements for a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) as required by Section 38 (Heritage Resources Management) of the South African Heritage Resources Act (Act No. 25 of 1999). The various categories of heritage resources recognised as part of the National Estate in Section 3 of the Heritage Resources Act include, among others:

 geological sites of scientific or cultural importance  palaeontological sites  palaeontological objects and material, meteorites and rare geological specimens

Minimum standards for the palaeontological component of heritage impact assessment reports are currently being developed by SAHRA. The latest version of the SAHRA guidelines is dated May 2007.

SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD has appointed Worley Parsons RSA as independent Environmental Assessment Practitioners in support of an application for Environmental Authorisation and a Waste Management License. The Heritage Impact Assessment for this project is being conducted by Professional Grave Solutions (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 32542, Totiusdal, 0134, RSA who have commissioned the present desktop palaeontological study.

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2. APPROACH & METHODOLOGY

2.1. Details of specialist

Dr John Almond has an Honours Degree in Natural Sciences (Zoology) as well as a PhD in Palaeontology from the University of Cambridge, UK. He has been awarded post‐doctoral research fellowships at Cambridge University and in Germany, and has carried out palaeontological research in Europe, North America, the Middle East as well as North and South Africa. For eight years he was a scientific officer (palaeontologist) for the Geological Survey / Council for Geoscience in the RSA. His current palaeontological research focuses on fossil record of the Precambrian ‐ Cambrian boundary and the Cape Supergroup of South Africa. He has recently written palaeontological reviews for several 1: 250 000 geological maps published by the Council for Geoscience and has contributed educational material on fossils and evolution for new school textbooks in the RSA.

Since 2002 Dr Almond has also carried out palaeontological impact assessments for developments and conservation areas in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga under the aegis of his Cape Town‐based company Natura Viva cc. He is a long‐standing member of the Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites Committee for Heritage Western Cape (HWC) and an advisor on palaeontological conservation and management issues for the Palaeontological Society of South Africa (PSSA), HWC and SAHRA. He is currently compiling technical reports on the provincial palaeontological heritage of Western, Northern and Eastern Cape as well as the Free State, Gauteng and Limpopo for SAHRA and HWC. Dr Almond is an accredited member of PSSA and APHP (Association of Professional Heritage Practitioners – Western Cape).

2.2. General approach used for palaeontological impact desktop studies

In preparing a palaeontological desktop study the potentially fossiliferous rock units (groups, formations etc) represented within the study area are determined from geological maps. The known fossil heritage within each rock unit is inventoried from the published scientific literature, previous palaeontological impact studies in the same region, and the author’s field experience (Consultation with professional colleagues as well as examination of institutional fossil collections may play a role here, or later during the compilation of the final report). This data is then used to assess the palaeontological sensitivity of each rock unit to development (Provisional tabulations of palaeontological sensitivity of all formations in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape have already been compiled by J. Almond and colleagues; e.g. Almond & Pether 2008). The likely impact of the proposed development on local fossil heritage is then determined on the basis of (1) the palaeontological sensitivity of the rock units concerned and (2) the nature of the development itself, most notably the extent of fresh bedrock excavation envisaged.

When rock units of moderate to high palaeontological sensitivity are present within the development footprint, a field‐based assessment by a professional palaeontologist is usually warranted. Most detrimental impacts on palaeontological heritage occur during the construction phase when fossils may be disturbed, destroyed or permanently sealed‐in during excavations and subsequent construction activity. Where specialist palaeontological mitigation is recommended, this may take place before construction starts or during the construction phase while fresh, portentially fossiliferous bedrock is still exposed for study. Mitigation usually involves the judicious sampling, collection and recording of fossils as well as of relevant contextual data concerning the surrounding sedimentary matrix. It should be emphasised that, provided appropriate mitigation is carried out, many developments involving bedrock

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excavation actually have a positive impact on our understanding of local palaeontological heritage. Constructive collaboration between palaeontologists and developers should therefore be the expected norm.

2.3. Information sources

The information used in this fossil heritage screening study was based on the following:

1. A short project outline in the BID document prepared by WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd ;

2. A review of the relevant scientific literature, including published geological maps and accompanying sheet explanations;

3. Previous palaeontological assessments for developments in the Postmasburg region by the author (e.g. Almond 2010a, 2010b).

2.4. Assumptions & limitations

The accuracy and reliability of palaeontological specialist studies as components of heritage impact assessments are generally limited by the following constraints:

1. Inadequate database for fossil heritage for much of the RSA, given the large size of the country and the small number of professional palaeontologists carrying out fieldwork here. Most development study areas have never been surveyed by a palaeontologist.

2. Variable accuracy of geological maps which underpin these desktop studies. For large areas of terrain these maps are largely based on aerial photographs alone, without ground‐truthing. The maps generally depict only significant (“mappable”) bedrock units as well as major areas of superficial “drift” deposits (alluvium, colluvium) but for most regions give little or no idea of the level of bedrock outcrop, depth of superficial cover (soil etc), degree of bedrock weathering or levels of small‐scale tectonic deformation, such as cleavage. All of these factors may have a major influence on the impact significance of a given development on fossil heritage and can only be reliably assessed in the field.

3. Inadequate sheet explanations for geological maps, with little or no attention paid to palaeontological issues in many cases, including poor locality information;

4. The extensive relevant palaeontological “grey literature” ‐ in the form of unpublished university theses, impact studies and other reports (e.g. of commercial mining companies) ‐ that is not readily available for desktop studies;

5. Absence of a comprehensive computerized database of fossil collections in major RSA institutions which can be consulted for impact studies. A Karoo fossil vertebrate database is now accessible for impact study work.

In the case of palaeontological desktop studies without supporting field assessments these limitations may variously lead to either:

(a) underestimation of the palaeontological significance of a given study area due to ignorance of significant recorded or unrecorded fossils preserved there, or

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(b) overestimation of the palaeontological sensitivity of a study area, for example when originally rich fossil assemblages inferred from geological maps have in fact been destroyed by tectonism or weathering, or are buried beneath a thick mantle of unfossiliferous “drift” (soil, alluvium etc).

Since most areas of the RSA have not been studied palaeontologically, a palaeontological desktop study usually entails inferring the presence of buried fossil heritage within the study area from relevant fossil data collected from similar or the same rock units elsewhere, sometimes at localities far away. Where substantial exposures of bedrocks or potentially fossiliferous superficial sediments are present in the study area, the reliability of a palaeontological impact assessment may be significantly enhanced through field assessment by a professional palaeontologist.

In the present case the main factor constraining the reliability of the assessment of fossil heritage within the development area is the lack of geological information concerning the rock unit mapped as “rubble” within the study area (but not described in the brief sheet explanation printed on the map).

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA

3.1. Location and brief description of study area

The Arriesfontein Farm study area is located in very flat‐lying terrain at 1420‐1430m amsl extending from the eastern edge of the Asbesberge near the mining town of Daniëlskuil. It is transected by the Kimberley – Postmasburg – Sishen railway line and lies some 6 km south of the R31 road between Barkly West and Postmasburg (Figs. 1, 2). The shallow WNW‐ESE trending water courses of the Steenbokrivier and Klein‐Rietrivier run across the semi‐arid plains some 12 km to the north and south of the study area. Several small pans are visible on satellite images of the area (Fig. 2), designated as panneveld on many maps, and the much larger Groot Pan and Rooipan lie less than 20 km to the west.

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Fig. 2. Satellite image of the Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant study area (red polygon) showing flat terrain, the Kimberley‐Sishen railway (black line) and numerous small pans (pale blue‐grey areas) (Image abstracted from BID prepared by Worley Parsons RSA (Pty) Ltd).

3.2. Geology of the study area

The geology of the study area to the east of Daniëlskuil is shown on the 1: 250 000 geology map 2822 Postmasburg (Council for Geoscience, Pretoria; Fig. 3 herein). This map is now out of print is not accompanied by a detailed geological sheet explanation (A very brief explanation is printed on the map, however). Relevant earlier 1: 125 000 sheet explanations include those by Truter et al. (1938) on the Olifantshoek area and by Visser (1958) on the Griquatown area.

Geological units represented within the study area are listed below the geological map in Fig. 3. Since these various geological maps were published, there have been considerable revisions to the stratigraphic subdivision and assignment of the Precambrian rock units represented within the Postmasburg study region. Where possible, the recent stratigraphic account for the Transvaal Supergroup given by Eriksson et al. (2006) is followed here, but correlations for all the subdivisions indicated on the older maps are not always clear. According to the 1: 250 000 geology map (Fig. 3) the flat‐lying region within which the proposed Arriesfontein solar power plant is to be situated is underlain at depth by Early Precambrian sedimentary rocks of the Ghaap Group of the Griqualand West Basin, Ghaap Plateau Subbasin (Late Archaean to Early Proterozoic; Vgl on geological map). Useful reviews of the stratigraphy and sedimentology of these Transvaal Supergroup rocks have been given by Moore et al. (2001), Eriksson and Altermann (1998) as well as Eriksson et al. (1993, 1995, 2006). The Ghaap Group represents some 200 Ma of chemical sedimentation ‐ notably iron and manganese ores, cherts and carbonates ‐ within the Griqualand West Basin that was situated towards the western edge of the Kaapvaal Craton (See also fig. 4.19 in McCarthy & Rubidge 2005).

The Campbell Rand Subgroup (previously included within the Ghaapplato Formation) of the Ghaap Group is a very thick (1.6‐2.5 km) carbonate platform succession of dolomites, dolomitic

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limestones and cherts with minor tuffs that was deposited on the shallow submerged shelf of the Kaapvaal Craton roughly 2.6 to 2.5 Ga (billion years ago; see readable general account by McCarthy & Rubidge, pp. 112‐118 and Fig. 4.10 therein). A range of shallow water facies, often forming depositional cycles reflecting sea level changes, are represented here, including stromatolitic limestones and dolomites, oolites, oncolites, laminated calcilutites, cherts and marls, with subordinate siliclastics (shales, siltstones) and minor tuffs (Eriksson et al. 2006). Exposure levels of these rocks are often very low.

Campbell Rand carbonates (Vgl) underlie the entire Arriesfontein study area at depth. Underlying bedded cherts and chert breccia are mapped some 5km to the southeast (Vgl, dark green on the geological map, Fig. 3) but not within the study area itself. The outcrop area of the latter chert‐rich unit is largely covered in downwasted, siliceous rock rubble (Key to Postmasburg sheet).

Note that since the 1: 250 000 geological maps were produced, the Campbell Rand succession has been subdivided into a series of formations, some of which were previously included within the older Schmidtsdrift Formation or Subgroup (Beukes 1980, 1986, Eriksson et al. 2006). It is unclear exactly which of these newer units are represented in the Arriesfontein study areas. However, this resolution is not critical for the current report since the carbonate facies are only seen at surface in a small part of the study area, around Arriesfontein station, and they are unlikely to be seriously impacted by the proposed development.

The greater part of the Arriesfontein study area is mantled by superficial sediments of probable Late Caenozoic (i.e. Late Tertiary or Neogene to Recent) age, mapped as surface limestone (Ql, yellow; i.e. calcrete and downwasted limestone rubble) as well as “verweringspuin” or downwasted rock rubble (pale buff with triangle symbol on map).

Mappable exposures of surface limestone (Ql) occur along the eastern edge of the study area. Patches of pedogenic calcrete occur extensively overlying the Campbell Rand carbonates and may also underlie Kalahari sands in the Postmasburg region. These deposits reflect seasonally arid climates in the region over the last five or so million years and are briefly described by Truter et al. (1938) as well as Visser (1958). The surface limestones may reach thicknesses of over 20m, but are often much thinner, and are locally conglomeratic with clasts of reworked calcrete as well as exotic pebbles. The limestones may be secondarily silicified and incorporate blocks of the underlying Precambrian carbonate rocks.

Little can be said at the desktop level concerning the geology of the rock rubble that is mapped over most of the western and central portions of the Arriesfontein study area, since this is not described in the very short geological explanation for the Postmasburg 1: 250 000 sheet. It is likely that downwasted siliceous blocks weathered out from cherty horizons within the underlying Campbell Rand Subgroup make up a large proportion of this surface rubble. Other, more exotic, resistant lithologies represented in the broader region that might also be found here include quartzite, agate, jasper and banded ironstone (cf Truter et al. 1938, p. 40). A degree of secondary silicification and impregnation by manganese minerals might be expected here.

Pan sediments in the Northern Cape and elsewhere have been briefly treated by Partridge & Scott (2000) and Partridge et al. (2006). They typically comprise pale, fine‐grained silts, sands and clays, sometimes with an evaporite component. Most are of Pleistocene age or younger. Truter et al. (1938, p. 39) refer to a “tuffaceous limestone” that is usually found in small pans in the Olifants Hoek area.

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Much of the arid terrain within the study area is doubtless mantled with a spectrum of other coarse to fine‐grained surface deposits such as rocky soils, sheet wash and alluvium of intermittently flowing streams. Since these deposits are generally young and largely unfossiliferous, they will not be treated further here.

5 km

Fig. 3. Extract from 1: 250 000 geological map 2822 Postmasburg (Council for Geoscience, Pretoria) showing approximate location of proposed Arriesdrift Solar Power Plant study area c. 24 km southeast of Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape Province (blue polygon). Potentially fossiliferous sedimentary rock units mapped within the broader study region include:

Vgl (pale blue) = Precambrian limestones, dolomites and cherts of the Ghaap Group (Campbell Rand Subgroup)

Vgl (dark green) = Precambrian banded cherts and chert breccia of the Ghaap Group

Ql (yellow) = Late Caenozoic calcretes (Kalahari Group in part)

Buff with triangular symbols = superficial downwasted “rubble” (verweringspuin)

The overall palaeontological sensitivity of the entire study area is LOW.

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4. PALAEONTOLOGICAL HERITAGE

The fossil record of the Precambrian and much younger Caenozoic sediments of the Northern Cape has been very briefly reviewed by Almond & Pether (2008).

4.1. Fossils within the Transvaal Supergroup

The shallow shelf and intertidal sediments of the carbonate‐dominated lower part of the Ghaap Group (i.e. Schmidtsdrif and Campbell Rand Subgroups) are famous for their rich fossil biota of stromatolites or microbially‐generated, finely laminated sheets, mounds and branching structures. Some stromatolite occurrences on the Ghaap Plateau of the Northern Cape are spectacularly well‐preserved (e.g. Boetsap locality northeast of Daniëlskuil figured by McCarthy & Rubidge 2005, Eriksson et al. 2006; Fig. 4). Detailed studies of these 2.6‐2.5 Ga carbonate sediments and their stromatolitic biotas have been presented by Young (1932), Beukes (1980, 1983), Eriksson & Truswell (1974), Eriksson & Altermann (1998), Eriksson et al (2006), Altermann and Herbig (1991), and Altermann and Wotherspoon (1995). Some of the oldest known (2.6Ga) fossil microbial assemblages with filaments and coccoids have been recorded from stromatolitic cherty limestones of the Lime Acres Member, Kogelbeen Formation at Lime Acres which is situated just south of Daniëlskuil (Altermann & Schopf 1995). The oldest, Archaean stromatolite occurrences from the Ghaap Group have been reviewed by Schopf (2006, with full references therein). The Tsineng Formation at the top of the Campbell Rand carbonate succession has yielded both stromatolites (previously assigned to the Tsineng Member of the Gamohaan Formation) as well as filamentous microfossils named Siphonophycus (Klein et al.1987, Altermann & Schopf 1995).

Fig. 4. Stromatolite domes (c. 1m diameter) within the Ghaap Group at the famous Boetsap locality, northeast of Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape Province (From Macarthy & Rubidge 2005).

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4.2. Fossils within the Late Caenozoic superficial sediments

In areas underlain by Ghaap Group carbonate rocks migrating lime‐rich groundwaters may have led to the rapid calcretisation within overlying “drift” deposits of organic structures such as burrows and root casts. Occasional terrestrial fossil remains that might be expected within surface limestones include calcretized rhizoliths (root casts) and termitaria (e.g. Hodotermes, the harvester termite), ostrich egg shells (Struthio) and shells of land snails (e.g. Trigonephrus) (Almond 2008, Almond & Pether 2008). Other fossil groups such as freshwater bivalves and gastropods (e.g. Corbula, Unio), ostracods (seed shrimps), charophytes (stonewort algae), diatoms (microscopic algae within siliceous shells) and stromatolites (laminated microbial limestones) are associated with watercourses and pans. Abundant small terrestrial gastropod shells are recorded from pan sediments in the Olifantshoek area by Truter et al. (1938, p. 39), while coquinas of Late Pleistocene freshwater gastropods are reported from pans in the Loeriesfontein sheet area in the northern Cape (Almond 2008). Microfossils such as diatoms may be blown by wind into nearby dune sands (Du Toit 1954, Dingle et al., 1983).

Mammalian bones, teeth and horn cores (also tortoise remains, and fish, amphibian or even crocodiles in wetter depositional settings) may be expected occasionally expected within ancient alluvial gravels, downwasted rock rubble and pan sediments (cf Almond 2008, Partridge & Scott 2000). However, these fossil assemblages are generally sparse, low in diversity, and occur over a wide geographic area, so the palaeontological sensitivity of the superficial sediments within the study area is rated as low.

5. INDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS plus RECOMMENDED MITIGATION

The construction phase of the solar power plant will entail fresh excavations into the superficial sediment cover (soils, alluvium etc) and perhaps also into the underlying bedrock. These notably include excavations for the solar panel foundations, buried cables (probably around 1m deep), new gravel roads with drainage trenches, and associated building infrastructure (e.g. concentration tower, power block, administration buildings). In addition, sizeable areas of bedrock may be sealed‐in or sterilized by infrastructure such as the CSP solar field, ancillary buildings as well as a new gravel road system.

All these developments may adversely affect fossil heritage at or near the surface within the study area by destroying, disturbing or permanently sealing‐in fossils that are then no longer available for scientific research or other public good.

Once constructed, the operational and decommissioning phases of the solar energy facility will not involve further adverse impacts on palaeontological heritage, however.

The overall impact significance of the proposed solar park development is likely to be LOW because:

 Most of the study area is underlain by sparsely fossiliferous Precambrian sediments or mantled by superficial sediments (calcretes, rock rubble, alluvium etc) of low palaeontological sensitivity;

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 Extensive, deep excavations are unlikely to be involved in this sort of solar park project.

Significant negative impacts on local fossil heritage are therefore unlikely to result from the proposed solar power plant development and in the author’s opinion no further specialist palaeontological studies for this project are necessary.

During the construction phase of the solar power plant:

 The ECO responsible for the development should be aware of the possibility of important fossils being present or unearthed on site and should monitor all substantial excavations into fresh (i.e. unweathered) sedimentary bedrock for fossil remains;

 In the case of any significant fossil finds (e.g. vertebrate teeth, bones, burrows, petrified wood, calcretised termitaria) during construction, these should be safeguarded ‐ preferably in situ ‐ and reported by the ECO as soon as possible to the relevant heritage management authority (SAHRA) so that any appropriate mitigation by a palaeontological specialist can be considered and implemented, at the developer’s expense;

 These recommendations should be incorporated into the EMP for the solar park development.

5. RELEVANT LEGISLATIVE AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

According to the National Heritage Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999, Sections 3 and 35) all geological sites of scientific or cultural importance, palaeontological sites, palaeontological objects and material, meteorites and rare geological specimens are regarded as part of the National Estate and are protected by law.

According to Section 35 of the Act, no person may, without a permit issued by the responsible heritage resources authority:

 destroy, damage, excavate, alter, deface or otherwise disturb any palaeontological site;  destroy, damage, excavate, remove from its original position, collect or own any palaeontological material or object;  trade in, sell for private gain, export or attempt to export from the Republic any category of palaeontological material or object; or  bring onto or use at a palaeontological site any excavation equipment or any equipment which assist in the detection or recovery of palaeontological material or objects.

The extent of the proposed solar park development (over 5000 m2) falls within the requirements for a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) as required by Section 38 (Heritage Resources Management) of the South African Heritage Resources Act (Act No. 25 of 1999). Where fossil heritage may be present, a specialist palaeontological study forms an integral part of such a HIA and its conclusions and recommendations would need to be combined with those of other heritage specialists as an integrated heritage study.

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6. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS

The study area for the proposed Arriesfontein solar power plant near Daniëlskuil is underlain at depth by Early Precambrian marine carbonate sediments of the Ghaap Group that are only sparsely fossiliferous (e.g. microbial mounds or stromatolites). Most of the study area is mantled by Late Caenozoic superficial deposits including Quaternary to Recent calcretes (pedogenic limestones) and downwasted rock rubble of comparable age, all of which are of low to very low palaeontological sensitivity. Extensive, deep excavations are unlikely to be involved in this sort of solar power plant project. The overall impact significance of the proposed development is therefore likely to be LOW and no no‐go areas or buffer zones for palaeontological heritage resources have been identified by this desktop study. No further specialist palaeontological studies, monitoring or mitigation are recommended for this development.

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mr Wouter Fourie of Professional Grave Solutions (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 32542, Totiusdal, is thanked for commissioning this study and for kindly providing all the necessary background information.8.

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MCCARTHY, T. & RUBIDGE, B. 2005. The story of Earth and life: a southern African perspective on a 4.6‐billion‐year journey. 334pp. Struik, Cape Town.

MOORE, J.M., TSIKOS, H. & POLTEAU, S. 2001. Deconstructing the Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa: implications for Palaeoproterozoic palaeoclimate models. African Earth Sciences 33, 437‐444.

PARTRIDGE, T.C., BOTHA, G.A. & HADDON, I.G. 2006. Cenozoic deposits of the interior. In: Johnson, M.R., Anhaeusser, C.R. & Thomas, R.J. (Eds.) The geology of South Africa, pp. 585‐604. Geological Society of South Africa, Marshalltown.

SCHOPF, J.W. 2006. Fossil evidence of Archaean life. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 361, 869‐885.

TANKARD, A.J., JACKSON, M.P.A., ERIKSSON, K.A., HOBDAY, D.K., HUNTER, D.R. & MINTER, W.E.L. 1982. Crustal evolution of southern Africa – 3.8 billion years of earth history, xv + 523pp. Springer Verlag, New York.

TRUTER, F.C., WASSERSTEIN, B., BOTHA, P.R., VISSER, D.L.J., BOARDMAN, L.G. & PAVER, G.L. 1938. The geology and mineral deposits of the Olifants Hoek area, Cape Province. Explanation of 1: 125 000 geology sheet 173 Olifants Hoek, 144 pp. Council for Geoscience, Pretoria.

VISSER, D.L.J. 1958. The geology and mineral deposits of the Griquatown area, Cape Province. Explanation to 1: 125 000 geology sheet 175 Griquatown, 72 pp. Council for Geoscience, Pretoria.

YOUNG, R.B. 1932. The occurrence of stromatolitic or algal limestones in the Campbell Rand Series, Griqualand West. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa 53: 29‐36.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

I, John E. Almond, declare that I am an independent consultant and have no business, financial, personal or other interest in the proposed solar power plant development projects, application or appeal in respect of which I was appointed other than fair remuneration for work performed in connection with the activity, application or appeal. There are no circumstances that compromise the objectivity of my performing such work.

Dr John E. Almond Palaeontologist Natura Viva cc

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Appendix B PLAN OF STUDY FOR EIA

The following will be required to manage the heritage resources within the final corridor alignment.

6.1 Methodology

Aerial Photographical Survey

Aerial photographs will be utilised to identify possible places where archaeological sites might be located.

Physical Surveying

The fieldwork component will consist of a selective walk through/site visit of the proposed alignment and is aimed at locating heritage resources falling within (and directly adjacent to) the proposed alignment. The locations of all heritage resources that are recorded during the survey will be documented using a hand‐held GPS. Furthermore, the documentation will reflect a brief qualitative description and statement of significance for each site and includes a photographic record of all the sites.

It is important to also note that informal social consultation (i.e. with local community members, residents and knowledgeable individuals) will be undertaken during the fieldwork component. The aim of social consultation is to identify any tangible and intangible resources (i.e. sacred places, myths and indigenous knowledge systems) that may exist.

6.2 Deliverable

A report will be written which would include the following components:

• The identification and mapping of all heritage resources in the affected area;

• An assessment of the significance of such resources in terms of the heritage assessment criteria;

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• An assessment of the impact of the development of such heritage resources;

• If heritage resources will be adversely affected by the proposed development, consideration of the

• alternatives; and

• Proposed mitigation of any adverse effects during and after the completion of the proposed development.

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Appendix C LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS – TERMINOLOGY AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

3.1 General principles

In areas where there has not yet been a systematic survey to identify conservation worthy places, a permit is required to alter or demolish any structure older than 60 years. This will apply until a survey has been done and identified heritage resources are formally protected.

Archaeological and palaeontological sites, materials, and meteorites are the source of our understanding of the evolution of the earth, life on earth and the history of people. In the new legislation, permits are required to damage, destroy, alter, or disturb them. People who already possess material are required to register it. The management of heritage resources are integrated with environmental resources and this means that before development takes place heritage resources are assessed and, if necessary, rescued.

In addition to the formal protection of culturally significant graves, all graves, which are older than 60 years and are not in a cemetery (such as ancestral graves in rural areas), are protected. The legislation protects the interests of communities that have interest in the graves: they may be consulted before any disturbance takes place. The graves of victims of conflict and those associated with the liberation struggle will be identified, cared for, protected and memorials erected in their honour.

Anyone who intends to undertake a development must notify the heritage resource authority and if there is reason to believe that heritage resources will be affected, an impact assessment report must be compiled at the construction company’s cost. Thus, the construction company will be able to proceed without uncertainty about whether work will have to be stopped if an archaeological or heritage resource is discovered.

According to the National Heritage Act (Act 25 of 1999 section 32) it is stated that:

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An object or collection of objects, or a type of object or a list of objects, whether specific or generic, that is part of the national estate and the export of which SAHRA deems it necessary to control, may be declared a heritage object, including –

• objects recovered from the soil or waters of South Africa, including archaeological and palaeontological objects, meteorites and rare geological specimens;

• visual art objects;

• military objects;

• numismatic objects;

• objects of cultural and historical significance;

• objects to which oral traditions are attached and which are associated with living heritage;

• objects of scientific or technological interest;

• books, records, documents, photographic positives and negatives, graphic material, film or video or sound recordings, excluding those that are public records as defined in section 1 (xiv) of the National Archives of South Africa Act, 1996 ( Act No. 43 of 1996), or in a provincial law pertaining to records or archives; and

• any other prescribed category.

Under the National Heritage Resources Act (Act No. 25 of 1999), provisions are made that deal with, and offer protection, to all historic and pre‐historic cultural remains, including graves and human remains.

3.2 Graves and cemeteries

Graves younger than 60 years fall under Section 2(1) of the Removal of Graves and Dead Bodies Ordinance (Ordinance no. 7 of 1925) as well as the Human Tissues Act (Act 65 of 1983) and are the jurisdiction of the National Department of Health and the relevant Provincial Department of Health and must be submitted for final approval to the Office of the relevant Provincial Premier. This function is usually delegated to the Provincial MEC for Local Government and Planning, or in some cases the MEC for Housing and Welfare. Authorisation for exhumation and reinterment must also be obtained from the relevant local or regional council where the grave is situated, as well as the relevant local or regional council to where the grave is being relocated. All local and

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regional provisions, laws and by‐laws must also be adhered to. In order to handle and transport human remains the institution conducting the relocation should be authorised under Section 24 of Act 65 of 1983 (Human Tissues Act).

Graves older than 60 years, but younger than 100 years fall under Section 36 of Act 25 of 1999 (National Heritage Resources Act) as well as the Human Tissues Act (Act 65 of 1983) and are the jurisdiction of the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA). The procedure for Consultation Regarding Burial Grounds and Graves (Section 36(5) of Act 25 of 1999) is applicable to graves older than 60 years that are situated outside a formal cemetery administrated by a local authority. Graves in the category located inside a formal cemetery administrated by a local authority will also require the same authorisation as set out for graves younger than 60 years over and above SAHRA authorisation.

If the grave is not situated inside a formal cemetery but is to be relocated to one, permission from the local authority is required and all regulations, laws and by‐laws set by the cemetery authority must be adhered to.

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Appendix D HERITAGE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

The section below outlines the assessment methodologies utilised in the study.

The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) report to be compiled by PGS Heritage and Grave Relocation Consultants (PGS) for the proposed Humansrus Project will assess the heritage resources found on site. This report will contain the applicable maps, tables and figures as stipulated in the NHRA (no 25 of 1999), the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (no 107 of 1998) and the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) (28 of 2002). The HIA process consisted of three steps:

 Step I – Literature Review: The background information to the field survey leans greatly on the Heritage Scoping Report completed by PGS for this site.

 Step II – Physical Survey: A physical survey was conducted on foot through the proposed project area by qualified archaeologists444qsddd’=’[‘, aimed at locating and documenting sites falling within and adjacent to the proposed development footprint.

 Step III – The final step involved the recording and documentation of relevant archaeological resources, as well as the assessment of resources in terms of the heritage impact assessment criteria and report writing, as well as mapping and constructive recommendations

The significance of heritage sites was based on four main criteria:  site integrity (i.e. primary vs. secondary context),  amount of deposit, range of features (e.g., stonewalling, stone tools and enclosures), o Density of scatter (dispersed scatter) . Low ‐ <10/50m2 . Medium ‐ 10‐50/50m2 . High ‐ >50/50m2  uniqueness and  potential to answer present research questions.

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Management actions and recommended mitigation, which will result in a reduction in the impact on the sites, will be expressed as follows:

A ‐ No further action necessary; B ‐ Mapping of the site and controlled sampling required; C ‐ No‐go or relocate pylon position D ‐ Preserve site, or extensive data collection and mapping of the site; and E ‐ Preserve site

. Site Significance Site significance classification standards prescribed by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (2006) and approved by the Association for Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, were used for the purpose of this report.

Table 1: Site significance classification standards as prescribed by SAHRA

FIELD RATING GRADE SIGNIFICANCE RECOMMENDED MITIGATION National Significance Grade 1 ‐ Conservation; National Site nomination (NS) Provincial Significance Grade 2 ‐ Conservation; Provincial Site (PS) nomination Local Significance (LS) Grade 3A High Significance Conservation; Mitigation not advised Local Significance (LS) Grade 3B High Significance Mitigation (Part of site should be retained) Generally Protected A ‐ High / Medium Mitigation before destruction (GP.A) Significance Generally Protected B ‐ Medium Recording before destruction (GP.B) Significance Generally Protected C ‐ Low Significance Destruction (GP.A)

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Appendix E THE SIGNIFICANCE RATING SCALES FOR THE EIA

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IMPACT ASESSMENT METHODOLOGY

Determination of Impact Significance

The information presented above in terms of identifying and describing the aspects and impacts is summarised in tabular form and significance is assigned with supporting rational.

The environmental significance rating is an attempt to evaluate the importance of a particular impact, the consequence and likelihood of which has already been assessed by the relevant specialist as and when required.

In order to assess the significance of each impact, the following ranking scales will be employed:

Table 1: Impact Significance Ranking Scales

PROBABILITY: DURATION:

5 ‐ Definite/don’t know 5 ‐ Permanent 4 ‐ Highly probable 4 ‐ Long‐term (impact ceases after 3 ‐ Medium probability the operational life of the activity) 2 ‐ Low probability 3 ‐ Medium‐term (5‐15 years) 1 ‐ Improbable 2 ‐ Short‐term (0‐5 years) 0 ‐ None 1 ‐ Immediate

SCALE: MAGNITUDE:

5 ‐ International 10 ‐ Very high/don’t know 4 ‐ National 8 ‐ High 3 ‐ Regional 6 ‐ Moderate 2 ‐ Local 4 ‐ Low 1 ‐ Site only 2 ‐ Minor 0 ‐ None

Once the above factors had been ranked for each impact, the overall significance of each impact was assessed using the following formula:

(Potential Significance) = (Magnitude + Duration + Scale) x Probability

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The potential significance (PS) has a maximum rating of 100 points. Environmental impacts are rated as having either a High(H), a Moderate(M) or a Low(L) significance according to the following scale:

PS ≥ 60 = High Environmental Significance

60 < PS ≥ 30 = Moderate Environmental Significance

PS < 30 = Low Environmental Significance

Significance will thus be classified according to the following:

 Low: Low Environmental Significance – Mitigation easily achieved or little is required;

 Moderate: Moderate Environmental Significance – Mitigation is both feasible and fairly easily possible; and

 High: High Environmental Significance – Adverse Impact. Mitigation, if possible, is often difficult, expensive and time consuming.

The Potential Environmental Impact Significance can then be calculated for each impact at the various stages of the project before and after mitigational measures are implemented. The various stages of the project can be classified as follows:

 Construction Phase before mitigation,

 Construction Phase after mitigation,

 Operational Phase before mitigation,

 Operational Phase after mitigation,

 Closure Phase before mitigation,

 Closure Phase after mitigation.

The Potential Environmental Impact Significance will be calculated using the following matrix:

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA S SIGNIFICANCE IMPACT Nature P D S M TOTAL L M H CONSTRUCTION ‐ 3 4 2 4 30 M CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION + 3 1 1 2 12 L OPERATON ‐ 3 1 1 4 18 L OPERATION MITIGATION ‐ 3 1 1 2 12 L CLOSURE + 2 1 1 2 8 L CLOSURE MITIGATION + 2 1 1 2 8 L

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SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix N – Noise Scoping

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ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY POWER PLANT (DANIELSKUIL AREA) NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

APPENDIX A

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND NOISE IMPACT CRITERIA

APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND NOISE IMPACT CRITERIA

A1. GLOSSARY OF TERMS In order to ensure that there is a clear interpretation of this report the following meanings should be applied to the acoustic terminology:

. Ambient sound level or ambient noise means the totally encompassing sound in a given situation at a given time, and usually composed of sound from many sources, both near and far. Note that ambient noise includes the noise from the noise source under investigation. The use of the word ambient should however always be clearly defined (compare with residual noise). . A-weighted sound pressure, in Pascals: The root-mean-square sound pressure determined by use of frequency-weighting network A.

. A-weighted sound pressure level (SPL) (noise level) (LpA), in decibels: The sound pressure level of A-weighted sound pressure is given by the equation: 2 LpA = 10 log (pA/po) where:

pA is the A-weighted sound pressure, in Pascals; and

po is the reference sound pressure (po = 20 micro Pascals (Pa)) Note: The internationally accepted symbol for sound pressure level, dB(A), is used.  Controlled areas as specified by the National Noise Control Regulations are areas where certain noise criteria are exceeded and actions to mitigate the noise are required to be taken. Controlled areas as related to roads, airports and factory areas are defined. These Regulations presently exclude the creation of controlled areas in relation to railway noise. . dB(A) means the value of the sound pressure level in decibels, determined using a frequency weighting network A. (The “A”-weighted noise levels/ranges of noise levels that can be expected in some typical environments are given in Table A2 at the end of this appendix). . Disturbing noise means a noise level that exceeds the outdoor equivalent continuous rating level for the time period and neighbourhood as given in Table 2 of SANS 10103:2004. For convenience, the latter table is reproduced in this appendix as Table A1.

. Equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (LAeq,T) means the value of the A-weighted sound pressure level of a continuous, steady sound that, within a specified time interval, has the same mean-square sound pressure as a sound under consideration whose level varies with time.

. Equivalent continuous rating level (LReq,T) means the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level during a specified time interval, plus specified adjustments for tonal character and impulsiveness of the sound and the time of day.

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 3

. Equivalent continuous day/night rating level (LR,dn) means the equivalent continuous A- weighted sound pressure level during a reference time interval of 24-hours, plus specified adjustments for tonal character and impulsiveness of the sound and the time of day. (An adjustment of +10dB is added to the night-time rating level). . Integrating sound level meter means a device that integrates a function of the root mean square value of sound pressure over a period of time and indicates the result in dBA. . Noise means any acoustic phenomenon producing any aural sensation perceived as disagreeable or disturbing by an individual or group. Noise may therefore be defined as any unwanted sound or sound that is loud, unpleasant or unexpected. . Noise climate is a term used to describe the general character of the environment with regard to sound. As well as the ambient noise level (quantitative aspect), it includes the qualitative aspect and the character of the fluctuating noise component. . Noise Control Regulations means the regulations as promulgated by the National Department of Environmental Affairs. . Noise impact criteria means the standards applied for assessing noise impact. . Noise level means the reading on an integrating impulse sound level meter taken at a measuring point in the presence of any alleged disturbing noise at the end of a total period of at least 10 minutes after such meter was put into operation, and, if the alleged disturbing noise has a discernible pitch, for example, a whistle, buzz, drone or music, to which 5dBA has been added. (The “A”-weighted noise levels/ranges of noise levels that can be expected in some typical environments are given in Table A2 at the end of this appendix). . Noise nuisance means any sound which disturbs or impairs or may disturb or impair the convenience or peace of any reasonable person considering the location and time of day. This applies to a disturbance which is not quantitatively measurable such as barking dogs, etc. (compared with disturbing noise which is measurable). . Residual sound level means the ambient noise that remains at a position in a given situation when one or more specific noises are suppressed (compare with ambient noise). . Sound means the aural sensation caused by rapid, but very small, pressure variations in the air. In quantifying the subjective aural sensation, “loudness”, the letters dBA after a numeral denote two separate phenomena: o “dB”, short for decibel, is related to the human’s subjective response to the change in amplitude (or largeness) of the pressure variations. o The “A” denotes the ear’s different sensitivity to sounds at different frequencies. The ear is very much less sensitive to low (bass) frequency pressure variations compared to mid-frequencies. The level of environmental sound usually varies continuously with time. A human’s subjective response to varying sounds is primarily governed by the total sound energy

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 4

received. The total sound energy is the average level of the fluctuating sound, occurring during a period of time, multiplied by the total time period. In order to compare the effects of different fluctuating sounds, one compares the average sound level over the time period with the constant level of a steady, non-varying sound that will produce the same energy during the same time period. The average energy of sound varying in amplitude is thus equivalent to the continuous, non-varying sound. The two energies are equivalent. . Sound exposure level or SEL means the level of sound accumulated over a given time interval or event. Technically the sound exposure level is the level of the time-integrated mean square A-weighted sound for stated time or event, with a reference time of one second. . Sound (pressure) level means the reading on a sound level meter taken at a measuring point. . SANS 10103 means the latest edition of the South African National Standard SANS 10103 titled The Measurement and Rating of Environmental Noise with Respect to Land Use, Health, Annoyance and to Speech Communication. . SANS 10210 means the latest edition of the South African National Standard SANS 10210 titled Calculating and Predicting Road Traffic Noise. . SANS 10328 means the latest edition of the South African National Standard SANS 10328 titled Methods for Environmental Noise Impact Assessments. . SANS 10357 means the latest edition of the South African National Standard SANS 10357 titled The Calculation of Sound Propagation by the Concawe Method. . Refer also to the various South African National Standards referenced above and the Noise Control Regulations for additional and, in some instances, more detailed definitions.

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 5

TABLE A1: TYPICAL NOISE RATING LEVELS FOR AMBIENT NOISE IN DISTRICTS (NOISE ZONES)

Equivalent Continuous Rating Level for Noise (LReq,T ) (dBA)

Type of District Outdoors Indoors with open windows

Day- Night- Day- Night- Daytime Daytime night time night time (LReq,d) (LReq,d) (LR,dn) (LReq,n) (LR,dn) (LReq,n)

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

a) Rural districts 45 45 35 35 35 25

b) Suburban districts (little road 50 50 40 40 40 30 traffic)

c) Urban districts 55 55 45 45 45 35

NON RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

d) Urban districts (some workshops, business 60 60 50 50 50 40 premises and main roads)

e) Central business districts 65 65 55 55 55 45

f) Industrial districts 70 70 60 60 60 50

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 6

TABLE A2: NOISE LEVELS/RANGES OF NOISE LEVELS THAT MAY BE EXPECTED IN SOME TYPICAL ENVIRONMENTS

Noise Subjective Level Typical Environment Description dB(A) 140 30m from jet aircraft during take-off 130 Pneumatic chipping and riveting (operator’s position) Unbearable >120 Hearing damage possible even for short exposure 120 Large diesel power generator 105-120 Low level military aircraft flight 110-120 100 m from jet aircraft during take-off 110 Metal workshop (grinding work), circular saw 105-110 High speed train at 300 km/h (peak pass-by level at 7,5m) 90-100 Printing press room Very noisy 95-100 Passenger train at 200km/h (peak pass-by level at 7,5m). Very noisy 95-100 Freight train at 100 km/h (peak pass-by level at 7,5 m) Very noisy 90-100 Discotheque (indoors) 75-100 7,5 m from passing motorcycle (50 km/h) 75-80 10 m from edge of busy freeway (traffic travelling at 120 km/h) 80-95 7,5 m from passing truck (50 km/h) 80 Kerbside of busy street 70 Blaring radio Noisy 70 3 m from vacuum cleaner Noisy 60-80 7,5 m from passing passenger car (50 km/h) 65 Normal conversation 65 Large busy office 60 Supermarket/small office 50 Average suburban home (day conditions) Quiet 40 Library 40-45 Average suburban home (night-time) 30-35 Average rural home (night-time) 25-30 Slight rustling of leaves 20 Background in professional recording studio Very quiet 20 Forest (no wind) 0-20 Experienced as complete quietness 0 Threshold of hearing at 1000 Hz

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 7

A2. NOISE IMPACT CRITERIA The international tendency is to express noise exposure guidelines in terms of absolute noise levels. These guidelines imply that in order to ascertain an acceptable living environment, ambient noise in a given type of environment should not exceed a specified absolute level. This is the approach provided by the environmental guidelines of the World Bank and World Health Organisation, which specify 55dBA during the day (06:00 to 22:00) and 45dBA during the night (22:00 to 06:00) for residential purposes, determined over any hour. SANS 10103 conforms to the described international tendency. The recommended standards to be applied are summarised in Table A1.

Communities generally respond to a change in the ambient noise levels in their environment, and the guidelines set out in SANS 10103 provide a good indication for estimating their response to given increases in noise. The suggested severity criteria for the noise impacts are summarised in terms of the above guidelines in Table A3.

TABLE A3: CATEGORIES OF COMMUNITY/GROUP RESPONSE (CRITERIA FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE SEVERITY OF NOISE IMPACT)

Increase in Ambient Noise Estimated Community/Group Response Level (dBA) Category Description 0 – 10 Little Sporadic complaints 5 – 15 Medium Widespread complaints 10 - 20 Strong Threats of community/group action Greater than 15dBA Very strong Vigorous community/group action

Changes in noise level are perceived as follows:  3dBA: For a person with average hearing acuity, an increase in the general ambient noise level of 3dBA will be just detectable.  5dBA: For a person with average hearing acuity an increase of 5dBA in the general ambient noise level will be significant, that is he or she will be able to identify the source of the intruding noise. According to SANS 10103 the community response for an increase of less than 5dBA will be ‘little’ with ‘sporadic complaints’. For an increase of equal or more than 5dBA the response changes to ‘medium’ with ‘widespread complaints’.  10dBA: A person with average hearing will subjectively judge an increase of 10dBA as a doubling in the loudness of the noise. According to SANS 10103 the estimated

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 8

community reaction will change from ‘medium’ with ‘widespread complaints’ to ‘strong’ with ‘threats of community action’.

In the National Noise Control Regulations which are applicable in Northern Cape Province, an intruding noise is defined as ‘disturbing’ if it causes the ambient noise level to rise by 7dBA or more.

JKA601r002 Appendix A (26/10/2011) 1

ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY POWER PLANT (DANIELSKUIL AREA) NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

APPENDIX B: DETAILS OF THE NOISE MEASUREMENT SURVEY AND EXISTING NOISE CLIMATE CONDITION ASSESSMENT

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 2

APPENDIX B: DETAILS OF THE NOISE MEASUREMENT SURVEY AND EXISTING NOISE CLIMATE CONDITION ASSESSMENT

B1. GENERAL The technical details of the noise measurement survey and the general noise climate investigation related to the potential noise impact of a proposed solar thermal energy power plant on the Farm Ariesfontein, Barkley Wes RD, Siyanda District Municipal Region, Northern Cape Province are dealt with in this Appendix. The site is located approximately 25 kilometres south-east of the town of Danielskuil.

The noise impact assessment was undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the South African National Standard SANS 10328 Methods for Environmental Noise Impact Assessments. Noise measurements were taken at three main monitoring sites in the study area in order to establish the residual (existing) noise climate.

B2. STANDARDS AND MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT The sound pressure level (SPL) (noise) measurements were taken in accordance with the requirements of the South African National Standard SANS 10103:2008, The Measurement and Rating of Environmental Noise with Respect to Annoyance and Speech Communication. A Type 1 Integrating Sound Level Meter, a Rion NA-28, was used for the noise measurements. The meter was calibrated at an accredited acoustical laboratory within the last 12 months. The calibration status of the meter was also checked before and after completion of the total measurement period of the day. A calibrated signal with a sound pressure level of 94,0dB at 1 kHz was applied to the meter. A Rion Sound Calibrator NC-74 was used.

For all measurements taken to establish the ambient noise levels, the equivalent noise level

(LAeq), the maximum sound pressure level (LAmax) and the minimum sound pressure level (LAmin) during that measurement period were recorded. The frequency weighting setting was set on “A” and the time weighting setting of the meters were set on Impulse (I). Measurement periods of a minimum of 10 minutes were used. In addition, the variation in instantaneous sound pressure level (SPL) over a short period was also measured at some of the Sites. For these latter measurements the time weighting setting of the meter was also set on Impulse (I).

At all the measurement sites, the meters were set up with the microphone height at 1,3 metres above ground level and well clear of any reflecting surfaces (a minimum of 3 metres clearance). For all measurements, a standard windshield cover (as supplied by the manufacturers) was placed on the microphone of each meter.

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 3

At the same time as each individual measurement was being taken, the qualitative nature of the noise climate in the area of the measurement site was assessed and recorded. This comprised an appraisal of the general prevailing acoustic conditions based on the subjective response to the sounds as perceived by the listener (i.e. auditory observation by the surveyor), as well as identifying those noise incidents, which influenced the noise meter readings during that measurement period. This procedure is essential in order to ensure that that there is a human correlation between the noise as perceived by the human ear and the noise, which is measured by the meter, as well as to establish any anomalies in the general ambient noise conditions.

At each measurement site a portable recording weather station, a Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker (Serial No. 569322) was set up in the vicinity of the sound level meter and the wind speed, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and altitude were recorded. The wind direction was determined by means of a compass; and the cloud cover was noted by direct observation.

B3. MEASUREMENT DATA B3.1. Measurement Sites Noise measurements to establish current ambient noise conditions were taken at three (3) main sites in the study area, as indicated in Figure B1 and Table B1. General auditory observations were taken at these sites as well as at a number of sites in the study area.

B3.2. Measurement Dates/Times General observation of the noise conditions in the study area as well as the site specific sound pressure level (noise) measurements and observations were taken on Thursday 27 October 2011 from 11h30 to 17h00.

B3.3. Noise Measurement Details B3.3.1. Summary of the Residual Sound Pressure Level Measurements The results of the residual noise condition measurement survey are summarised in Table B1.

The equivalent sound pressure (noise) level (LAeq), the maximum sound pressure level (LAmax) and the minimum sound pressure level (LAmin) are indicated. Note that the equivalent sound pressure (noise) level may, in layman’s terms, be taken to be the average noise level over the given period. This “average” is also referred to as the residual noise level (excluding the impacting noise under investigation) or the ambient noise level (if the impacting noise under investigation is included).

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 4

TABLE B1: MEASURED CURRENT RESIDUAL NOISE LEVELS IN THE ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR PLANT STUDY AREA (YEAR 2011) Measured Sound Estimated Sound Pressure Level Pressure Level* GPS Site No Location Description (dBA) (dBA) Co-ordinates Daytime Night-time

LAeq Lmax Lmin LAeq Lmax Lmin S28°17.256’ 1 Just outside entrance to Constantia Safaris on eastern boundary of Farm Ariesfontein 43.4 66.5 21.6 27 <25 E23°48.018’ S28°16.785’ 2 On the central farm road on Farm Ariesfontein 46.7 56.3 29.6 30 <25 E23°46.084’ S28°15.445’ 3 On the central farm road at entrance to farmhouse Hartebeesput 38.9 61.3 21.7 30 <25 E23°45.320’

Notes: i) The night-time noise levels at Sites 1, 2 and 3 are based on road traffic noise from Road R31. ii) The noise climate to the south of the development site along the Klein Riet River is generally very quiet.

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 5

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.. ./" '; .. ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR PLANT NIA ,j .', . .. " '1. .... I " ,1 Y< "1I y' Noise Measurement Sites ,.., S08 \, Figure 81

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 6

B3.3.2. Determination of Night-time Noise The typical night-time residual noise conditions were established from night-time general acoustic observations in the area, the minimums of the daytime measurements, from previous measurements in similar areas, and from the traffic noise calculations (refer to Section B5.3).

The farming areas relatively far from the main roads and the other major noise sources are generally very quiet. The ambient noise levels are of the order of 22dBA to 30dBA during the late evening period and at night. It should, however, be noted that these levels can often be elevated significantly by the presence of insects, bats, frogs and other wildlife especially alomg the Klein Riet River. These conditions generally are a seasonal phenomenon.

B3.4. Noise Climate Related to the 24 hour Road Traffic In order to complement the short-term noise measurements, the existing 24-hour residual noise levels related to the average daily traffic (ADT) flows on the following main roads through the area and the roads that directly affected the CSP plant project were calculated: i) Provincial Road TR07001 (Route R385) from Postmasburg to Route R31. ii) Provincial Road TR00503 (Route R31) from intersection with road TR07001 (Route R385). iii) Provincial Road TR00504 (Route R31) from Kuruman to Danielskuil to intersection with Road TR07001. iv) Provincial Road MR00803 (Route R385). v) Provincial Road DR3379 from Road MR00803 (Route R385) eastwards. The traffic data were obtained from the Northern Cape Province Department of Transport and Microzone Information Technology Specialists.

These calculated noise values provide an accurate base for the SANS 10103 descriptors. The noise levels generated from the traffic on these roads were calculated using the South African National Standard SANS 10210 Calculating and Predicting Road Traffic Noise. Typical situations were used for the calculation site. The Year 2010 and 2011 traffic data were used as the baseline for the calculations.

The noise levels at various offsets from the relevant road centrelines were established and are summarised in Table B2. The noise descriptors used are those prescribed in SANS 10103:2008, namely: i) Daytime equivalent continuous rating (noise) level (LReq,d) (Ld used in table), namely for the period from 06h00 to 22h00).

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 7

ii) Night-time equivalent continuous rating (noise) level (LReq,n) (Ln used in table), namely for the period from 22h00 to 06h00). iii) Day-night equivalent continuous rating (noise) level (LR,dn) (Ldn used in table), namely for the 24 hour period from 06h00 to 06h00). The noise levels given are for generalised and the unmitigated conditions. There will be greater attenuation than shown with distance where there are houses, other buildings and terrain restraints in the intervening ground between the source and the receiver point.

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 8

TABLE B2: EXISTING NOISE CLIMATE ADJACENT TO MAIN ROADS IN THE ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR PLANT STUDY AREA (YEAR 2011 TRAFFIC)

Noise Climate Alongside the Main Roads at Given Offset from Centreline (SANS 10103 Indicator) (dBA)

Road 25m Offset 50m Offset 100m Offset 250m Offset 500m Offset 1000m Offset 1500m Offset 2000m Offset 2500m Offset 3000m Offset 4000m Offset

Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn Ld Ln Ldn

TR7001 60.0 51.9 60.7 57.0 48.9 57.7 53.8 45.7 54.5 49.4 41.3 50.1 45.6 37.5 46.3 41.1 33.0 41.8 38.0 29.9 38.7 35.8 27.7 36.5 33.9 25.8 34.6 32.5 24.4 33.2 30.0 21.9 30.7

TRD0503 59.8 50.5 60.0 56.8 47.5 57.0 53.6 44.3 53.8 49.2 39.9 49.4 45.4 36.1 45.6 40.9 31.6 41.1 37.8 28.5 38.0 35.6 26.3 35.8 33.7 24.4 33.9 32.3 23.0 32.5 29.8 20.5 30.0

TRD0504 60.9 52.0 61.3 57.9 49.0 58.3 54.7 45.8 55.1 50.3 41.4 50.7 46.5 37.6 46.9 42.0 33.1 42.4 38.9 30.0 39.3 36.7 27.8 37.1 34.8 25.9 35.2 33.4 24.5 33.8 30.9 22.0 31.3

MR00803 47.6 37.8 47.7 44.6 34.8 44.7 41.4 31.6 41.5 37.0 27.2 37.1 33.2 23.4 33.3 28.7 18.9 28.8 25.6 15.8 25.7 23.4 13.6 23.5 21.5 11.7 21.6 20.1 10.3 20.2 17.6 7.8 17.7

DR3379 41.6 28.1 40.7 38.6 25.1 37.7 35.4 21.9 34.5 31.0 17.5 30.1 27.2 13.7 26.3 22.7 9.2 21.8 19.6 6.1 18.7 17.4 3.9 16.5 15.5 2.0 14.6 14.1 0.6 13.2 11.6 -1.9 10.7

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 9

B3.5. Noise Climate Related to Railway Traffic The Postmasburg – Barkly West railway line is aligned in an east-west direction through the central portion of the farm Ariesfontein. The line carries 14 trains per day (data obtained from Transnet Freight Rail). The Ariesfontein Siding is located on the western boundary of the farm Ariesfontein. There is an industrial spur line from the Idwala Limestone Mine just south of Danielskuil, joining the main Postmasburg–Barkly West railway line at the Silver Streams Siding.

With the pass-by of each train past a noise sensitive receptor there will be a fluctuation in sound pressure level ranging from the normal background noise for the area (residual noise level) to a maximum as the train passes and then reducing again to the residual level as the train moves away from the receiver point. The approximate maximum noise levels that will be experienced with the pass-by of a train at various offsets from the railway line and for various typical cross- section types are given in Table B3. Note that the noise levels for the sections at-grade and the sections on fill are the same. The values given are the unmitigated noise levels.

TABLE B3: TYPICAL MAXIMUM NOISE LEVELS FOR OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS ALONG THE RAILWAY LINE

Maximum Pass-by Noise Level (LAmax) (dBA) Offset (m) Cutting Section At-grade/Fill Section 3m Depth 7m Depth

25 93,3 81,5 77,9 50 88,3 75,7 71,1 100 82,2 69,3 64,3 200 75,6 62,6 57,4 300 71,9 58,9 53,4 500 66,5 53,5 48,0

i) The operations of the trains have the potential to adversely influence the noise climate of the areas along the railway corridors to a larger or lesser extent for significant distances from the tracks. The propagated noise will be attenuated with distance from the source, the nature of the ground cover on the intervening ground, and from screening by the natural topography and buildings. The wheel-rail generated noise is enhanced where the train is travelling on elevated structure. ii) The character (qualitative aspect) of the railway operational noise will have many facets. The component of noise that will predominate at maximum operating speed will be the wheel-rail interaction noise. The noise from diesel locomotives will be much higher than that

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from electric locomotives. The noise from the locomotives will be slightly louder than that from the wagons. With the pass-by of each train, the perceived noise at any one receiver point within the area of influence of the train will fluctuate relatively rapidly from the normal background (ambient) noise level of the area to peak at the maximum, will then fall slightly once the locomotives have passed the closest point to the receiver to remain fairly constant at this level until the whole train has passed by the near-ground and then will fall back to the area’s ambient level as the train moves into the far distance. This whole cycle can take place over a period of several minutes, depending on the length and the speed of the train. iii) The noise of the braking systems may sometimes be audible. There will possibly be some “flange squeal” (rail-wheel interaction) heard in areas where there are tight-radius track curves. There will also be mechanical banging sounds from the wagon couplings when the trains slow down or accelerate. iv) It is normally mandatory that a train sounds a warning horn at at-grade crossings with roads. Noise from these horn soundings can be as loud as 105dBA at 30 metres and 84dBA at 350 metres from the train. v) The noise impact from a train relates normally to the nuisance (annoyance) impact as the train passes.

B3.6. Prevailing Noise Climate In overview, the existing situation with respect to the existing noise climate in the Ariesfontein Solar Plant study area was found to be as follows: i) The main sources of noise in the area are from: a) Road traffic noise from the traffic on Road TR00503 (Route R31) to Barkly West. b) Railway traffic on the line on the Postmasburg–Barkly West line and the industrial spur line from the Idwala Limestone Mine. c) The Lime Acres Mine 17 kilometres to the west of the development site. d) Idwala Limestone Mine and factory just to the south of Danielskuil. e) Noise from general farming operations. ii) The main noise sensitive receptors in the area are (refer also to Figure 2 in the main report): a) Various farmhouses and farm labourer residences. b) The residences in the south-eastern part of Danielskuil. c) Various schools in Danielskuil and Lime Acres, as well as farm schools in the area. iii) The existing residual noise climate throughout most of the study area is typical of a rural/agricultural environment as defined in SANS 10103:2008, that is, areas where

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 11

ambient noise levels generally do not exceed 45dBA during the day and generally do not exceed 35dBA during the night-time. iv) In the residential townships of Danielskuil and Lime Acres Mine the existing residual noise climate is typical of a suburban environment as defined in SANS 10103:2008, that is, areas where ambient noise levels generally do not exceed 50dBA during the day and generally do not exceed 40dBA during the night-time. v) Sites close to the main roads in the study area are adversely affected by traffic noise. vi) The main roads affected are listed in Section B3.4. The ambient noise levels alongside these roads exceed the acceptable levels as recommended in SANS 10103 with respect to rural and suburban residential living and other noise sensitive land uses. The noise climates in these areas can be defined as being severely degraded for these land uses. The areas next to the main roads are in some areas degraded for up to the following

distances (based on rural residential SANS 10103 standards – Ldn > 45dBA):  TR07001 (Route R385) - 600 metres  TR00503 (Route R31) - 550 metres  TR00504 (Route R31) - 650 metres  MR00803 (Route R385) - 50 metres  DR3379 - 10 metres vi) The train traffic is a minor factor due to the low rail traffic volumes. The noise impact from a train relates normally to the nuisance (annoyance) impact as the train passes.

JKA601r002 Appendix B First Draft (24/10/2011) 1

NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PLANNED ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR PLANT DANIELSKUIL, NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

(SCOPING REPORT FIRST DRAFT)

(November 2011)

REPORT PREPARED BY JONGENS KEET ASSOCIATES

PO Box 2756 Brooklyn Square 0075

Contact: D Cosijn

Phone/Fax: (012) 460-4481 Cell: 082 6006347

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CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 General ...... 1 1.2 Terms of Reference ...... 1 1.3 Location and Extent of the Study Area ...... 3 1.4 Scope and Limitations ...... 3 2 DETAILS OF THE PLANNED SOLAR PLANT ...... 3 3 REGIONAL OVERVIEW: DETAILS OF THE STUDY AREA ...... 4 3.1 Topography ...... 4 3.2 Land Use ...... 4 3.3 Roads ...... 5 3.4 Railway Lines ...... 5 3.5 Factors of Acoustical Significance ...... 5 3.6 Noise Sensitive Receptors ...... 6 4 METHODOLOGY ...... 8 4.1 General ...... 8 4.2 Determination of the Existing Conditions ...... 8 4.3 Preliminary Assessment of Planning/Design Phase and Construction Phase Impacts . 9 4.4 Preliminary Assessment of Operational Phase Impacts ...... 9 5 NOISE SOURCES AND NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS ...... 10 5.1 Noise Sources ...... 10 5.2 Noise Sensitive Areas ...... 11 6 THE RESIDUAL (EXISTING) NOISE CLIMATE ...... 11 7 THE PREDICTED NOISE CLIMATE ...... 12 7.1 Solar Plant Generated Noise Footprint: Pre-construction Phase ...... 12 7.2 Solar Plant Generated Noise Footprint: Construction Phase ...... 12 7.3 Solar Plant Generated Noise Footprint: Operational Phase ...... 12 7.4 Solar Plant Generated Traffic ...... 13 8 CONCLUSIONS ...... 13 9 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 14 10 SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE EIA PHASE ...... 14 11 REFERENCES ...... 14

FIGURES Figure 1 Locality Plan Figure 2 Noise Sensitive Receptors Figure B1 Noise Measurement Sites

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NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PLANNED ARIESFONTEIN SOLAR PLANT DANIELSKUIL, NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 General In an effort to utilise renewable energy resources, SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD is proposing to construct a 325 Megawatt (MW) Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant on the Farm Ariesfontein 617, Gordonia RD, Siyanda District Municipal Region, comprising of both Photovoltaic (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Technology. For the sake of convenience this will be refered to as the Ariesfontein Solar Plant in this report. The proposed development site is situated approximately 25km to the south-east of Danielskuil (refer to Figure 1). An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is being undertaken. As part of the EIA, a noise impact assessment has been undertaken by Jongens Keet Associates (JKA). The study was undertaken by Mr Derek Cosijn and Dr Erica Cosijn. This report documents the findings of the Scoping phase of the investigation.

1.2 Terms of Reference The terms of reference (TOR) are as follows: i) A sufficiently detailed quantitative (by measurement) and qualitative assessment within the area of influence of the planned Ariesfontein Solar Plant was to be undertaken in order to enable a full appreciation of the nature, magnitude, extent and implications of the potential noise impact. ii) This study excludes the investigation of the power lines and the water supply to the site. iii) The initial level of investigation was to that of an environmental Scoping. iv) All aspects of the investigation were to conform to the requirements of relevant environmental legislation and noise standards. v) The potential impacts of the pre-construction, construction and operational phases of the project were to be assessed.

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 2

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Locality Plan

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JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 3

1.3 Location and Extent of the Study Area The core study area of the noise impact assessment has been taken to be that within the potential noise area of influence of the planned Solar Plant. Essentially the whole area within at least 10 kilometres of the site boundaries has been evaluated. Where necessary however, and particularly in regard to the project-generated traffic impact, a wider area of influence has been considered. Preliminary calculations for the CSP Plant of the Solar Plant indicate that the offset of the 35dBA noise footprint will be at approximately 4800 metres from the powerblock, while that of the 45dBA contour will be at approximately 2150 metres. The three PV parks (modules) will also generate some fairly significant noise, mainly from the power inverters. It is estimated that there will be 40 inverters per PV park (a total of 120 inverters for the whole installation. Dependent on the layout, noise sensitive sites within 2 500 metres of a 120 inverter cluster (worst case scenario) could be adversely affected.

1.4 Scope and Limitations The optimum position and layouts of the CSP Plant and the three PV parks have not yet been determined. The optimum development of the site is likely to be determined only during the EIA phase. Thus it was not possible at this stage to calculate and assess the specific detailed noise impacts at each noise sensitive site related to a specific development site. The approach was rather to determine conservatively the extent of the potential noise impact, namely the 35dBA noise contour.

Although much of the technical detail of the planned Solar Plant is already determined, the specific noise characteristics of some plant and equipment to be installed are not. Conservative predictions based on equipment baseline noise levels of typical plant that will be installed have therefore been made.

2 DETAILS OF THE PLANNED SOLAR PLANT The planned Ariesfontein Solar Plant will have an electricity generating capacity of 325MW and will consist of a CSP component (100MW) and a PV component (225MW).

The CSP installation will comprise: i) The Solar Field which consists of all services and infrastructure related to the management and operation of the heliostats. ii) The Molten Salt Circuit which includes the thermal storage tanks for storing the hot and cold liquid salt, a concentration tower, pipelines and heat exchangers; iii) The Power Block (essentially an electricity power generation station); and

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 4 iv) Auxiliary facilities and infrastructure which includes the steam turbine, condenser-cooling system, electricity transmission lines, a grid connection, access routes, water supplies and facility start-up energy plant (gas or diesel generators).

The PV installation will comprise three 75MW parks. Each of the parks will consist of the following elements: i) PV arrays consisting of mounted solar panels; ii) DC-AC current inverters and transformers. Forty (40) x 2MW inverters are required for each of the three 75MW PV parks. iii) Underground cabling / overhead power lines.

Based on the solar insolation characteristics of the Danielskuil area, the CSP plant power station will be able to operate on average for up to 10 hours during the day (08h00 to 18h00) in the summer.

3 REGIONAL OVERVIEW: DETAILS OF THE STUDY AREA Only the details relevant to the noise impact assessment are given.

3.1 Topography The terrain may be classified as flat to mildly undulating across the farm and the surrounding areas. The main topographical feature in the area is the Klein Riet River, which flows in a west to east direction through the study area. There is a range of low hills to the west of Danielskuil and to the north of Lime Acres. The land falls gently south-eastwards towards the Klein Riet River.

3.2 Land Use The land use in the study area is predominantly agricultural with mines to the west of the development site. The main farming endeavour is cattle. Other significant land uses in the area are: i) Residential. a) The town of Danielskuil is located approximately 25 kilometres north-east of the development site. b) The urban settlement (township) of Lime Acres serving the Lime Aces Mine lies approximately 17 kilometres west of the development site. c) Numerous farmhouses and farm labourer houses throughout the area. ii) Educational. There are a number of schools in Danielskuil and Lime acres, and a farm school to the north of the development site.

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 5 iii) Industrial. a) The industrial area of Danielskuil is located in the southern sector of the town. b) The Idwala Limestone Mine and Factory lies just south of Danielskuil. c) The Lime Acres Mine lies to the west of the development site.

3.3 Roads There are a number of major roads and secondary roads servicing the area: i) Provincial Road TR07001 (Route R385) from Postmasburg to Route R31. ii) Provincial Road TR00503 (Route R31) from intersection with road TR07001 (Route R385). iii) Provincial Road TR00504 (Route R31) from Kuruman to Danielskuil to intersection with Road TR07001. iv) Provincial Road MR00803 (Route R385).

3.4 Railway Lines Two railway lines pass through the study area: i) The Postmasburg – Barkly West railway line is aligned in an east-west direction through the central portion of the farm Ariesfontein. The line carries 14 trains per day (data obtained from Transnet Freight Rail). The Ariesfontein Siding is located on the western boundary of the farm Ariesfontein. ii) There is an industrial spur line from the Idwala Lime Mine just south of Danielskuil, joining the main Postmasburg – Barkly West railway line at the Silver Streams Siding.

3.5 Factors of Acoustical Significance The relatively flat topographical features in the study area provide little acoustic shielding between the possible development sites and the adjacent noise sensitive areas. Noise will tend to be channelled along the shallow drainage valleys in the area.

The main meteorological aspect that will affect the transmission (propagation) of the noise is the wind. The wind can result in periodic enhancement downwind or reduction upwind of noise levels. Analysis of the wind records for the area indicates that the main prevailing winds blow from the northeast (48% of the time) and the northwest (21%). Approximately 6,7% still periods are experienced annually.

Temperature inversions have a significant effect on the noise propagation character of the area. Temperature inversions tend to increase noise levels at some distance from a source.

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A temperature inversion is formed when air near the ground is cooler than the air above. This occurs mainly at night or to a lesser extent during cloudy days away from large bodies of water. Stable conditions with high humidity and very low velocity wind conditions are necessary. As cool air is denser than warm air, sound rays are refracted towards the cooler air, that is, towards the ground.

3.6 Noise Sensitive Receptors The residential, educational and recreational land uses are considered to be noise sensitive receptors (NSR). Refer to Figure 2.

For this study, the position of houses/dwellings on the farms was taken off 1:50 000 topographical cadastral maps and verified as far as possible using Google Earth. Even though the latest editions were used, the relevant maps are 30 years out of date and there may be new dwellings and/or some of the existing shown buildings may be derelict. During the field survey for the noise measurement survey, such aspects were noted where possible. The following 1:50 000 topographical cadastral maps were used:  SOUTH AFRICA 1:50 000 Sheet 2823AB, GROENWATER Second Edition 1989.  SOUTH AFRICA 1:50 000 Sheet 2823BA, DANIELSKUIL Second Edition 1982.  SOUTH AFRICA 1:50 000 Sheet 2823BB, SWARTPUTS Second Edition 1982.  SOUTH AFRICA 1:50 000 Sheet 2823AD, LIME ACRES Second Edition 1982.  SOUTH AFRICA 1:50 000 Sheet 2823BC, SILVERSTREAMS Second Edition 1982.  SOUTH AFRICA 1:50 000 Sheet 2823BD, ARIESFONTEIN Second Edition 1982.

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 7

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LEGEND Noise Sensitive Receptors (NSRs) • NSR Residential • NSR Educational ,) . Figu~e 2

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 8

4 METHODOLOGY 4.1 General The general procedure used to determine the noise impact was guided by the requirements of the Code of Practice SANS 10328:2008: Methods for Environmental Noise Impact Assessments. The level of this investigation was the equivalent of a Scoping. A comprehensive assessment of all noise impact descriptors (standards) will be undertaken in the EIA Phase. The noise impact criteria used specifically take into account those as specified in the South African National Standard SANS 10103:2008, The Measurement and Rating of Environmental Noise with Respect to Annoyance and Speech Communication as well as those in the National Noise Control Regulations. The Scoping investigation comprised the following: i) Determination of the existing situation (prior to the planned development). ii) Preliminary determination of the situation during and after development. iii) Preliminary assessment of the change in noise climate and impact.

4.2 Determination of the Existing Conditions This phase comprised the following: i) The relevant technical details of the planned Solar Plant (as known at this stage), the existing traffic patterns and the existing and planned land use in the study area were reviewed in order to establish a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the project that will influence the future noise climate in the study area. ii) Using these data, the limits of the study area were determined and the potential noise sensitive areas, other major noise sources and potential problems in these areas were identified. iii) Applicable noise standards were established. The National Noise Control Regulations and the SANS 10103:2008 standards were applied. iv) The existing noise climate of the study area was determined by means of a field inspection and a noise measurement survey. The measurement survey appropriately covered the whole extent of the study area, focussing specifically on the identified noise sensitive/problem areas. Measurements were taken at 3 monitoring sites. The daytime conditions were measured. The sound pressure level (SPL) (noise) measurements were taken in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Practice SANS 10103. A Type 1 Integrating Sound Level meters was used for the noise measurements. All measurements were taken under dry weather and normal traffic (that is mid-week/school term) conditions. Refer to Appendix B for details of the measurement survey. v) On the general field inspection and at the same time as each individual measurement was being taken, the qualitative nature of the noise climate in the area of the

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 9

measurement site was assessed and recorded. This comprised an appraisal of the general prevailing acoustic conditions based on the subjective response to the sounds as perceived by the listener (i.e. auditory observation by the surveyor), as well as identifying those noise incidents, which influenced the noise meter readings during that measurement period. This procedure is essential in order to ensure that that there is a human correlation between the noise as perceived by the human ear and that, which is measured by the meter, as well as to establish any anomalies in the general ambient noise conditions. vi) The existing noise climates along the main roads as related to the current traffic volumes and patterns were established. These traffic noise levels were calculated using the South African National Standard SANS 10210 Calculating and Predicting Road Traffic Noise for Route. The latest traffic was used as the baseline reference. The calculated 24-hour period noise indicators, as well as those for the daytime period and night-time period provided the main data for the impact assessment. The measured data provided a field check of the acoustic conditions. See Section B6 in Appendix B for details of the road traffic noise impact. vii) A general analysis of the rail traffic impact was undertaken. Refer to Section B7 in Appendix B for the rail traffic noise impact on the study area.

4.3 Preliminary Assessment of Planning/Design Phase and Construction Phase Impacts Aspects of the pre-design field surveys and construction activities that potentially will have a noise impact have been identified and, where appropriate, mitigation measures will be recommended in the EIA Phase.

4.4 Preliminary Assessment of Operational Phase Impacts The main focus of the operational phase preliminary assessment (at Scoping level) was to establish the likely nature, magnitude and extent of the potential change in noise climate in the study area directly related to and within the area of influence of the development site. The modelling of the noise propagation from a multi-noise source site such as the proposed Solar Plant is extremely complex and requires the careful consideration and input of many diverse parameters. The likely noise that will be generated by the Solar Plant was established and this was used to determine a preliminary footprint of impact.

The final design of the Solar Plant is not yet available and the anticipated noise profile was thus calculated from data at similar type facilities. Firstly, the sound power levels of the various

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 10 elements of the operation were obtained from similar projects JKA has worked on, international standards and available databases of source noise levels.

Secondly the combined level of the noise from all these elements was calculated at various distances from the source noises by means of a propagation model in order to establish the noise contours. The model used was based on SANS 10357:2008, The Calculation of Sound Propagation by the Concawe Method. Note that the noise descriptor being calculated is the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (ambient noise level) determined for the average condition. The following were taken into account: i) Some of the plant and equipment will operate outdoors and some will be housed indoors or encapsulated. Attenuation losses of 10dBA to 25dBA can be expected from the indoor to the outdoor noise levels dependent on the building. It has been assumed however that all plant and equipment will be outdoors. ii) Shielding correction by buildings which could surround the various plant and equipment at the proposed Solar Plant has not been applied. iii) The determination of the correction for atmospheric absorption which is representative of an average condition is complex as the interaction of the variables of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity especially when related to the changes over a 24- hour cycle and a yearly cycle need to be considered. The correction also has to be related to various frequencies of the sound spectrum. iv) Correction for the effect of ground surface, that is, the attenuating effect of vegetation. v) The determination of the correction for meteorological effects which is representative of an average condition is complex as the interaction of the variables of wind speed, incident solar radiation, time of day and cloud cover especially when related to the changes over a 24-hour cycle and a yearly cycle need to be considered. Conditions for both high wind and temperature inversion were checked. vi) The effect of the topography of the core study area was reviewed.

Data requirements for the EIA phase were identified.

5 NOISE SOURCES AND NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS 5.1 Noise Sources The main noise sources presently affecting the study area and the additional sources that will affect the area once the Solar Plant is commissioned are: i) Road traffic noise from the traffic on Road TR00503 (Route R31) to Barkly West. ii) Railway traffic on the line on the Postmasburg – Barkly West line and the industrial spur line from the Idwala Lime Mine.

JKA601r002 Scoping Report First Draft (06/11/2011) 11 iii) The Lime Acres Mine 17 kilometres to the west of the development site. iv) Idwala Lime Mine and factory just to the south of Danielskuil. v) Noise from general farming operations.

5.2 Noise Sensitive Areas The main noise sensitive receptors in the area are (refer also to Figure 2): i) Various farmhouses and farm labourer residences. ii) The residences in the south-eastern part of Danielskuil. iii) Various schools in Danielskuil and Lime Acres, as well as farm schools in the area.

6 THE RESIDUAL (EXISTING) NOISE CLIMATE The determination of the residual (existing) noise climate in the study area is based on the measurements and observations made in the area, and where relevant also from the calculation of the noise from the traffic on the main roads. The following were determined: i) The existing typical residual noise climate throughout most of the study area is typical of a rural/agricultural environment as defined in SANS 10103:2008, that is, areas where ambient noise levels generally do not exceed 45dBA during the day and generally do not exceed 35dBA during the night-time. ii) In the residential townships of Danielskuil and Lime Acres Mine the existing residual noise climate is typical of a suburban environment as defined in SANS 10103:2008, that is, areas where ambient noise levels generally do not exceed 50dBA during the day and generally do not exceed 40dBA during the night-time. iii) Sites close to the main roads in the study area are adversely affected by traffic noise. iv) The main roads affected are listed in Section B3.4. The ambient noise levels alongside these roads exceed the acceptable levels as recommended in SANS 10103 with respect to rural and suburban residential living and other noise sensitive land uses. The noise climates in these areas can be defined as being severely degraded for these land uses. The areas next to the main roads are in some areas degraded for up to the following

distances (based on rural residential SANS 10103 standards – Ldn > 45dBA):  TR07001 (Route R385) - 600 metres  TR00503 (Route R31) - 550 metres  TR00504 (Route R31) - 650 metres  MR00803 (Route R385) - 50 metres  DR3379 - 10 metres v) The train traffic is a minor factor due to the low rail traffic volumes. The noise impact from a train relates normally to the nuisance (annoyance) impact as the train passes.

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7 THE PREDICTED NOISE CLIMATE 7.1 Solar Plant Generated Noise Footprint: Pre-construction Phase Activities during the planning and design phase that normally have possible noise impact implications are those related to field surveys (such as seismic testing and geological test borehole drilling for large building foundations). As these activities are usually of short duration and take place during the day, they are unlikely to cause any noise disturbance or nuisance in adjacent areas.

7.2 Solar Plant Generated Noise Footprint: Construction Phase There is the potential for noise impact (noise disturbance and noise nuisance) at a few sites in the immediate vicinity of the construction site. i) Source noise levels from many of the construction activities will be high. Noise levels from all work areas will vary constantly and in many instances significantly over short periods during any day working period. ii) Exact daytime period and night-time period continuous equivalent sound pressure levels are not possible to calculate with certainty at this stage as the final construction site layout, work programme for the various components, work modus operandi and type of equipment have not been finalised. Working on a worst case scenario basis, it is estimated that the ambient noise level from general construction activities could negatively affect noise sensitive sites within a distance of 1380 metres of the construction site. Night-time construction could have a significant impact on noise sensitive sites within a radius of 3000 metres of the construction site. iii) Slightly higher ambient noise levels than those normally considered as reasonable are acceptable during the construction period provided that the very noisy construction activities are limited to the daytime and that the contractor takes reasonable measures to limit noise from the work site.

7.3 Solar Plant Generated Noise Footprint: Operational Phase With the construction of the Solar Plant the noise climates close to these facilities will alter.  The main noise sources at the CSP will be from the cooling fans (for the air- cooled condensers at the power block), the salt pumps and the steam generating unit. The noise from the cooling fans will be the loudest.  The main noise from the PV Parks will be from the power inverters.

It is predicted that the noise from the Solar Plant could be the following at the given offsets from the various installations:

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TABLE 1: PREDICTED NOISE LEVELS FROM VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE SOLAR PLANT Offset from the Noise Source Noise Levels from CSP Plant Noise Levels from PV Park (m) (dBA) (dBA) 500 60 51 1000 53 44 1500 49 40 2000 46 37 2500 43 35 3000 41 4000 38 5000 35

Cumulative effects between various elements of the Solar Plant may occur. These cannot be calculated in any detail before the layout of the plant is finalised. It is however, not expected to be significant (i.e. <3dBA).

Assuming daytime operations, noise sensitive sites (in a rural setting) further than 2150 metres away from the Plant will not be impacted by the noise from the Plant. Standby night-time operations will impact on any residences within 2500 metres from the CSP Plant. The construction of the power generation unit of the Solar Plant is recommended at an offset of at least 3000 metres from the nearest noise sensitive receptor, depending on the intended periods of operation. It is unlikely that the noise generated by the PV Park inverters will extend the noise footprint created by the CSP Plant significantly. This, however, will be checked during the EIA Phase once the finals layout plans are available. The examination of the area indicates that there are several potential noise sensitive receptors within 3000 metres from the boundary of the development site.

7.4 Solar Plant Generated Traffic The total volume of traffic generated by the Solar Plant will be relatively low. The development generated traffic will have minimal effect on the noise profile of the main roads.

8 CONCLUSIONS The following may be concluded from the foregoing analysis: i) The residual noise climate area of the Solar Plant development is typical of a rural environment. ii) The areas close to the main roads and the railway lines in the study area are degraded to some extent with regard to rural residential living. iii) The Solar Plant will introduce a loud noise source into the area. iv) For daytime operation of the Solar Plant, an area within a radius of 2150 metres of the plant (45dBA contour) could potentially be adversely affected by the noise from

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the plant. There are several potential noise sensitive receptors scattered within this area of impact.

9 RECOMMENDATIONS The following are recommended: i) The power generation unit of the Solar Plant should be constructed at an offset of at least 3000 metres from the nearest noise sensitive receptor, depending on the intended periods of operation. ii) Not all of the Noise Sensitive Receptors identified in this report are confirmed as such and should be verified by the Social Impact Team.

10 SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE EIA PHASE The noise investigation is being undertaken in order to enable a comprehensive appreciation of the potential noise impact of the Solar Plant. Once the layout of the surface infrastructure of the planned Solar Plant, the details of the component plant/equipment and the operational details are finalized, the appropriate noise generation and noise propagation models will be loaded with these data and then run to establish the noise profile of the Solar Plant. Refer to Section 4.4 for the details of the calculation models and the process to be used. The projected operational noise climate will then be compared with the baseline noise climate in order to determine the nature, magnitude, extent and implications of the noise impact.

11 REFERENCES BRITISH STANDARD BS 5228: 1997. Noise and Vibration Control on Construction and Open Sites. CROCKER, MJ (ed.) (2007). Handbook of Noise and Vibration Control. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ. NELSON, P (ed.) (1987). Transportation Noise Reference Book. Butterworths: London SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD SANS 10103:2008, The Measurement and Rating of Environmental Noise with Respect to Annoyance and to Speech Communication. SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD SANS 10210:2004, Calculating and Predicting Road Traffic Noise. SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD SANS 10328:2008, Methods for Environmental Noise Impact Assessments. SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD SANS 10357:2004, The Calculation of Sound Propagation by the Concawe Method.

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SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD SANS ISO 8297:1994, Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of multisource industrial plants for evaluation of sound pressure levels in the environment - Engineering method. SOUTH AFRICA. (1992). Noise control regulations in terms of Section 25 of the Environment Conservation Act, 1989 (Act 73 of 1989). (R154, 1992) Government Gazette 13717:14- 22, January 10 (Regulation Gazette No. 4807). SOUTH AFRICA. (1993). Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993). WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) (1999). Guidelines for Community Noise. Birgitta Berglund, Thomas Lindvall & Dietrich H Schwela (Eds.)

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SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix O – Socio- Economic Scoping Study

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR ENERGY POWER PARK ON A PORTION OF THE FARM ARRIESFONTEIN NEAR DANIELSKUIL, NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

November 2011 Socio-Economic Impact Assessment: Scoping Phase Input

Prepared for: Prepared by:

WorleyPasrons RSA Urban-Econ Development Economists PO Box 36155, Menlo Park, 0102, South Africa 1088 Pretorius Street, Hatfield Tel: 012 425 6300 Tel: 012 342 8686 Fax: 012 460 1336 Fax: 012 342 8688 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

ROOIPUNT SOLAR PARK SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT: SCOPING PHASE INPUTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 3 1.1 Project background and description ...... 3 1.2 Scope of the study ...... 3 1.3 Project’s location and study area delineation ...... 3 1.4 Methodology for scoping phase ...... 5 2. BASELINE INFORMATION ...... 6 2.1 Population size and growth ...... 6 2.2 Household numbers and size ...... 7 2.3 Income and expenditure patterns ...... 8 2.4 The labour market ...... 10 2.5 Economic production and GDP-R ...... 11 2.6 Structure of economies ...... 12 2.7 Structure of Employment ...... 13 2.8 Basic service delivery and access to tenure ...... 14 3. SUMMARY AND POTENTIAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS ...... 16 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 17

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1. INTRODUCTION Urban-Econ Development Economists was appointed by WorleyParsons RSA to undertake a socio- economic impact assessment study for the proposed construction and operation of the Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant proposed to be established on the Farm Arriesfontein, Barkley Wes RD, near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape Province. This report presents the socio-economic specialist’s input into the scoping phase of the project. 1.1 Project background and description Economic development and the ability of the national government to alleviate poverty are indirectly reliant on the supply of electricity in South Africa. The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) promulgated on 6 May 2011 stated that an additional uncommitted 42 539 MW needs to be generated over the next 20 years to support the development of the country and ensure adequate reserves. The required expansion is almost two times the size of the existing capacity of the system. A significant component of the above-mentioned plan is, amongst others, the expansion of the use of renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions involved in generating electricity and involvement of Independent Power Producers in these projects.

In line with the IRP, SolarReserve South Africa proposed the construction of a solar energy power park comprising of both Photovoltaic (PV) and Concentrating Solar Power facility using central receiver technology (CSP-Tower). The facility to be known as the Arriesfontein Solar Energy Park (referred to as Solar Park) will have an installed capacity of up to 325 MW derived from the following:

• 100MWAC of CSP-Tower

• Three blocks of PV systems each with a nameplate capacity of 75MWAC

1.2 Scope of the study The purpose of the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment is to determine the potential positive and negative effects of the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Park on the local and regional economies, determine the most beneficial alternative amongst the ones proposed, and to compare their effects with the “no go” option. The “no go” alternative assumes that the proposed Solar Park is not established at the intended location, nor anywhere else in the country. The “no go” alternative represents the current status of the environment, including the socio-economic situation.

The current report is prepared as part of the Socio-Economic Study and is used as inputs into the Scoping Report that is compiled by the Environmental Practitioner. The Scoping Phase inputs address only a portion of the scope of work involved in the Socio-Economic Study. Its purpose is as follows:

• provide a description of the environment that may be affected by the proposed project, and particularly its socio-economic characteristics, and • identify the potential impacts to be assessed in the EIA phase.

The scoping report therefore aims at identifying social, socio-economic, and economic issues that will form part of the EIA phase. 1.3 Project’s location and study area delineation The proposed site for the Arriesfontein Solar Park is located on a portion of the farm Arriesfontein situated approximately 35km to the south western side of Danielskuil in the Northern Cape. The site falls within the Kgatelopele Local Municipality, which in turn forms part of the Siyanda District Municipality - one of the five districts of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Urban-Econ Development Economists Page 3

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Map 1-1: Site location within the Northern Cape Province

Source: www.demarcation.org.za and Google Earth, 2011

Source: WorleyParsons RSA, October 2011

In order to delineate the study area, it is important to understand the concept of socio-economic impacts. Socio-economic impacts can be of a different nature and spatial extent. The latter differs significantly depending on the type of activity that is being analysed and the structure and composition of the locality where it is to be established. The more diversified the immediate locality of the project is in terms of its socio-economic variables, the more concentrated the impact will be in that area. It is very rare, though, to find a case when the demands of the proposed activity to be constructed and

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operated can be fully satisfied within the immediate locality of the project. Therefore, more often than not, economic impacts derived from any activity are spread throughout various administrative units. Understanding the potential distribution and concentration of impacts throughout the area is important to determine the magnitude and significance of these impacts in the context of spatial units.

The study area’s delineation is usually done in terms of three levels – primary, secondary and tertiary. From a socio-economic impact perspective, the primary study area refers to the locality where the immediate economic effects of the proposed activity will be observed. This is usually defined considering the actual location of the proposed project, proximity to skilled and unskilled labour, and juxtaposition relative to suppliers. The primary study area is usually relatively small and includes administrative units from where the majority of labour for the proposed project will be supplied and where some parts of the capital and operational budgets will be spent, such as a city, town or Local Municipality depending on data availability. The secondary study area is generally far greater than the primary study area. It usually has a relatively diversified economy, which is why it is also characterised as an area where the majority of the domestic expenditure on the project will be distributed. The third tier of a delineated study area is the tertiary study area. From an economic impact perspective, it includes all impacts that would be derived from the project’s domestic expenditure.

The proposed project is located within the Siyanda District Municipal area. The site is located not far from Danielskuil; however the closest major town to the site by road is Kimberley (approximately 120km). Other towns located within 100 kilometres from the proposed site are Delportshoop (approximately 60km) to the east and Postmasburg (approximately 100km) to the west along the R31 route. It is assumed that some of the semi-skilled people who could be employed by the proposed project during construction will come from the above-mentioned towns. It is highly likely though that unskilled and semi-skilled labour will also be sourced from other areas, including other municipalities of Siyanda, as the unemployment rate is very low in the Kgatelopele Local Municipality. As far as procurement of services and equipment during construction and operation of the project is concerned, some of these will be sourced from the Northern Cape. Given the fact though that its economy is not very diversified, it could be argued that a significant portion of the inputs required for construction of the Solar Park will be sourced from the rest of South Africa. Given the above, the following delineation of the study areas is assumed:

• primary study area include the Kgatelopele Local Municipality • secondary study area include the Siyanda DM in the Northern Cape, and • tertiary study area is South Africa. 1.4 Methodology for scoping phase Given the requirements of the Scoping Phase, a three step methodology was employed to complete it. These included:

• Baseline profiling. Baseline profiling is the key component of the Scoping Phase input to be provided by the socio-economic specialist. It includes the description of the study area in terms of selected socio-economic variables. This information is used to interpret the socio-economic impacts that could be derived from the project in the context of the local, provincial and national economies. It includes the analysis of parameters such as population size and household numbers, structure and growth of the economy, labour force, employment situation and service delivery. Profiling for the study was done making use of Quantec Research database and selected StatsSA statistics, such as Labour Force Surveys and Community Survey 2007, as well as information gathered from the following strategic documents: o Northern Cape Growth and Development Strategy Urban-Econ Development Economists Page 5

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o Siyanda DM: IDP 2010-2011 and IEDP 2006 • Identifying the anticipated impacts. This step includes the identification of the socio-economic impacts that could be expected during the construction and operational phases of the proposed Solar Park. The list of impacts, inclusive of their nature and extent, represents the impacts that are usually associated with similar projects. Its purpose is to ensure that the specialist study contains a detailed analysis thereof, which means that their list, as well as other characteristics could change from the ones outlined in the Scoping Phase inputs report once the detailed assessment is undertaken. • Reporting. The data and information gathered during the study was included and presented as part of the Scoping Phase Input Report. 2. BASELINE INFORMATION This chapter examines key socio-economic characteristics of the study area, as per delineation provided in the previous chapter. This is essential as it provides both qualitative and quantitative data related to the economies under observation. It should be noted that where possible information is provided for 2011, which is an estimate based on the historical trends and available statistics.

The following socio-economic indicators are analysed in this chapter:

• Population size and growth • Average household size • Income and Expenditure patterns • Labour Market dynamics • Production • Gross Domestic Product per Region • Service delivery and access to tenure 2.1 Population size and growth The population of any geographical area is the cornerstone of the development process, as it affects the economic growth through the provision of labour and entrepreneurial skills, and determines the demand for the production output. Examining population dynamics is essential to gain an accurate perspective of those who are likely to be affected by any prospective development or project. This sub-section describes the status quo of the study area’s population as estimated for 2011.

In 2011, South Africa’s population is expected to be above 50 million (Table 2-1), with 1.1 million people residing in the Northern Cape area. This indicates that the Province has the smallest population amongst the Provinces in the country, but at the same time it encompasses about 30% of the entire area of South Africa that makes it the biggest Province in terms of landmass. The Siyanda District Municipality is housing 247 611 people, or 22.5% of the provincial population while the Kgatelopele Local Municipality has a population of 21 941 people, i.e. just below 6.9% of the DM’s population, which is indicative a relatively small economy.

Due to the fact that the Local Municipality of Kgatelopele has a relatively small community, it is possible that labour for this particular project may come from the nearby towns, i.e. Kimberley, Delportshoop (to the east), Douglas (to the south), Kuruman (to the north), and Postmasburg (to the west).

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Table 2-1: Population size (2011) and historical growth rates (1995-2011) Historical growth rates Study area 2011 1995-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 1995-2011 South Africa 50,430,328 1.73% 1.29% 1.12% 1.38% Northern Cape 1,101,318 1.23% 0.45% 0.26% 0.65% Siyanda DM 247,611 1.36% 0.51% 0.40% 0.75% Kgatelopele LM 21,941 1.18% 2.17% 3.18% 2.17% Source: Urban-Econ calculations based on Quantec, 2011 As indicated in the table above, the Kgatelopele LM’s population has been growing at a higher rate than that of the Siyanda DM, as well as the Northern Cape and the country. Moreover, the population growth rate of the Siyanda DM, Northern Cape and South Africa has been declining; whilst in the Kgatelopele LM the population growth rate was increasing over the past decade. This could be attributed by the growing mining and services sectors in the area. 2.2 Household numbers and size Household data enables a richer interpretation of the results of the socio-economic impact analyses. A large increase in household numbers coupled with the increase in disposable income levels and result in a greater consumption, which in turn stimulate local production and as a result the economy. In addition, knowledge of the size of the study areas in terms of households is useful for interpretation of the magnitude of the economic impact that could be created by the proposed activity.

South Africa has 13 385 517 households, which means that the average household size in the country is 3.8. The Northern Cape is estimated to have about 281 015 households and a bigger average household size than in the country. The Siyanda DM has 61 453 households; while the primary study area has approximately 5 361 households.

Table 2-2: Household numbers (2011), household size (2011) and its historical growth rate (1995- 2011) Study area Average HH Household number historical growth rates HH number size 1995/00 2000/05 2005/10 1995/11 South Africa 13 385 517 3.8 4.0% 2.1% 1.0% 2.4% Northern Cape 281 015 3.9 3.6% 1.1% -0.2% 1.5% Siyanda DM 61 453 4.1 3.5% 1.3% 0.3% 1.7% Kgatelopele LM 5 361 4.1 3.1% 2.5% 2.3% 2.6% Source: Urban-Econ calculations based on Quantec, 2011 Over the years, as indicated in Table 2-2, the rates at which the numbers of households in the secondary and tertiary study areas were increasing have been slowing down, which mirrors the trend observed with respect to population dynamics in these study areas. In the Kgatelopele LM, the household’s growth rate has been declining over the past decade. In the municipalities surrounding Kgatelopele the same trend was observed.

The main factors that affect the household growth include, besides the population increase, the change in age structure and incidence rate, or the likelihood of people of a certain age to start a new household. The significant difference between a household growth rate and a population growth rate, though, is usually attributed to the change in age structure.

Household size is also influenced by many other factors such as culture, traditions, education levels, income levels, etc. Over the years, it has been observed that the size of an average household in the country has been declining. As illustrated in Figure 2-1, the average household size in South Africa in 1995 was 4.4, whilst in 2011 it was 3.8. In the secondary and primary study areas, the average household size also dropped significantly between 1995 and 2011, although it should be noted that in

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the Northern Cape, the Siyanda DM and the Kgatelopele LM, the average household size was slightly higher than in South Africa, the highest being in Siyanda DM.

Figure 2-1: Household size dynamics (1995 – 2011) 4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

4.0

3.8

3.6 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM

Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011

2.3 Income and expenditure patterns Income distribution is one of the most important indicators of social welfare, as income is a primary means by which people are able to satisfy their basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, health, services, etc. Changes in income inflict changes in the standard of living, more specifically: a positive change in income can assist individuals, households, communities and countries to improve living standards.

There is a direct linkage between the household expenditure and economic growth. Increase in household expenditure means a greater demand for goods and services, which means an increase in production and positive change in the size of an economy. As has been seen in 2005-2006 in South Africa, robust increase in disposable income coupled with low interest rates in the country stimulated an increase in consumption by households, in particular durable and semi-durable goods, which in turn had a positive impact on the country’s economy. Knowledge of the volume of the disposable income and the expenditure patterns of households, therefore, can provide vital intelligence with respect to the sectors that are most dependent on the household income and therefore would be most affected in the case of change in household income.

Table 2-3 shows income distribution in study areas as captured in the Community Survey 2007. More recent data, unfortunately, are not available, whilst historical information is not robust and reliable enough to escalate the latest figures and estimate the situation in 2011 with great confidence.

Based on the 2007 figures it is evident that the Kgatelopele LM has a lower percentage of households that do not receive an income when compared to South Africa and the Northern Cape, but has a higher percentage when compared to the Siyanda DM. Furthermore, the Kgatelopele LM also has the lowest percentage of households who earn below R38 400 per annum (R3 200 per month) when compared to other study areas under analysis; at the same time it has a significantly greater share (15.8%) of households with income over R153 601 per annum (R12 800 per month) when compared to the other study areas.

Overall, the majority of households in all areas earned an income of between R9 601 – R38 400 per annum. The Kgatelopele LM had the highest share of households earning an income between R38 401 – R76 800 per annum. This together with the fact that it also had the greatest share of households Urban-Econ Development Economists Page 8

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falling under the high-income category resulted in the Kgatelopele LM’s average household income being the highest among all study areas. This suggests that the average household in the primary study area is better off than the average household in any other study area under analysis.

Table 2-3: Income distribution (2007) Income category (per annum) South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM No income 8.20% 6.80% 4.90% 6.14% R1 - R4 800 5.00% 3.50% 2.00% 2.57% R4 801 - R9 600 9.00% 7.90% 9.30% 4.53% R9 601 - R19 200 18.90% 20.20% 22.10% 15.90% R19 201 - R38 400 19.10% 19.80% 19.60% 20.86% R38 401 - R76 800 11.40% 13.20% 12.30% 19.41% R76 801 - R153 600 7.60% 8.00% 6.80% 10.03% R153 601 - R307 200 5.30% 4.70% 3.70% 10.00% R307 201 - R614 400 2.80% 2.20% 1.70% 3.61% R614 401 - R1 228 800 0.90% 0.60% 0.60% 1.85% R1 228 801 - R2 457 600 0.30% 0.20% 0.10% 0.32% More than R2 457 600 0.20% 0.20% 0.10% 0.17% No response 11.10% 12.60% 16.80% 4.60% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% Weighted av. (2011 prices) R8 602 R7 761 R6 690 R11 359 Source: Urban-Econ calculations based on Community Survey 2007, 2011 Table 2-4 shows the expenditure pattern of households in the study areas. It indicates that households’ expenditure largely comprises of spending on non-durable goods and services, amongst which the biggest expenditure items include expenditure on food and beverages, as well as rent. However, there are differences in terms of how much households in different areas spend on these types of goods and services. Households in Kgatelopele tend to spend more on services than on any other type of product. In terms of more detailed expenditure items, though spending on food and beverages accounts for a quarter of households’ spending. Overall, in South Africa, the Northern Cape and Siyanda, the trend seems to be the same, households throughout the country are spending more on services in general, whilst the single category spend the most on food, beverages and tobacco.

Table 2-4: Household expenditure per main groups (2008) Expenditure item South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Durable goods: Total 8.3% 7.5% 7.6% 8.4% Furniture, household appliances, etc 1.7% 1.4% 1.4% 1.6% Personal transport equipment 4.5% 3.9% 4.0% 4.5% Recreational and entertainment goods 1.4% 1.6% 1.6% 1.6% Other durable goods 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.7% Semi-durable goods: Total 9.1% 8.1% 8.1% 8.3% Clothing and footwear 5.0% 4.2% 4.1% 4.3% Household textiles, furnishings, glassware, etc 1.4% 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% Motor car tyres, parts and accessories 1.4% 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% Recreational and entertainment goods 0.8% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% Miscellaneous goods 0.5% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% Non-durable goods: Total 39.8% 39.4% 38.7% 37.6% Food, beverages and tobacco 26.3% 27.0% 26.4% 25.3% Household fuel and power 3.1% 2.6% 2.5% 2.1% Household consumer goods 4.1% 3.9% 3.9% 3.7% Medical and pharmaceutical products 1.6% 1.6% 1.7% 1.8% Petroleum products 4.0% 3.5% 3.5% 3.9% Recreational and entertainment goods 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% Services: Total 42.8% 45.0% 45.6% 45.7% Rent 12.4% 15.2% 15.3% 14.7% Household services, incl. domestic servants 2.6% 2.7% 2.6% 2.6% Medical services 5.9% 5.9% 5.9% 5.8% Transport and communication services 9.1% 9.1% 9.3% 9.6% Recreational, entertainment and education 4.0% 3.7% 3.8% 3.8% Miscellaneous services 8.8% 8.5% 8.8% 9.2% Source: Quantec: Household Income and Expenditure, 2008 release Urban-Econ Development Economists Page 9

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2.4 The labour market Employment is the primary means by which individuals who are of working age may earn an income that will enable them to provide for their basic needs. As such, employment and unemployment rates are important indicators of socio-economic well-being. The following paragraphs examine the study area’s labour market from a number of angles, including employment rate and sectoral employment patterns.

Information box: Unemployed as per official definition

Unemployed are people, who: a) did not work during the seven days prior the interview b) want to work and are available to start work within a week of the interview, and c) have taken active steps to look for work or to start some form of self-employment in the four weeks prior to the interview.

The composition of the labour force in the primary study area, the Siyanda DM, the Northern Cape and the country is detailed in Table 2-5. Unfortunately, though, since the latest Labour Force Survey does not report on the data for Municipalities, information for the primary study areas is sourced from the Quantec database and represents 2009 figures. This allows for a comparison between the study areas.

Table 2-5: Labour force statistics (2009) Indicators South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Working age population 31 496 936 704 615 163 008 14 255 Non-Economically Active Population 15 131 133 329 386 71 740 5 372 Labour Force 16 365 803 375 229 91 268 8 883 Employed 12 260 902 271 688 68 166 6 647 Unemployed 4 104 901 103 541 23 101 2 237 Unemployment rate 25.1% 27.6% 25.3% 25.2% LF participation rate 52.0% 53.3% 56.0% 62.3% Source: Quantec, 2011 In 2009, South Africa had about 31.5 million people within the working age population. Of these, about 15.1 million were non-economically active and 16.4 million formed part of the labour force. This means that the labour force participation rate in the country was 52.0%. The number of the employed people in South Africa was about 12.3 million, leaving 4.1 million people or 25.1% of the labour force unemployed.

The Northern Cape accounted for 2.3% of the national working age population, or 704 615 people. In 2009, just over 53% of the provincial working age population participated in the economy or were economically active. These people encompassed a labour force, which was divided into 271 688 employed and 103 541 unemployed people, indicating a 27.6% unemployment rate in the province.

Siyanda DM had a bigger percentage of the working age population participating in the economic activities than that of the province and the country. In Siyanda, 56.0% of the working age population were economically active, with a 25.3% of these people being unemployed.

The Kgatelopele LM had a working age population of about 14 255, making up almost 0.05% of the country’s working age population. The labour force participation rate in the primary study area (62.3%) was the highest of the four study areas, whilst the unemployment rate was 25.2%, which was slightly higher than that of South Africa. Overall, 6 647 (74.8% of the labour force) were employed and 2 237 were unemployed in Kgatelopele in 2009.

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2.5 Economic production and GDP-R Interpretation of economic impacts requires a sound understanding of the size of the economy and its dynamics in the past. A number of indicators exists that can describe the economy of a region or an area. The most common variables that are used for the analysis include production and Gross Domestic Product per Region (GDP-R). The former represents the total value of sales of goods and services, or the turnover of all economic agents in a region; whilst the latter, using the output approach, means the sum of value added created by all residents within a certain period of time, which is usually a year. The trend at which the GDP-R has been changing in the past is also referred to as economic growth indicator. It is a measure of both the performance of an area and the well-being of the citizens of an area. Faster economic growth than population growth is taken as an indicator of a healthy economy and an improvement in citizens’ well-being.

Table 2-6 provides an indication of the current estimated production and GDP-R values in the study areas. It shows that business sales in South Africa are expected to amount to R5 603 billion in 2011, in current prices which equates to R2 530 billion of gross value added. The Northern Cape accounted for about 2.0% of the national GDP-R in 2011, the Siyanda DM contributed 22.4% to the provincial economy; whilst the Kgatelopele economy equated to 16.2% of the district’s economy.

Table 2-6: Production and GDP-R figures (2011) Production (R’ml) GDP-R (R’ml) Study area Current prices CAGR 1995-2010 Current prices CAGR 1995-2010 South Africa 5 603 076 4.6% 2 530 484 3.3% Northern Cape 104 039 3.2% 56 341 2.3% Siyanda DM 23 380 4.2% 11 776 3.0% Kgatelopele LM 3 797 3.0% 2 280 2.9% Source: Quantec, 2011 Figure 2-2 illustrates the dynamics of the study areas and their sensitivity to the global and domestic changes in the economies.

Figure 2-2: GDP-R historical trends (1996-2009) South- 12.0% Global Asian financial and financial Rand 10.0% local crisis depreciation 8.0% electricity crises 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% Low interest rates, Slowdown of high consumer -2.0% the European expenditure economy -4.0% 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 South Africa 3.8% 2.5% 0.7% 2.6% 4.3% 2.8% 3.7% 3.0% 4.5% 5.3% 5.5% 5.5% 3.8% -1.5% Northern Cape 2.4% 4.3% 2.1% 2.9% 2.2% -1.7% 1.5% 3.6% 2.3% 3.5% 3.6% 3.6% 2.0% -0.5% Siyanda DM 3.6% 4.9% 1.6% 4.8% 2.6% -0.1% 2.6% 4.0% 2.8% 7.3% 2.2% 4.3% 3.3% -1.0% Kgatelopele LM -2.0% 4.6% 2.5% 0.1% 3.3% -0.9% 2.6% 6.6% 8.0% 0.7% 10.4% 6.1% 1.4% -1.9%

Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011 As illustrated in Figure 2-2, South Africa’s economy has been sensitive to the changes on the global and regional arenas. The South Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998, Rand depreciation in 2001, slowdown of the European economy in 2003, and the major global financial and local electricity crises in 2008 all had an influence on the dynamics of the national economy one way or another. It seems that the Rand depreciation in 2001 had a greater effect on the primary and secondary areas, as this were the time when all of them had significantly lower growth rates than South Africa. Fluctuations in the global

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and regional economies, as well as the spin-off effects of these trends experienced in the country, also affected the growth prospects of provincial, District Municipality’s and local municipality’s economies.

The domestic electricity and global financial crises in 2008 had a negative impact on the study area’s economies the following year, during which the global economy was in recession. This coupled with high interest rates and stricter credit policy had a significant negative impact on the domestic demand. As a result, almost all industries experienced some level of contraction or stagnation in 2009, which ultimately reduced the demand for their outputs and had a negative impact on their growth. As illustrated in Figure 2-2, all of the analysed economies contracted in 2009. The hardest hit sectors in the national, provincial and district’s economies were mining, manufacturing and trade. In Kgatelopele, the sector that showed the biggest decline were the mining and quarrying sector, whilst in surrounding economies such as Tsantsabane LM, for instance, the biggest hit was on the manufacturing sector. Nationally, the investment and activity that took place in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup minimised the negative effects of the global recession. These investments though were centred in and on the metropolises and did not have any notable positive effect on the Siyanda DM. Thus, the slump in global demand and subsequently national demand for products and services exported by the District (mining outputs) and the analysed local municipality had a negative effect on these economies.

The global economy, as well as South Africa’s economy, is slowly recovering from the turmoil of the past few years, although it will take a few years before it reaches the level of economic growth that was observed before 2008. In 2011, the national economy grew only by 3.8% and the previous year only by 3.0%. It is estimated that the provincial economy and the district’s economy would have grown even by smaller percentages in the past couple of years. The Kgatelopele LM’s economy is expected to grow at a steady pace over the next couple of years to come as the global and national demand for locally mined commodities slowly picks up. The Lime Acres quarry has invested in new machinery in 2006 with the objective of increasing the output of the quarry by two times, and the Finsch diamond mine (managed by De Beers Consolidated Mines) has revealed that the mine has sufficient reserves to maintain its mining for the next 27 years. 2.6 Structure of economies The structure of the economy provides valuable insight into the dependency of an area on specific sectors and its sensitivity to fluctuations of global and regional markets. Knowledge of the structure and the size of each sector are also important for the economic impact results’ interpretation, as it allows the assessment of the extent to which the proposed activity would change the economy, its structure and trends of specific sectors.

Table 2-7 provides structures of study areas’ economies in nominal (2011) prices.

Table 2-7: Structure of the study areas’ economies in 2011 in nominal prices Sectors South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Primary sector 11.1% 36.7% 39.6% 67.8% Agriculture, forestry and fishing 3.7% 8.9% 18.8% 1.3% Mining and quarrying 7.4% 27.7% 20.8% 66.6% Secondary sector 23.1% 7.1% 10.1% 10.7% Manufacturing 17.2% 3.6% 5.4% 8.9% Electricity, gas and water 2.0% 1.7% 2.9% 0.1% Construction 3.9% 1.7% 1.8% 1.8% Tertiary sector 65.8% 56.3% 50.3% 21.4% Trade 13.4% 11.3% 13.0% 6.3% Transport, storage & comm.. 10.7% 10.0% 10.8% 2.9% Finance, insurance, & business 22.8% 13.6% 9.6% 5.6% Com. and gov. services 18.9% 21.5% 16.8% 3.1% TOTAL 2 530 484 56 341 11 776 2 280 Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011

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As indicated in Table 2-7, South Africa’s economy is a service economy, as the biggest share of its GDP-R is created by tertiary sectors, in particular the finance and business services sector and the community and government services sector. The primary sector that includes agriculture and mining contributes the smallest amount to the national economy, although they are strategically important for ensuring food security in the country, provision of electricity, as well as employment.

The Northern Cape’s economy is also largely comprises of the services industries; however the primary sector plays a prominent role in its economy with a contribution of over 36% to its GDP-R in nominal prices. The provincial primary sector largely comprises of the mining sector, which shows a relatively dependency of the Province on the mining output and the global demand for commodities mined within the economy such as diamonds, silver, zinc, manganese, and iron ore. The manufacturing sector of the Province, though, is very small that suggests that little beneficiation activities are taking place in the Province.

The structure of the Siyanda DM’s economy is different to that of South Africa, but is quite similar to that of the Northern Cape. It is clear, though, that it is more dependent on the primary and secondary sectors than the Province. Moreover, its agricultural sector makes a greater contribution towards the economy that that in the Province. Siyanda has a very well developed horticulture sector with table grapes, sultanas (for raisins), wine grapes, nuts, dates and other horticultural products being grown in the area. Mining activity in the District largely occurs in the local municipalities of Tsantsabane and Kgatelopele, where manganese, diamonds and the raw materials (ash) for producing cement are found. However, other forms of mining can also be found in the area, such as salt mining, for example. The fact that the local manufacturing sector is very small also suggests that locally mined commodities and grown agricultural products do not undergo extensive processing and beneficiation within the District.

The Kgatelopele LM’s economy largely comprises of the primary sector, in particular mining and quarrying. The mining sector comprises mainly of a large-scale limestone and lime quarries around Lime and the Finsch Diamond Mine south of Lime Acres . Other mining activities can also be found in the area, such as marble and asbestos mining, but on a very small-scale compared to the above- mentioned businesses. Agriculture does not make a prominent contribution towards the local economy, but farming with cattle is very common in the area. Overall, mining account for two thirds of the GDP- R produced in the economy. Such a dependency on only one sector puts the entire economy at risk, as any negative changes to the mining sector would have detrimental effects on the other economic sectors in Kgatelopele.

The tertiary sector makes a notable contribution to the municipality’s GDP-R, but it will be negatively affected should the primary sector shrink. The manufacturing sector in the municipality is also small, but its share is greater than that in Siyanda and the Northern Cape. Most of the manufacturing activities taking place in the area form part of the petrolium, chemical and plastic industry, whilst the non- metallic metals industry, the metal products industry, and the food and beverages industry make small contributions to the local manufacturing sector. 2.7 Structure of Employment Figure 2-3 illustrates the structure of South Africa, Northern Cape, the Siyanda DM, and the Kgatelopele LM’s economies from an employment perspective.

The employment structure presented largely corresponds with the structure of the economy with the tertiary sector making the largest contribution towards employment creation in all areas under analysis.

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• More than two thirds of the people employed in South Africa work in the tertiary sector, in particular the community and government services sector and the trade sector. Agriculture, which accounted for 2.3% of the national GDP-R in 2010, on the other hand, provided 5.7% of all employment opportunities; whilst the contribution of the mining industry towards the employment in the country was bigger than its contribution towards GDP-R. Nevertheless, both of the sectors are labour-intensive and create a notable number of employment opportunities in the country, particularly in rural areas. • Employment structure in the Northern Cape is dominated by the number of people who are working in the tertiary sector, specifically in the trade, finance, community and government services. Its secondary sector creates 8.7% of jobs in the Province, whilst its primary sector creates 24.7%. • Most of the people employed in the Siyanda DM are working in the tertiary sector, specifically in the community and government services, trade and finance sector. Its secondary sector creates 10.2% of jobs, whilst its primary sector creates 54.3%. • The Kgatelopele LM’s employment structure illustrates a great dependency of the entire economy on the local mining activities. Four out of ten people employed in this municipality are working at the mines and quarries. The rest of the people are largely employed by the services industries, in particular community and government services and trade.

Figure 2-3: Employment structure (2010) 100%

90% 21.7% 30.0% 28.1% 80% 38.2% 3.6% 2.4% 70% 6.2% 13.5% 15.8% 3.3% 60% 9.0% 16.7% 9.3% 50% 4.6% 3.1% 5.9% 5.3% 40% 16.3% 22.0% 4.2% 30% 4.5% 7.5% 3.7% 5.6% 41.4% 20% 11.3% 28.0% 10% 4.6% 14.5% 5.7% 0% 2.2% South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Agriculture, forestry and fishing Mining and quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, gas and water Construction Trade Transport, storage and communication Finance, insurance, real estate and business services Community and Government Services

Source: Urban-Econ calculations based on Quantec, 2011 2.8 Basic service delivery and access to tenure Access to basic service delivery and shelter are the indicators that allow understanding the standard of living of the households residing in the study areas. Comprehension of the extent to which households in the area have access to water, sanitation and electricity assists in understanding of the communities’ plight and their needs. At the same time, knowledge of the types of dwellings that households reside in is valuable in developing a complete profile of the circumstances in which communities are living. All of above creates a baseline against which the potential impacts of the proposed activity could be assessed.

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Table 2-8 provides information on the types of dwellings in which households live in the study areas. It indicates that 64.3% of households in the primary study area were living in formal dwellings and this figure also means that access to formal dwellings in the primary study area was the lowest amongst all study areas analysed. However, this was not because the greater share of households lived in informal dwellings in the Kgatelopele LM as compared to the other study areas, but because a significantly greater number of households in that municipality resided in workers’ hostels owned by the local mines. The need for formal dwelling in the Kgatelopele LM is still high, with one out of ten households living in an informal dwelling.

Table 2-8: Dwelling types (2010) Item South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Formal dwelling 80.3% 83.2% 79.0% 64.3% Informal dwelling 14.0% 10.3% 12.8% 10.8% Other 5.7% 6.5% 8.1% 24.9% TOTAL 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011

Table 2-9 provides information on the access of households to electricity, using energy for lighting indictor as a proxy. The information presented in this table suggests that the primary study area’s households have the lowest level of access to electricity compared to the other study areas. Only 78.3% of households in the Kgatelopele LM use electricity for lighting compared to 80.8% in South Africa and 84.2% in the Siyanda DM, and again 85.8% in the Northern Cape. The fact that the combination of the percentage of households with access to formal dwellings and other types of dwelling, except for informal, is smaller than the percentage of households who have access to electricity in all areas suggests that some of the households living in these types of dwellings either do not have electricity or are not able to afford it.

Table 2-9: Energy for lighting (2010) Item South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Electricity 80.8% 85.8% 84.2% 78.3% Other 19.2% 14.2% 15.8% 21.7% TOTAL 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011

Table 2-10 shows households’ access to water. The situation in this case is quite different to that observed with regard to access to electricity and formal dwellings. Just over 88% of households in the primary study area have access to water inside their dwellings. This is considerably higher than the 64.3% of households living in South Africa who have access to water inside their dwellings. At the same time, almost 79% of households in the Siyanda DM have access to water from inside their yard. Nevertheless, a very small 3.3% of households in the primary study area and 5.6% of households in the Siyanda DM still have to rely on other sources of water which are not very reliable, such as water vendor, rain water, etc.

Table 2-10: Access to water (2011) Item South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda LM Kgatelopele LM Water inside dwelling or a yard 64.3% 75.0% 78.9% 88.3% Water from point outside the yard 24.9% 20.0% 15.5% 8.5% Other water access points 10.9% 5.0% 5.6% 3.3% TOTAL 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011

Table 2-11 provides information regarding access by households to sanitation. It indicates that a very high rate of 90.2% of households in the primary study area have a toilet, which is significantly higher Urban-Econ Development Economists Page 15

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than the 57.7% reported for South Africa. This is also a higher figure than that reported for the Siyanda DM and is also significantly higher than the percentage calculated for the Northern Cape at 72.2% and 67.6%, respectively. This again is not indicative of the rural nature of these regions, where households who have access to toilets largely have access to pit toilets. Access to a chemical or flush toilet emphasises household’s access to water inside their dwellings.

Table 2-11: Access to sanitation (2011) Item South Africa Northern Cape Siyanda DM Kgatelopele LM Chemical or Flush Toilet 57.7% 67.6% 72.2% 90.2% Pit Toilet 25.8% 13.9% 9.5% 1.5% Bucket system 2.7% 5.2% 6.1% 2.1% Other 13.8% 13.3% 12.2% 6.2% TOTAL 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Source: Urban-Econ’s calculations based on Quantec, 2011 3. SUMMARY AND POTENTIAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS The proposed Arriesfontein Solar Park is to be located in the Kgatelopele Local Municipality about 35 kilometres from Danielskuil in the Northern Cape. Due to the site being located within the Kgatelopele Local Municipality, it has been chosen as the primary study area. The secondary and tertiary study areas for the project, i.e. the areas where some of direct, indirect, and induced effects are expected to take place include the Siyanda DM, the Northern Cape Province and South Africa. The farm is currently being leased to a third party for cattle grazing, so potential small loss of income derived from this agricultural activity could be lost.

The following findings can be highlighted from the review of the socio-economic profiles of the study areas:

• The population of the primary study area consists of about 21 941 people, which represents a mere 8.9% of the district’s population. In the past, the number of residents in the Kgatelopele LM has been growing at a relative high rate, which can be attributed to the expansion of the mining and quarrying industries in the area. • Households in Kgatelopele earn on average 1.5 times more than what an average South African household earns, and at the same time more than average households in the Siyanda DM and the Northern Cape. • The employment situation in the primary study area was better than the employment situation in the country or in the Province in 2009, due to Kgatelopele’s high labour force participation rate and unemployment rate similar to that of South Africa. Overall, 6 647 people were employed in the primary study area with 2 237 people being unemployed in 2009. • The Kgatelopele economy is highly dependent on the mining and quarrying sector that generates two thirds of its value added. Given that this sector is very dependent on the demand for diamonds globally and the demand for lime products locally, the entire economy is put at risk during global and national economic recessions and stagnation periods. Thus, it is very important that the economy becomes more diversified which will allow to spread such risks. • The economy of Kgatelopele has been growing in the past below the growth rate of the national economy. In the last couple of years – following the global recession of 2008/2009 - it is expected that the economy of Kgatelopele would grow at a steady but slow pace as the global and national economies continue to recover. • The employment distribution in the primary area mirrors the composition of the economy, with mining and quarrying providing the greatest number of employment opportunities in

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Kgatelopele and the agricultural sector employing the greatest number of people in the surrounding municipalities. • With respect to services; access to water, sanitation and electricity in this municipality is generally better than in the rest of the country. Many of the households in the area stay in hostels provided by the mines; the situation with informal dwellings though is similar to the rest of the country with about one out of ten households living in informal dwellings.

Based on the information presented above and the current knowledge about the project and activities taking place on site, the potential socio-economic impacts that could be predicted at this stage and that will need to be investigated in the specialist study include:

• Strategic macro-economic impacts: o Assistance in achieving government objectives o Impact on balance of payment due to the possibility that certain equipment and machinery will be imported o Provision of electricity without putting additional pressure on water resources o Potential to reduce carbon footprint in generating electricity o Potential to establish new manufacturing industries • During the construction phase: o Temporary increase in production and GDP-R in industries that provide services and materials to enable construction o Temporary employment creation in affected industries o Temporary increase in government revenue due to the establishment of the solar park o Temporary increase in households’ income levels o Permanent loss of agricultural production created by the current agricultural activities taking place on site (stock farming) o Permanent loss of jobs associated with the existing agricultural activities on site o Influx of job seekers and associated crime concerns o Pressure on housing provision o Possible negative health impacts associated with migrants • During the operational phase: o Increase in production and GDP-R due to the solar park’s operations o Creation of sustainable employment opportunities at the plant and supporting industries o Increase in government revenue o Skills development o Improvement of living standards of positively affected households (through employment) o Increase in households’ income levels o Change in standards of living of the directly affected households • Any other socio-economic effects that will be raised by the Interested and Affected Parties, as well as effects that might result from impacts determined by other specialists, including visual, noise, and tourism

BIBLIOGRAPHY • Municipal Demarcation Board, 2011. www.demarcation.org.za • Google Earth, 2011 • WorleyParsons, 2011. Background Information document (BID): Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Park near Danielskuil, the Northern Cape Province, October 2011

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• Northern Cape Growth and Development Strategy • Siyanda DM: IDP 2010-2011 and IEDP 2006 • Quantec database, 2011 • StatsSA Labour Force Survey, 2009

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WorleyParsons EcoNomics

resources & energy

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix P – Tourism Scoping Study

WorleyParsons

Scoping Phase Report for the Tourism Impact Assessment of the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant in the Northern Cape

November 2011

Strategic Solutions Property Consulting Public Sector Advisory Public Private Partnerships Research Based Consulting Tourism Hospitality & Leisure Consulting

Grant Thornton Office Park 137 Daisy Street Sandown Johannesburg 2196 Mr Francois Humphries Private Bag X28 Benmore 2010 WorleyParsons Dx 169 Randburg Tel:+27 (0) 12 425 6300 Cell:+27 (0) 82 876 7453 T +27 (0)11 322-4500 F +27 (0)11 322-4767 Email:[email protected] www.gt.co.za

15 November 2011

Dear Mr Humphries

Scoping Phase Report on the Tourism Impact Assessment of the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant near Danielskuil, Northern Cape.

We have pleasure in presenting our Scoping Phase report, in accordance with our proposal (ref. T0629, dated 14 October 2011).

The opinions and recommendations contained in this report are based on such information as was available to us at the time of our research and the study is based on estimates, assumptions and other information developed by us from our independent research, general knowledge of the industry, and from consultations with the Client and its representatives. We assume no responsibility for inaccuracies in reporting by the Client, its agents and representatives or any other data source used in preparing or presenting our study.

In performing our procedures, we have assumed and relied upon, without independent verification, the accuracy and completeness of the information provided to us or otherwise received by us for the purposes of this report, whether in writing or obtained through research or discussions with various parties including the Client and its representatives, and we have not assumed and do not assume any liability therefore.

To the extent that our advice is based on unaudited information provided to us, obviously we cannot accept responsibility if such information (and therefore advice based on it), is incorrect.

The estimates and projections included in our report are not presented as results or outcomes that are inevitable under any circumstances. Factors which are unquantifiable and unpredictable, including but not limited to the weather, the general state of the economy, market acceptance, management approach, quality and effectiveness of design and others have not been considered in the preparation of this report. The estimates and projections are, instead, subject to the various assumptions and bases stated in the report.

Our report is based on the current economic and regulatory conditions. It should be understood that subsequent developments may affect our conclusions which we are under no obligation to update, revise or affirm. Therefore, as is customary with studies of this nature, we advise that the Client ensure that all data and conclusions are reviewed and updated from time to time to take account of changing conditions.

Our report is solely for the information purposes of the Client. Our complete report may be used for presentation to relevant third parties, however, we require that you inform us in writing of all parties to whom the report is made available. Our report may not be quoted or distributed in part without our prior written consent.

We trust that the report will prove useful for your purposes. We would, of course, be pleased to discuss any aspect of the report with you in more detail should you so require.

Yours sincerely

Martin Jansen van Vuuren Director Grant Thornton Strategic Solutions

…Table of Contents

Page 1. Introduction 1 2. Tourism Industry Review 5 3. Scoping Phase 17 4. Conclusion 22

Section 1 1. Introduction Introduction 2. Tourism Industry Review 3. Scoping Phase 4. Conclusion

…Introduction

1. Introduction

1.1 Background The CSP plant being considered is a molten salt-type, Central Receiver WorleyParsons is conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (tower) technology and will primarily comprise of the following four (“EIA”) on behalf of SolarReserves (“the Client”) for the proposed components: Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant near Danielskuil. The proposed • Solar Field - consists of all services and infrastructure related to the Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant is envisioned to include a Photovoltaic management and operation of the heliostats (reflective mirrors); Plant (“PV”) and a Concentrated Thermal Solar Park (“CSP”). The proposed development site is situated approximately 36km outside • Molten Salt Circuit - includes the thermal storage tanks for storing Danielskuil in the Northern Cape (Figure 1.1). liquid salt, a concentration receiver/tower, pipelines and heat exchangers; Figure 1.1: The Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant Site in Relation to Danielskuil • The Power Block – housing the steam turbine;

• Auxiliary facilities and infrastructure - includes a condenser-cooling system, electricity transmission lines to allow for grid connection, access routes, water treatment and supply amenities and a CSP plant start-up energy supply unit (gas or diesel generators).

This technology utilizes thousands of large tracking mirrors (known as heliostats) which track the sun and reflect the beam radiation to a common focal point. This focal point (the receiver) is located at a predetermined height above the heliostat field in order to prevent interference between the reflected radiation and the other heliostats.

Source: Google Earth

…Introduction

It is estimated that approximately 17 000 heliostats with an area of screw pile foundations, and they will face north in order to capture the approximately 65 m² each will be required for the solar field. These optimum amount of sunlight. heliostats are mounted on pedestals and arranged in an elliptical formation around the central tower. The other major operating component of the system is the inverter, which converts the DC power produced by the solar modules into AC power The Central Receiver is situated on the top of the central tower, before being sent to the grid. Each PV block will have approximately 40 resulting in a total height of 200m for the structure. This receiver is in separate inverters, each handling a part of the overall solar array. essence a heat exchanger which absorbs the concentrated beam radiation and converts it to heat. The heat is then transferred to a working fluid (i.e. Additional infrastructure that will be required for the project includes the molten salt mixture) and then used to generate steam for conventional following: power generation. • one or more meteorological stations to collect data on the solar resource; The total CSP plant will require 6km² of terrain. • a small site office and storage facility, including security and associated facilities; The PV development will consist of photo-voltaic solar panels that • visitor centre; will occupy up to 450 ha of the site area in total. The PV will be • security system- closed circuit video-surveillance system; developed in three blocks of 150 ha each. Each block will produce 75 MW, • site fencing; resulting in 225 MW of power to be produced in total by the PV • car park; development. • temporary construction camp ( to house up to 300 people); and • a lay-down area for the temporary storage of materials during the PV panels are typically up to 6m² in size and the rows will be construction activities. approximately 1km in length, made up of approximately 100m sections depending on the optimal final design and layout of the development. The Worley Parsons appointed Grant Thornton as the Tourism Experts for the PV panels will be mounted on metal frames with a maximum height of project to assist with the EIA process by conducting a tourism impact approximately 3m above the ground, supported by rammed, concrete or assessment for the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Project.

…Introduction

1.2 Approach • Undertake an assessment of the existing and proposed future, During the EIA process there are two phases: tourism products within the tourism assessment area (established as an area of a 20km radius around the site). This assessment was • A Scoping Phase; and undertaken by means of interviews with local tourism authorities, review • an EIA Phase of all relevant Integrated Development Plans, interviews with the Each phase results in a report that contains the findings of various relevant tourism product owners and desk research of existing specialist studies. information on the area.

This report lays out Grant Thornton’s approach and findings for the Scoping Phase of the Tourism Impact Assessment. This report contains the findings of the Scoping Phase and provides the Client with an indication of any existing or potential tourism products

that may be negatively impacted by the proposed project. 1.2.1 Methodology

Phase 1 - Scoping Phase: 1.3 Abbreviations During the course of the Scoping Phase, we did, inter alia: The following abbreviations were used in this study: • CSP: Concentrated Thermal Solar Park • Visit the proposed development site. • PV: Photovoltaic Plant • Determine the preliminary tourism assessment area, i.e. the area • SAT: South African Tourism that could be impacted by the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant, • VFR: Visiting Friends and Relatives based on the information provided by the client at the time and based on the recommendations of the other technical specialists. This

preliminary area only took into consideration the possible potential

impacts of the CSP and PV plant on the actual site and did not include the possible farther reaching impacts of any supporting infrastructure (such as transmission lines and sub-stations), as the

information regarding the supporting infrastructure was not available at

the time when the Scoping Phase was conducted.

Section 2 1. Introduction Tourism Industry Review 2. Tourism Industry Review 3. Scoping Phase 4. Conclusion

…Tourism Industry Review

2. Tourism Industry Review

2.1 Introduction Figure 2.1: Number of Foreign Tourists to the Northern Cape (2009-2010) This section provides an overview of the tourism industry in the Northern Cape.

2.2 Foreign Tourism in the Northern Cape The Northern Cape is the least visited province in South African. Of the 8 073 552 foreign tourists to South Africa during 2010, only 1,2% (96 329 tourists) visited the Northern Cape, a decline of 3,5% when compared to 2009 (Figure 2.1).

2.2.1 Foreign Tourism Source Markets The Northern Cape receives a large number of visitors from neighbouring Namibia who are usually en-route to the Western Cape, therefore Africa and the Middle East accounts for the most foreign tourists to the Northern Cape in 2010 (60,2%), followed by Europe (28,8%), the Americas (7,7%) and then Asia and Australasia (3,2%) Source: SAT Tourism (Figure 2.2).

Interviews with tourism stakeholders has confirmed that foreign visitors to the Northern Cape tend to be repeat leisure visitors to South Africa that wish to explore new destinations within the country. These foreign visitors usually travel to the Northern Cape as couples or in small groups utilising their own transport.

…Tourism Industry Review

Figure 2.2: Source Markets of Foreign Tourists (2010) Figure 2.3: Foreign Tourist Bednights spent in the Northern Cape (2009-2010)

Source: SAT Tourism

2.2.2 Foreign Tourism Bednights Of the 66 852 503 bednights spent by foreign tourists in South Africa during 2010, 0,8% (528 000) were spent in the Northern Cape, a marginal decline of -0,1% when compared to 2009 (Figure 2.3).

Source: SA Tourism

2.2.3 Foreign Tourism Spend The total foreign direct spend (“TFDS”) excluding capital expenditure (“CAPEX”) in South Africa during 2010 was R72,6 billion, of which only R600 million was spent in the Northern Cape.

…Tourism Industry Review

2.3 Domestic Tourism in the Northern Cape The most visited cities in the Northern Cape by domestic tourists were Table 2.1 provides a summary of the domestic tourism industry to the Kimberley and Upington with the most popular attractions visited being Northern Cape from 2007 to 2010. The Big Hole and Flea Markets (Table 2.1).

Table 2.1: Summary of the Domestic Tourism Industry in the Northern Cape 2.3.2 Purpose of Visit for Domestic Tourist to the Northern Cape (2007-2010) Visiting Friends and Relatives (“VFR”) is the main reason why Indicator 2007 2008 2009 2010 domestic tourists go to the Northern Cape, followed usually by either Total Trips 600 000 800 000 600 000 200 000 Total Annual R513 R900 R465 R223 business or holiday, expect for in 2009, when religious reasons constituted Spend (mm) Average 18% of all domestic arrivals to the Northern Cape (Figure 2.4). Spend per R1 420 R1 170 R830 R1 010 Trip Total Annual Figure 2.4: Domestic Arrivals by Purpose of Visit (2007-2010) Bednights 2.5 3.1 2.8 0.9 (mm) Average Nights per 4.0 3.7 5.0 4.0 Trip Most Visited Kimberley and Upington Cities Most Popular The Big Hole and Flea Markets Attractions Source: SA Tourism Domestic Score Card, 2010

2.3.1 Number of Domestic Visitors to the Northern Cape In 2010, the Northern Cape had the lowest share of the total domestic arrivals and revenue from domestic travel across all the provinces. Of the 29.7 million domestic trips undertaken in South Africa during 2010, only 0,7% (200 000 trips) were taken to the Northern Cape. This is a 66,67% decrease from the 600 000 domestic trips undertaken to the Province Source: SA Tourism Domestic Scorecard, 2010 during 2009 (Table 2.1).

…Tourism Industry Review

2.3.3 Domestic Tourism Spend to the Northern Cape Figure 2.5: Revenue of Domestic Visitors by Purpose of Visit (2007-2010) The total annual spend of domestic tourism to the Northern Cape was only R223 million in 2010 (only 1,1% of the total domestic tourism revenue received in 2010). This is a 52% decrease from the R465 million spent by domestic tourist during 2009 and the lowest recorded total annual spend from domestic tourism in the Northern Cape since 2007 (Table 2.1).

However, the average spend per trip was higher in 2010 than in 2009 (Table 2.1).

Interesting is that 57% of the revenue received in 2010 from domestic tourists originated from VFR travel. The large differential in the contribution by the various purpose of trips over the years can be attributed to the small survey sample of domestic tourists to the Northern Cape (Figure 2.5). Source: SA Tourism Domestic Scorecard, 2010

2.3.4 Source Markets for Domestic Visitors to the Northern Cape 2.3.5 Total Bednights for Domestic Visitors to the Northern Cape The Northern Cape received tourists from all provinces, with the exception The Northern Cape only received 0,7% (or 900 000 bednights) of the of Limpopo in 2009. The biggest share of tourists was, however, from total domestic bednights spent in South Africa during 2010. This is a - within the province (31,7%). Mpumalanga (26,8%) and Western Cape 67,9% decrease from the 2,8 million bednights spent in the province (26%) are also important domestic source markets for the Northern Cape. during 2009 (Table 2.1).

Expect for Limpopo, the least domestic tourists came from the Free State (2%) and the North West Provinces (3,2%).

…Tourism Industry Review

2.3.6 Average Length of Stay for Domestic Visitors to the Northern Cape 2.4 Tourism Industry in and around Danielskuil Domestic trips to the Northern Cape lasted an average of 4,0 nights in Danielskuil is the closest town to the proposed Solar Power Plant 2010, a decrease of 1 night from the 2009 average length of stay. This is development site. just below the national average of 4,4 nights (Figure 2.6). In November 2008, KPMG conducted a Tourism Resource Audit in the Figure 2.6: Average Length of Stay of Domestic Trips (Nights) Northern Cape. The Tourism Resource Audit identified 8 clusters within the Northern Cape. Danielskuil is located in the Diamond and History Cluster (Figure 2.7).

Figure 2.7: Northern Cape Tourism Product Clusters

Source: SA Tourism Domestic Scorecard, 2010

Source: KPMG, 2008

…Tourism Industry Review

According to the Tourism Resource Audit, the Northern Cape had a total of Self catering establishments. 642 registered accommodation establishments during 2008 of which 145 were within the Diamond and History Cluster (Figure 2.8). The Tourism Resource Audit identified a total of 176 outdoor and adventure product offerings within the Northern Cape during 2008, of Figure 2.8: Number of Accommodation Establishments within the Northern which 34 were situated within the Diamond and History Cluster Cape Tourism per Cluster (2008) (Figure 2.9).

145 133 Figure 2.9: Number of Outdoor and Adventure Product Offerings available within the Northern Cape per Cluster (2008) 103 160 140 72 120 63 34 100 55 50 80 60 21 24 24 24 24 40 40 20 19 35 0 30 15 12 No. of establishm ents 25 20 15 10 No. of products 5 DiamondRiver &Culture Ocean,& Karoo Karoo OutdoorKalahari 0

& historygrapes oasis desert culture& &skiesadventureadventure

flowersspace Source: KPMG, 2008 Clusters DiamondOcean, & Karoo River &Culture &OutdoorKalahariKaroo skies Accommodation establishments included: history desert &culture &grapes oasis action adventure Guest houses; Source: KPMG, 2008flowers space Bed and Breakfast (“B&B”) establishments;

Clusters Hotels;

Lodges; Backpacking establishments; and

…Tourism Industry Review

In terms of Culture and Heritage product offerings, the Tourism The Tourism Resource Audit identified the following infrastructure crucial Resource Audit identified 196 products of which 76 were available to the development of the tourism industry in the Province: within the Diamond and History Cluster during 2008 (Figure 2.10). • Road Infrastructure o Seven national routes, a number of major and minor provincial Figure 2.10: Number of Outdoor and Adventure Product Offerings available routes (some unpaved) and an extensive system of paved and within the Northern Cape per Cluster (2008) unpaved district and local roads. The national roads include:

76 – the N1 and N12 that interlinks Johannesburg and Cape Town; – the N7 from Cape Town to the Namibian border at Vioolsdrift; 80 34 70 – the N8 from Bloemfontein to Kimberley; 60 28 50 21 40 – the N9 from George to Colesberg; 30 11 20 5 5 – the N10 from Port Elizabeth to the Namibian border at

10No. of products 0 Nakop via De Aar and Upington, and 0 – the N14 from Johannesburg to Springbok via Kuruman and Upington. • Rail:

DiamondCultureKaroo & KarooRiver &Ocean,OutdoorKalahari o Extensive railway network including the main Johannesburg-

& historyoasis skiesculturegrapes & desert action& adventure Cape Town line running through Kimberley

Source: KPMG, 2008 space flowers - routes are used for both freight (particularly for the agricultural and mining industries) and passengers, and Clusters often carry luxury tourism trains such as the Blue Train and Rovos Rail

…Tourism Industry Review

• Air: Figure 2.11: Market Readiness Matrix used to evaluate each Cluster (2008) o Accessibility is limited mainly due to the frequency and capacity of scheduled flights o There are five airports at Kimberley, Upington, Aggeneys, Springbok and Alexander Bay and numerous local airfields distributed across the Province - local airfields and landing strips are utilised by the mining, agricultural and tourism industries. - two major airports are at Upington and Kimberley. - The proposed Solar Power Park is situated approximately 132km (or 2 hours drive) from Kimberley - the Kimberley Airport is thus the closest largest airport

to the development site. Source: KPMG, 2008 - Kimberley Airport received a total of 65 977 passengers in 2010 (including domestic and unscheduled passenger The Diamond and History cluster was identified as a Market Ready arrivals). Cluster, within the following product strengths: • The Big Hole The Tourism Resource Audit also identified the Market Readiness of • Kimberly Mine Museum each of the clusters based on the following Market Readiness Matrix • Hinterland and Douglas Wine Cellars (Figure 2.11) • The Flamingo Casino • Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre • The Anglo Boer War Route and Archaeology Routes

…Tourism Industry Review

This Market Readiness Evaluation also identified the following tourism and Government employees (such as the police force or product potential within the Diamond and History Cluster: teachers) for which experts are brought in from across the country. • Farm stalls • Business travelers tend to stay between 3-5 nights, but it is • Story tellers also common to have business tourists who stay for 3 • Supplying of artefacts months. • Traditional dancers • A much smaller percentage of guests (between 5%-10%) are in • Take away caravans the area for leisure purposes. • Supply of picnic baskets • Of the leisure guests, VFR and transit is the main reason why • Walking tour guides/operators they visit the area and these guests tend to be domestic South African visitors who stay on average only for a 1-3 nights. In addition the Tourism Resource Audit recommends the following • There is no real leisure holiday market in the Danielskuil area. packages to be developed for the Diamond and History Cluster: Because of the high levels of domestic business and VFR guests, • Undiscovered Gems Experience – to raise awareness of other the tourism industry in Danielskuil is mostly made up of 60% products in the region such as waterfalls, wine cellars, rose farm, domestic travelers and 40% foreign guests. etc. and • Foreign tourists tend to be experts coming to work on the mines • Diamond and Heritage Experience – to target the niche market and tend to come from Europe and the UK. that visits the Diamond and History Cluster • Domestic travelers tend to originate mostly from within the Northern Cape, Gauteng or Mpumalanga. Interviews with local tourism stakeholders revealed the following profile of • Because of the high level of business tourism in the area, the the tourism industry in and around Danielskuil: tourism industry in Danielskuil tend to be busier during the week • Majority of visitors to Danieslkuil (between 90%-95%) stay in than the weekends and have seasonality slumps during the the area for business purposes. school holidays • The majority of business visitors are contract workers or • However, the slump period have been decreasing in recent experts working with the many mines in the area, but there is years as the mines in the area have been expanding. also a lot of training done in the area for private businesses

…Tourism Industry Review

Description Key Findings 2.5 Summary and Relevance for the Study • Other important source markets are Mpumalanga and the Western Cape Table 2.2 provides a summary of Section 2 as well as an indication of the Provinces • In 2010, the Northern Cape only relevance of Section 2 for the study. received 900 000 bednights and the guests tended to stay an average of 4 nights per trip Table 2.2: Summary and Relevance of Section 2 Tourism Resource Audit • Danielskuil is located in the Description Key Findings Diamond and History cluster. • Foreign Tourism to the Northern • The Northern Cape is the least Based on the Resource Audit, in Cape visited province in South Africa 2008 this cluster had: o 145 Accommodation • In 2010, the Northern Cape only received 96 329 foreign tourists establishments; o 34 Outdoor and • Africa and the Middle East is the adventure activities; and main source market of foreign o 76 Cultural experiences tourists to the Northern Cape • The Diamond and History Cluster is • Foreign tourists to the Northern seen as a market ready cluster Cape tend to be repeat leisure • tourists who travel in small groups Kimberley airport received a total of 65 977 arrivals in 2010 or as couples Profile of the Tourism Industry in • • In 2010, only 528 000 bednights Business is the main reason why Danielskuil were spent in the Northern Cape tourists go to the Danielskuil area. • • In 2010, the TFDS spent in the VFR and transit are the reasons Northern Cape was only why leisure tourists visit the R600 million Danielskuil area. • Domestic Tourism to the Northern • Northern Cape receives the 60% of tourists are domestic and Cape lowest share of domestic arrivals 40% foreign. • and revenue Business travellers tend to stay 3-5 nights and there are long • In 2010, the Northern Cape only received 200 000 domestic trips stays of 3 months. • • VFR is the main purpose of visit Leisure guests stay between 1-3 nights. for domestic visitors to the Northern • Cape Most foreign guests come from the • UK and Europe In 2010, the total domestic tourism • spend in the Northern Cape was Most domestic guests originate R223 million of which 57% from the Northern Cape. • originated from VFR visitors Relevance for the study The Northern Cape is the least • A large portion of visitors to the visited province is South Africa, Northern Cape originate from both from a domestic and foreign within the Province tourism perspective thus the possible impact that the proposed

…Tourism Industry Review

Description Key Findings Solar Power Park could have on the tourism industry in South Africa will be very minimal • The proposed development site is located close to Danielskuil • Danielskuil is located in a market ready tourism cluster • There is more business than leisure travel to the Danielskuil area and thus these guests will be less sensitive to any visual impacts of the Plant.

Section 3 1. Introduction Scoping Phase 2. Tourism Industry Review 3. Scoping Phase 4. Conclusion

…Scoping Phase

3. Scoping Phase This assessment did not include the possible or expected impacts of any supporting infrastructure (such as transmission lines and 3.1 Introduction substations), as there was no information available on the supporting During the course of the Scoping Phase we assessed the possible infrastructure at the time of the Scoping Phase Assessment. impact on the tourism industry around the proposed Arriesfontein CSP and PV site, which included an assessment of the possible impact of 3.3 Summary of the Findings of the Scoping Phase the solar power plant on existing and potential tourism related properties 3.3.1 Site Analysis and facilities within the established tourism assessment area. The Arriesfontein site is situated approximately 36km from the town of Danielskuil. The main access road to the site is the R31 towards The Scoping Phase of the project occurred from the 3rd to the 5th of Kimberley. To reach the site one must turn left from the R31 onto a gravel November 2011 and in keeping with the Methodology described in road and travel approximately 10km to the site. The site is located in the Section 1 above, we visited the proposed CSP and PV site in the middle of the Farm Arriesfontein. The site is completely surrounded by the Northern Cape. This scoping site visit allowed us to more effectively neighboring farms and no direct access to the site is available from the evaluate the possible impacts of the proposed Solar Power Plant on gravel road. the surrounding tourism industry.

The R31 is an important access route between Kimberley and the This section discusses the findings of our Scoping Assessment. Lime Acres and Idwala mines situated in the area surrounding the

proposed development site (Figure 3.1) and based on the interviews 3.2 Tourism Assessment Area conducted with the tourism product owners in Danielskuil, this route can Based on the information provided to us by WorleyParsons at the time of get very busy with trucks and other traffic associated with the mines’ the site visit as well as the recommendations made by some of the other operations. specialists, we decided to establish the tourism assessment area as the area surrounding the proposed development site within a 20km From the site visit we believe that the potential visual impact of the Solar radius. Power Plant on the surrounding tourism industry will be reduced by the

site’s location (the fact that it is located approximately 10km from the R31

…Scoping Phase

and also because the site is located in the middle of the Farm Figure 3.1: Tourism Facilities Currently Available within the Tourism Arriesfontein). Assessment Area

However, because the proposed Solar Park is expected to create large numbers of employment, especially during the construction phase, it is expected that this will increase the traffic levels along the R31. This increase in traffic could potentially damage the road and place a greater burden on the Municipality to ensure the maintenance of the road.

3.3.2 Potential Impact on the Current Tourism Industry Figure 3.1 illustrates the possible impacted tourism facilities located within the tourism assessment area. Currently there is only one tourism facility located within the 20km radius from the site. The enterprises highlighted in green are the mines located in the vicinity of the proposed site.

Source: Google Earth

…Scoping Phase

Constantia Safaris From the tourists perspective, he believes that the guests enjoy the Constantia Safaris offer guests hunting, leisure and photographic peace, tranquility and beauty offered by the Northern Cape landscape safaris and is located on a 5000 ha private game reserve right next to and that the proposed Arriesfontein Power Plant will deter from this the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant site (Figure 3.1). experience.

Constantia Safaris can accommodate a maximum of 20 guests at a From a hunting point of view, the presence of the Arriesfontein Power time and facilities include 10 luxury chalets, the Trophy Room lounge, a Plant and the increase in human activity that this Plant will bring to the dinning room, a swimming pool and an open-air entertainment area with a area, especially during the construction phase, will definitely have an bar and braai facilities. Constantia Safaris offer guests 17 game species impact of the movements of the animals and would make them more on their property. difficult to trace and hunt.

Based on an interview with the product owner, Constantia Safaris receives Furthermore there is no direct access to the private game reserve on approximately 200 guests a year and these are majority hunting which Constantia Safaris is located and the guests need to travel parties. Hunting packages range from 7-days,10 –days or 14-day through the proposed Arriesfontein site to reach the access gate to packages and prices depend on what the guests are coming to hunt and Constantia Safaris. The area on which the proposed Arriesfontein Power how many meals they would like included in their package. According to Plant is to be developed is located only 300m from this access gate into the owner, Constantia Safaris receives approximately 50% foreign and Constantia Safaris. The owner is certain that this development will have a 50% domestic guests, with the majority of the foreign guests originating huge impact on his guests and is adamant that a new access road is from Europe. developed from the R31 directly into his property as to minimize the impact of the proposed Solar Power Plant on his guests. The owner believes that the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant will have a huge visual impact on his business. He believes that Greater Danielskuil Area this impact will be two-folded, with both the tourists and the animals Business tourism is the main driver of tourism bednights spent in being affected. Danieslkuil. Based on information received from the Social Expert, the Solar Power Plant is expected to create in the range of 300-800 jobs during the construction period (this figure will depend on the construction

…Scoping Phase

period and the final design of the Solar Power Plant and no more detailed bed and breakfast establishment and 1 guesthouse are listed by the information was available during the Scoping Phase). However, not all tourism bureau) and based on the interviews conducted with the these contract employees will qualify as business tourist as they will either tourism product owners in the area, it is expected that the presence of be employed from within the local area or these employees will be the Plant would have a positive impact on the surrounding accommodated within the envisioned temporary construction camp that accommodation sector by increasing the average occupancies in the will be located within the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Plant site. Only a area. very small amount of contract employees will be travelling to and from the construction site and would then require accommodation 3.3.3 Potential Impact on the Future Development of the Tourism within the Danielskuil area (20-120 people, depending on the Industry in and around Danielskuil construction phase timelines and roll out plan). The closest sites with tourism potential in the area are the farms neighboring the proposed site. However, from our research and site Once the Solar Power Plant is operational between 50 to 100 people visit, it is clear that all of this land, with the exception of the private game could be employed at the site, depending on the final plant design. reserve on which Constantia Safaris is located, is only used for However, once again most of these employees will not qualify as business agricultural purposes, with the main activity being cattle farming. tourists as they will be employed from within the local area or if not, will be According to our research, the other farmers in the area are not encouraged to relocate to the area. It is expected that once the Solar considering developing their farms into tourist attractions. However, if Power Plant is operational, only SolarReserve employees will visit the site additional farmers do decide in the future to develop tourism facilities, it is and is expected to travel in groups of 2-10 people. The length of stay and our belief that the proposed Solar Plant could have a visual impact on the frequency of these site visits will only be able to be established during their tourism potential. the EIA phase.

The envisioned employment levels expected to be created by the Solar These predicted employment levels is expected to have a positive impact Power Plant is expected to have a positive impact on the current on the surrounding tourism industry as the Arriesfontein Solar Plant site is accommodation sector in and around Danielskuil. The fact that there are located in close proximity to the Danielskuil area. Currently, there is currently only 1 tourism facility available within the 20km radius of the already a few accommodation facilities (2 bed and breakfasts, 1 hotel site means that there is huge potential for the plant to contribute to the and 2 guesthouses) available in Danielskuil (of which only the hotel, 1 development of new accommodation facilities in the area.

Section 4 1. Introduction Conclusion 2. Tourism Industry Review 3. Scoping Phase 4. Conclusion

…Conclusion

4. Conclusion This section provides an overview and our final conclusions for the • In 2010, only 0,7% of all domestic trips were undertaken to the Scoping Phase of the Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant site. Northern Cape and only 1.1% of the total domestic spend was recorded in the Province. 4.1 Tourism Industry in the Northern Cape • Kimberley and Upington are the two most visited cities in the 4.1.1 Summary of the Foreign Tourism Market in the Northern Cape Province. • VFR is the main reason why domestic travelers visit the • The Northern Cape is the least visited Province in South Africa. Northern Cape, followed usually by business or holiday. • In 2010, the Northern Cape only received 1,2% of the total • Most of the domestic visitors to the Northern Cape originate foreign tourists to South Africa and only 0,8% of all the foreign from within the Province, while no visitors from Limpopo visited bednights were spent in the Province. the Province in 2010. • The Northern Cape receives a lot of tourists from Namibia, who • Mpumalanga and the Western Cape are also important source are en-route to the Western Cape, thus Africa and Middle East is markets. the Province’s major foreign tourist source market. • Domestic visitors to the Northern Cape tend to stay an average of • Foreign tourists to the Northern Cape tend to be repeat leisure 4 nights per trip. tourists, who travel in small groups or as couples, making use

of their own transport. 4.1.3 Summary of the Tourism Profile in Danieslkuil

• Majority of visitors to Danieslkuil (between 90%-95%) stay in 4.1.2 Summary of the Domestic Tourism Market in the Northern the area for business purposes. Cape • The majority of business visitors are contract workers or • The Northern Cape also receives the lowest share of domestic experts working with the many mines in the area, but there is arrivals and revenues across all the provinces. also a lot of training done in the area for private businesses and Government employees (such as the police force or teachers) for which experts are brought in from across the country.

…Conclusion

• Business travelers tend to stay between 3-5 nights, but it is 4.1.3 Summary of the Scoping Phase Tourism Impact Assessment also common to have business tourists who stay for 3 of the Arriesfontein Solar Power Pant months. • The presence of the R31 route in proximity to the proposed • A much smaller percentage of guests (between 5%-10%) are in Solar Power Plant would have a minimal impact, as the route is the area for leisure purposes. more than 15 km away from the main road. • Of the leisure guests, VFR and transit is the main reason why • Given the high employments rates that the plant could possibly they visit the area and these guests tend to be domestic South generate during the construction phase, there would be a definite African visitors who stay on average only for a 1-3 nights. increase in traffic to the area and especially on the R31. • There is no real leisure holiday market in the Danielskuil area. • However, once the Plant is operational, the employment rates Because of the high levels of domestic business and VFR guests, are expected to be much lower and thus the impact on traffic the tourism industry in Danielskuil is mostly made up of 60% would be minimal. domestic travelers and 40% foreign guests. • Visually, it is expected that the Plant would have a minimal • Foreign tourists tend to be experts coming to work on the mines impact on the Danielskuil area as there are already two mines and tend to come from Europe and the UK. located close to the proposed site and although the proposed • Domestic travelers tend to originate mostly from within the Solar Power Plant will be highly visible, the mines have already Northern Cape, Gauteng or Mpumalanga. detracted from the visual appeal of the surroundings thus the • Because of the high level of business tourism in the area, the expected visual impact of the Solar Power Plant will be less. tourism industry in Danielskuil tend to be busier during the week • The tourism industry in the area, tend to be mostly business than the weekends and have seasonality slumps during the travel, with no real leisure holiday market and thus the tourist school holidays would also be less sensitive to the visual impact of the Plant. • However, the slump period have been decreasing in recent • Constantia Safaris is the only tourist attraction currently located years as the mines in the area have been expanding. within the tourism assessment area which could be negatively impacted on by the development of the Plant. • However, because Constantia Safaris only receives approximately 200 guests per year, the expected extra

…Conclusion

business travel bednights the Plant could generate to the 4.1.3 Recommendations for the EIA Phase Tourism Impact area will outweigh the possible negative impact to Constantia Assessment of the Arriesfontein Solar Power Pant Safaris. During the EIA Phase, we will conduct: • In addition there is the potential for the Plant to attract tourists • A detailed assessment of all existing and potential tourism who are interested in solar power. Being one of the few of its kind products that may be affected by the Arriesfontein Solar Power in the world, and the only solar power plant in Africa, the plant will Plant (including all supporting infrastructure). This will include, undoubtedly attract interested parties, who will in turn be through the medium of interviews with product owners/operators, an contributing to the tourism economy and who could even be assessment of the current tourism business demand and operations attracted to stay at Constantia Safaris because of it’s location so (current revenue, rates, patronage levels, occupancy, etc) as well as a close to the proposed Plant. testing of their views on the potential impact of the project on their • It is our believe that the overall impact of the Plant would be businesses. The assessment will identify which areas and what types positive in this area, as the Plant would bring in substantial of tourism businesses will be most and least affected. Thus it is very business tourism, offering an opportunity to grow the important that the information pertaining to the supporting accommodation sector in the area. infrastructure be finalised before the EIA phase. • Based on our research, there are no plans for development on • An assessment of the future tourism appeal and/or prospects for the land adjacent to the proposed Plant and thus the potential the tourism assessment area through the interviews with the product impact of the Plant on the future development of the Tourism owners/operators as well as interviews with relevant tourism Industry in the area will be minimal, if any. organisations (public and private sector). • Through interviews with local estate agents, an assessment of the current land/property prices (average values for all types of land/properties as well as values for land/properties with tourism appeal) in the region and their opinion with regard to the impact of the proposed project on land values. • Through reference to previous research (conducted by ourselves and others), we will determine the current and projected future average

…Conclusion

demand for tourism products in the tourism assessment area. It is important that the Plant design and other elements be finalised before the EIA phase as these details are required to establish the expected employment levels the Plant could produce, which is crucial for an accurate assessment of the potential current and future impact of the Plant on the Tourism Industry in the area. • Based on the above research we will develop a tourism impact assessment (demand and economic impact) of the construction of the Arriesfontein Solar Power Plant on the tourism industry of the area. • Based on our tourism impact assessment we will recommend practicable and appropriate mitigation measures to reduce and/or mitigate potential impacts to tourism in the area or to capitalise on any possible benefits arising from the proposed projects.

WorleyParsons EcoNomics

resources & energy

SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix Q – Visual Scoping Study

Concentrated Solar Power Plant and Photovoltaic Power Plant

on the Farm Arriesfontein near Danielskuil, Northern Cape.

Draft Scoping Report

Submitted to WorleyParsons

12 January 2012

Visual Impact Assessment for the Construction of a Concentrated

Solar Power Plant and Photovoltaic Power Plant on the Farm

Arriesfontein near Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape.

Draft Scoping Report

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2. SCOPE OF WORK ...... 2 3. METHODOLOGY ...... 3 4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...... 4 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ...... 5 6. VISIBILITY AND VISUAL EXPOSURE ...... 8 7. POTENTIAL VISUAL RECEPTORS ...... 10 8. ISSUES RELATING TO POSSIBLE VISUAL IMPACT ...... 10 9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 11

VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Power Park near Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape Province.

1. INTRODUCTION

MetroGIS was appointed by WorleyParsons, to undertake a visual impact assessment (VIA) with regard to the construction of a solar power plant on the Remainder of Farm 267, also known as Arriesfontein, in the Barkly West region of the Northern Cape province. The farm is located 26km southeast of Daniëlskuil in the Siyanda District Municipality, as shown on the locality map in Figure 1. The VIA forms part of an Environmental Impact Assessment study

(EIA) that is being undertaken by WorleyParsons on behalf of SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD, the applicant, who is proposing to construct a 325 MegaWatt (MW) Solar Energy Power Park on the said property.

The VIA is being undertaken by Dawie Jansen van Vuuren in his capacity as professional GIS science practitioner and VIA specialist. He has been involved in VIA studies since 2006 and has subsequently undertaken numerous VIA studies involving a wide range of developments, including power generation plants (Solar, OCGT, CCGT, UCG), transmission lines and substations, all of which relate to energy infrastructure. Mr Jansen van Vuuren has been appointed as an independent consultant to undertake the visual impact assessment for the proposed Solar Energy Facility. Neither he, or MetroGIS will benefit from the outcome of the project decision-making.

Page 1

Figure 1: Location of the proposed solar plant.

The EIA project is currently in its scoping phase. This document describes issues relating to possible visual impact on a scoping level. In this phase, the type and extent of the proposed development and the character of the receiving environment is analysed, thereby determining the scope of visual impact issues that need to be addressed in the next phase, when a detailed visual impact assessment is undertaken.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work for this study as a scoping level visual impact assessment. The purpose is to define the spatial context / sphere of influence of the proposed development in terms of visibility, and to identify possible sensitive viewer locations. The spatial context of the study is determined by a visibility analysis, and the proximity of viewer locations to the proposed solar

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plant. This is based on existing information as it is collated in a geographic information system

(GIS) and interpreted as a desktop study.

For the purpose of this scoping report, the study area has been demarcated as a rectangle with distances of between 30 and 45 km from the site boundaries.

The information in this report is focused on the quality of the receiving environment and the possible visual exposure of the proposed SEF. This information will guide further visual impact analyses to be undertaken in the EIA phase.

3. METHODOLOGY

All objects are visually perceived by virtue of spatial dimensions. Within the visual sense, we as humans obtain clues about reality through size, brightness, colour and texture information.

The arrangement of objects on the surface of the earth, and locations given by their neighbourhood relations, are important features of spatial situations which are relevant in all spatial analysis tasks. Thus the spatial domain can be used particularly well to model reality and convey knowledge by means of symbolic representation (as in maps). Based on this theoretical concept, GIS technology is used as a primary tool for visual impact analysis.

The following GIS activities are undertaken:

 Data Sourcing. Information with regard to the proposed project and the type of solar

technology (in particular the spatial extent of major components) is important to

determine visibility and exposure. In this respect spatial data with regard to the CSP

plant (central receiver and heliostats) have been provided by the client. In addition,

data with regard to the physical environment has been extracted for a 40km radius

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around the site and collated into a dedicated GIS project, providing input for spatial

analysis and modelling.

 Data processing. In order to conduct spatial analysis, data need to be prepared in

the required format. For the purpose of a viewshed analysis a DTM was generated

from existing 20m topographical contours.

 Spatial Analysis. A viewshed analysis was undertaken to determine visibility. This is

based on the distribution and height of the heliostats, being representative of a large

structure with high vertical dimensions and large footprint.

 Mapping. Having processed spatial data, maps have been created to visualise the

following environmental attributes:

o Topography;

o Land use / Land cover;

o Vegetation;

o Visibility.

 Interpretation. By interpreting the information depicted by maps, it is possible to

Identify sensitive environments or areas upon which the project could have a potential

visual impact. Critical areas will be highlighted during this phase, which will be studied

in more detail during the next phase.

4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposed development will consist of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant and a

Photovoltaic (PV) plant on the farm Arriesfontein. The CSP plant will involve a Central

Receiver (tower) surrounded by a field of approximately 17,000 heliostats (reflective mirrors), which reflect and concentrate sunlight energy on a central receiver with heat exchange panels situated on the top of the 200m tower, from where liquid salt is heated to generate steam. It further involves a Power Block where a steam turbine is situated. Additional infrastructure

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will include electricity transmission lines, storage tanks for liquid salt, pipelines, heat exchangers, water treatment plant and a CSP plant start-up energy supply unit.

The extent of the CSP plant will be in the region of 2.5 x 2.5km (625ha).

The Photovoltaic (PV) plant will consist of three blocks of photo-voltaic panels, each occupying an area of 150 ha. The panels will be constructed in rows, with each panel 3m above ground level and occupying an area of 15 m². The rows will be 1 km in length, approximately 100m apart.

In total the proposed Solar Energy Facility will occupy some 775 ha of land. The mere size of the facility, with a large footprint and very high vertical dimensions, makes it an extra-ordinary development, which will be one of the first of its kind in South Africa. The possible visual impacts are expected to be high. In order to determine the related issues, an analysis and description of the receiving environment, and the extent of possible visual exposure, is further undertaken.

5. DESCRIPTION OF THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT

The project is located in a semi-arid region with sparse vegetation and exposed soil, which is mostly untransformed. Development is associated with mining and farming activities.

Commercial farming is limited to sheep, cattle and game farming. Hunting takes place on some farms in the region. The towns in the study area are mostly associated with mining activity. Daniëlskuil, Hey and Lime Acres are located between 25 – 27 km west of the site.

Koopmanshoop and Ulco are located at a distance of 24 and 40 km from the site respectively.

Farmsteads are widely spread, with an associated low population density.

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Figure 2: Land use / Land cover around the proposed site.

Infrastructure in the study area consist of a network of roads and powerlines, substations, and a railway line. No major roads occur in the area. The R385 is the closest road at 5km north of the site. Other roads include the R31 and R373, as well as a number of secondary roads and access roads to farms. A 132kV transmission line and a railway line transect the proposed development site from west to east, running more or less parallel to each other.

The natural environment is shaped by topographical features and vegetation. As indicated on the topographical map (Figure 3) and vegetation map (Figure 4), there is a close correlation between the topography and vegetation types. The proposed development site is located on a large plateau with Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld the dominant vegetation type. This plateau is flanked by the Rooiberge / Asbesberge mountain range in the west, and a range of distinct ridges in the east. The plateau slopes gently eastward towards the Vaal river which is

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approximately 50 – 60 km south east of the site. Being a flat area, drainage lines are limited to a few east flowing non-perennial rivers. Dry pans are a general sight in the area.

The combination of thicket, bushland and bush clumps on a vast flat landscape, together with views of relative high mountains in the west, lend a coherent visual character to the area.

Being largely undeveloped for at least 25 km around the site, views in this area are aesthetically pleasing. At night, especially moonless nights, the skies reveal rarely seen clear views of the stars, with particularly the milky way etched against a pitch black night sky.

Figure 3: Topography as depicted by a shaded relief map.

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Figure 4: Vegetation types (NBI, 2004).

6. VISIBILITY AND VISUAL EXPOSURE

Visibility is determined by a line of sight where nothing obscures the view of an object.

Exposure is defined by the degree of visibility, in other words “how much” of it can be seen.

This is influenced by topography and the incidence of objects such as trees and buildings that obscure the view partially or in total. Visibility can be modelled by making use of a digital terrain model (DTM), and applying a viewshed analysis using GIS software. The map in

Figure 5 shows the result of a viewshed analysis for the heliostat component of the CSP at

Arriesfontein.

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Figure 5: Viewshed analysis of heliostats depicting possible visibility.

The footprint coverage of the heliostat component is 625ha. Due to the extreme flat topography, and with a height of 14m for each heliostat, the visual exposure is expected to be high, as is evident from the map. Possible visibility covers almost the complete study area, and is only shielded by the mountains in the west and ridges in the east.

It is expected that the visibility of the central receiver will be somewhat larger, as it will be a prominent feature, protruding the skyline at 200m above ground.

The modelling of visibility is merely conceptual. Being based on DTM data, it does not take into account the effect of buildings, trees etc. that could shield the facility from being visible.

The viewshed analysis therefore signifies a worst-case scenario. The immediate landscape surrounding the observer has a determining influence on long distance views. It is expected

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that vegetation may offer some degree of visual screening. Information on this aspect is to be obtained and confirmed during a site visit that will be conducted during the EIA phase.

7. POTENTIAL VISUAL RECEPTORS

The significance of the visibility analysis is the indication of a high probability of visual exposure to a number of receiving environments. It is envisaged that the proposed CSP plant will be visible to observers travelling along roads, residents of homesteads and farmsteads, and visitors to the area.

Specific information indicate that Farm 267, directly east of the development site, hosts

Constantia Safaris, which is a hunting enterprise focussing on corporate and international clients. The owner of this property has indicated that he will be opposing the SEF development, based on the adverse visual impact that specifically the CSP would have on his property.

Further information in this regard, as well as other possible sensitive viewers, will be obtained on the site visit during the EIA phase of the project.

8. ISSUES RELATING TO POSSIBLE VISUAL IMPACT

The following issues are anticipated regarding possible visual impact:

 The visibility of infrastructure, especially the central receiver and heliostats of the CSP

plant, but also the solar panels of the PV plant;

 The exposure of the above mentioned infrastructure and potential visual impact in respect

of sensitive receiving environments, including the following:

 the neighbouring Farm 267, directly east of the development site, hosting

Constantia Safaris;

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 Other farms around the CSP site;

 Observers travelling along roads;

 Potential impact of the facility on the visual character of the landscape and sense of place

of the region;

 The potential visual impact of ancillary infrastructure (substation, access roads, other

buildings) on observers in close proximity to the site;

 The potential visual impact of operational, safety and security lighting at night time on

observers living in close proximity to the site;

 Potential cumulative impacts, taking into account the introduction of CSP and PV

technology in a rural area.

9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The development of a CSP and PV plant on the farm Arriesfontein involves the construction of extensively large infrastructure, covering an area of 5 x 4km. Heliostats (17 000 individual screens) of 14m and a central receiving tower of 200m in height will be highly visible. The development therefore may have a visual impact on possible sensitive receiving environments in close proximity to the plant.

Visual receptors include residents of homesteads and farmsteads, visitors (including hunters) and other people travelling the roads in the area.

It is recommended that the potential visual impact on these receptors be assessed in further detail. Additional analyses must be undertaken, such as a detailed proximity analysis and visual absorption analysis, taking into account the effect of vegetation. More detailed viewshed analyses will be undertaken, incorporating all major components, especially PV solar panels and the central receiver, and other associated infrastructure.

This work must be undertaken during the next phase (EIA phase) for this project.

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REFERENCES/DATA SOURCES

Chief Director of National Geo-spatial Information, varying dates. 1:50 000 Topo-cadastral maps and digital data.

CSIR/ARC, 2000. National Land-cover Database 2000 (NLC 2000)

National Botanical Institute (NBI), 2004. Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and

Swaziland (Unpublished Beta Version 3.0)

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SOLARRESERVE ARRIESFONTEIN SOLAR POWER PLANT: PHOTOVOLTAIC PHASE 1 - 3

Appendix R – Wetland Study

Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape

For:

Worley Parsons Francois Humphries [email protected] (012) 425 6300

By:

Wetland Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd

Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. PO Box 72295 Lynnwood Ridge Pretoria 0040

Tel: 012 349 2699 Fax: 012 349 2993 Email: [email protected]

Reference: 803/2011 Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011

DOCUMENT SUMMARY DATA

PROJECT: Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape

CLIENT: Worley Parsons

CONTACT DETAILS: Francois Humphries Tel: (012) 425 6300 Email: [email protected]

CONSULTANT: Wetland Consulting Services, (Pty) Ltd.

CONTACT DETAILS: Allan Batchelor PO Box 72295 Lynnwood Ridge 0040 Telephone number: (012) 349 2699 Fax number: (012) 349 2993 E-mail: [email protected]

Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 4

2. SCOPE OF WORK 4

3. LIMITATIONS 4

4. STUDY AREA 5

4.1 Location 5 4.2 Catchments 5 4.3 Geology and Soils 7 4.4 Vegetation 7

5. WETLAND DELINEATION 8

5.1 National Wetland Inventory 8 5.2 Desktop Delineation 10 5.3 Approach 11 5.3.1 Wetland Delineation and Classification 11 5.3.2 Functional Assessment (WET-EcoServices) 12 5.3.3 Present Ecological State and Ecological Importance & Sensitivity 12

6. EXPECTED IMPACTS 12

6.1 Plan of study for EIA 14

7. CONCLUSIONS 14

8. REFERENCES 15

TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map showing the location of the study area...... 5 Figure 2. Map showing the study area in relation to the quaternary catchment...... 6 Figure 3. Map showing the vegetation types of the study area (Mucina and Rutherford, 2006)...... 8 Figure 4. Extract of the National Wetland Inventory map for the Arriesfontein study area...... 9 Figure 5. Extract from the National Wetland Inventory showing pan wetlands (depressions) within a 20km radius of the site...... 10 Figure 6. Map showing the suspected wetland areas on site as identified during the desktop wetland delineation...... 11

Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011

TABLE OF TABLES Table 1. Table showing the mean annual precipitation, run-off and potential evaporation per quaternary catchment (Middleton, B.J., Midgley, D.C and Pitman, W.V., 1990)...... 6 Table 2. Table showing the number of pans occurring within the surroundings of the Arriesfontein study area...... 9 Table 3. Extent of different wetland types wetlands expected to occur on type...... 10

Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011

INDEMNITY AND CONDITIONS RELATING TO THIS REPORT

The findings, results, observations, conclusions and recommendations given in this report are based on the author’s best scientific and professional knowledge as well as available information. The report is based on survey and assessment techniques which are limited by time and budgetary constraints relevant to the type and level of investigation undertaken and Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. and its staff reserve the right to modify aspects of the report including the recommendations if and when new information may become available from ongoing research or further work in this field, or pertaining to this investigation.

Although Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. exercises due care and diligence in rendering services and preparing documents, Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. accepts no liability, and the client, by receiving this document, indemnifies Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. and its directors, managers, agents and employees against all actions, claims, demands, losses, liabilities, costs, damages and expenses arising from or in connection with services rendered, directly or indirectly by Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. and by the use of the information contained in this document.

This report must not be altered or added to without the prior written consent of the author. This also refers to electronic copies of this report which are supplied for the purposes of inclusion as part of other reports, including main reports. Similarly, any recommendations, statements or conclusions drawn from or based on this report must make reference to this report. If these form part of a main report relating to this investigation or report, this report must be included in its entirety as an appendix or separate section to the main report.

iii

Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. was appointed by Worley Parsons to undertake the specialist wetland assessment for the proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape Province.

The requirement to establish the existence and/or extent of wetlands on the property is based on the legal requirements contained in both NEMA as well as the Water Act. Given the stringent legislation regarding developments within or near wetland areas, it is important that these areas are identified and developments planned sensitively around them to minimize any potential impacts.

The purpose of this document is to provide a scoping level, desktop description of the wetlands likely to be encountered in the study area and surroundings, to identify possible impacts on the wetlands due to the proposed developments and to provide a plan of study for the full wetland specialist study to be undertaken for the EIA.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The following task formed part of the scope of work for the wetland scoping study:

 Collect and collate all available existing wetland data for the area;  Undertake a desktop delineation of wetlands within the study based on aerial imagery;  Classify the identified wetlands;  Identify potential impacts to the wetlands on site due to the proposed developments;  Highlight any potential red flags or fatal flaws with regards to wetlands;  Compile an plan of study for the full wetland assessment to be undertaken for the EIA phase of the project; and  Provide a report, including maps of the wetland area, detailing all the information.

3. LIMITATIONS

The wetland delineation provided in this report is based on a desktop assessment of the wetlands and thus only provides an indication of the likely location and extent of the wetlands on site. Only once a site visit has been undertaken and the wetland boundaries have been verified in the field will a more detailed, higher-confidence delineation be compiled

4. STUDY AREA

4.1 Location

The proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant will be located on the Farm Arriesfontein 267 approximately 32km outside the town of Danielskuil on the road between Postmasburg (77 km to the west) and Barkly West (70 km to the east).

The location and extent of the study area is indicated in Figure 1. The proposed development site covers roughly 1 700ha.

Figure 1. Map showing the location of the study area.

4.2 Catchments

The study area is located within the Vaal River Catchment (Primary Catchment C), and more specifically within quaternary catchment C92A.

Information regarding catchment size, mean annual rainfall and runoff for the quaternary catchment is provided in the table below (Middleton, B.J., Midgley, D.C and Pitman, W.V., 1990). Figure 2 indicates the position of the proposed development area in relation to the affected quarternary catchment. A very low percentage of rainfall ends up as run-off out of the catchment, a result of the dry climate of the area and the generally flat topography.

Table 1. Table showing the mean annual precipitation, run-off and potential evaporation per quaternary catchment (Middleton, B.J., Midgley, D.C and Pitman, W.V., 1990). Catchment Mean Annual Mean Annual Quaternary MAR as a % Surface Area Rainfall (MAP) Run-off (MAR) Catchment of MAP (ha) in mm in mm C92A 360 074 367.32 7.8 2.12 %

Figure 2. Map showing the study area in relation to the quaternary catchment.

4.3 Geology and Soils

No geological or soils information was available at the time of compiling this report.

4.4 Vegetation

According to the most recent vegetation map of South Africa (Mucina and Rutherford, 2006), the Arriesfontein study area is located within the Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld, which falls within the Savanna Biome and the Eastern Kalahari Bioregion. Within the surrounding area, isolated patches of Southern Kalahari Salt Pan vegetation and Southern Kalahari Mekgacha vegetation also occur. It is expected that the small pans found on site likely conform to the Southern Kalahari Salt Pan vegetation type, though they haven’t been mapped as such probably due to an issue of scale.

Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld – Occurs in the Northern Cape and North-West Provinces on a flat plateau from around Campbell in the south to Vryburg in the north. The geology is described as surface limestone of tertiary to recent age, as well as dolomite and chert of the Campbell Group. Soils are generally shallow. Climate is characterised by summer and autumn rainfall, with very dry winters. Frost is frequent to very frequent in winter. The landscape consists of a flat plateau, and the vegetation is characterised by a well-developed shrub layer (Tarchonanthus camphorates and Acacia karroo), while an open tree layer of Olea europaea, Acacia tortilis, Ziziphus mucronata and Rhus lancea also occurs. Typical species include (only dominant species as listed in Mucina and Rutherford, 2006):

Tall trees: Acacia erioloba. Small trees: A. Mellifera, Rhus lancea, A. karroo, A. tortilis and Boscia albitrunca. Tall shrubs: Olea europaea, Rhigozum trichotum, Tarchonanthus camphorates, and Ziziphus mucronata. Low shrubs: Acacia hepeclada Graminoids: Anthephora pubescens, Cenchrus ciliaris, Digitaria eriantha, Enneapogon scoparius, Eragrostis lehmannia, Schmidtia pappophoroides, and Themeda triandra.

Southern Kalahari Salt Pans - Occurs in the Northern Cape and North-West Provinces, as well as Botswana and Namibia where they form a system of closed, endorheic depressions south of the Bakalahari Schwelle. Vegetation is characterised by low grassland on pan bottoms, often dominated by Sporobolus species, with a mixture of dwarf shrubs. Typical species include:

Succulent shrubs: Zygophyllum tenue, Salsola scopiformis. Herbs: Hirpicium gazanioides, Tribulus terrestris. Succulent herbs: Trianthema triquetra Graminoids: Enneapogon desvauxii, Eragrostis truncate, Sporobolus coromandelianus, S. rangei and Panicum impeditum.

Figure 3. Map showing the vegetation types of the study area (Mucina and Rutherford, 2006).

5. WETLAND DELINEATION

5.1 National Wetland Inventory

The only existing wetland information obtained for the Arriesfontein study area was from the National Wetland Inventory (SANBI, 2009), which is illustrated in Figure 4 below. A number of small pans are indicated as occurring on site. It is notable that no rivers or drainage lines are indicated as occurring on site. This is supported by the 20m contours of the area that indicate a mostly flat landscape sloping only slightly to the south east.

Assessed at a regional scale, the study area is located within an extensive pan field of the southern Kalahari, as indicated in Figure 5 and Table 2, which show that almost than 1 100 pans occur within a 20 km radius of the study area, covering almost 5.3 % of the land surface area within the region.

Figure 4. Extract of the National Wetland Inventory map for the Arriesfontein study area.

Table 2. Table showing the number of pans occurring within the surroundings of the Arriesfontein study area. Distance from site Number of pans Area (ha) of pans % cover 5 km radius 68 432.4 2.5 % 10 km radius 386 1 818.1 3.9 % 20 km radius 1 099 8005.0 5.3 %

Figure 5. Extract from the National Wetland Inventory showing pan wetlands (depressions) within a 20km radius of the site.

5.2 Desktop Delineation

A desktop delineation of wetlands was undertaken on geo-referenced Google Earth imagery of the study area, which is illustrated in Figure 6. The aim of the desktop delineation was to identify all areas expected to be wetlands within the study area based on wetness and greenness signatures visible on the Google Earth imagery, as well as on landform setting, i.e. areas where water would be expected to accumulate. All suspected wetland areas were then classified according to the Level 4 HGM classification system proposed by SANBI (2009). The results of the delineation and classification are illustrated and detailed in Figure 6 and Table 3 respectfully.

Table 3. Extent of different wetland types wetlands expected to occur on type.

Wetland Type Area (ha) % of wetland area % of overall site Flat/seep 32.80 31.67% 1.94% Pan 10.61 10.24% 0.63% Seep 60.17 58.09% 3.56% TOTAL 103.58 100.00% 6.12%

Figure 6. Map showing the suspected wetland areas on site as identified during the desktop wetland delineation.

Three different wetland types are expected to occur on site, covering a total of roughly 100 ha, which makes up 6 % of the Arriesfontein study area. The wetlands consist mostly of isolated pans with associated hillslope seepage wetlands that drain into the pans. The wetlands were identified as grassed, treeless areas within the typical Vaalbosveld of the area and appear characterised by lime and salt rich soils that appear whitish on the aerial imagery. This complies with the description of the typical Southern Kalahari Salt Pans.

For the purpose of the full wetland assessment study to be undertaken for the EIA, the approach as detailed in the following sections is proposed.

5.3 Approach

5.3.1 Wetland Delineation and Classification

Use will be made of 1:50 000 topographical maps, 1:10 000 orthophotos and Google Earth Imagery to create digital base maps of the study area onto which the wetland boundaries can be delineated using ArcMap 9.0. A desktop delineation of suspected wetland areas has already been undertaken by identifying rivers and wetness signatures on the digital base maps. All identified

Copyright © 2011 Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. 11 Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011 areas suspected to be wetlands will then be further investigated in the field by detailed groundtruthing.

Wetlands will be identified and delineated according to the delineation procedure as set out by the “A Practical Field Procedure for the Identification and Delineation of Wetlands and Riparian Areas” document, as described by DWAF (2005) and Kotze and Marneweck (1999). Using this procedure, wetlands are identified and delineated using the Terrain Unit Indicator, the Soil Form Indicator, the Soil Wetness Indicator and the Vegetation Indicator.

For the purposes of delineating the actual wetland boundaries use will be made of indirect indicators of prolonged saturation, namely wetland plants (hydrophytes) and wetland soils (hydromorphic soils). It is important to note that under normal conditions hydromorphic soils must display signs of wetness (mottling and gleying) within 50cm of the soil surface for an area to be classified as a wetland (A practical field procedure for identification and delineation of wetlands and riparian areas, DWAF).

The delineated wetlands will then be classified using a hydro-geomorphic classification system based on the system proposed by Brinson (1993), and most recently modified for use in South Africa by SANBI (2009).

5.3.2 Functional Assessment (WET-EcoServices)

A functional assessment of the wetlands on site will be undertaken using the level 2 assessment as described in “Wet-EcoServices” (Kotze et al., 2005). This method provides a scoring system for establishing wetland ecosystem services. It enables one to make relative comparisons of systems based on a logical framework that measures the likelihood that a wetland is able to perform certain functions.

5.3.3 Present Ecological State and Ecological Importance & Sensitivity

A present ecological state (PES) and ecological importance and sensitivity (EIS) assessment will be conducted for every hydro-geomorphic wetland unit identified and delineated within the study area. This will be done in order to establish a baseline of the current state of the wetlands and to provide an indication of the conservation value and sensitivity of the wetlands in the study area.

For the purpose of this study, the scoring system as described in the document “Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources. Volume 4. Wetland Ecosystems” (DWAF, 1999) will be applied for the determination of the PES.

6. EXPECTED IMPACTS

The proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Power Plant will consist of a 325 MW Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant using Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Technology as well as Photovoltaic (PV) Technology. Such developments require substantial surface area to accommodate the

Copyright © 2011 Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. 12 Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011 heliostat array for the CSP and the PV array (approximately 600 ha for the CSP Plant and 450 ha for the PV arrays). The extent of surface disturbance within the Arriesfontein site is thus expected to be extensive. It is therefore considered likely that most, if not all, of the delineated wetlands on site are likely to be affected by the proposed development, and where wetlands fall within the direct footprint of the proposed development, the permanent loss of the wetland habitat is expected.

The development of a power plant within an arid climate such as which characterises the Northern Cape will also require that substantial quantities of water are imported to the area to support the proposed development. Water will be required during construction activities, for steam generation and cooling in the CSP Plant, for washing of heliostats and PV cells, as well as potable water for the power plant staff. Experience from a similar project within the area (CSP Plant only, no PV arrays) indicates that up to 44 m3 of water per hour will be required during peak operation. Importing such large volumes of water into an arid environment could lead to significant changes to the wetland habitats of the area if any of this water is discharged, or escapes, into the wetland systems.

In addition, covering the study area with impervious surfaces could significantly increase the volumes of surface run-off generated on site. Such run-off could enter adjacent wetland systems, altering the hydrology supporting the wetlands (i.e. in the case of the pans, altering the hydroperiod) and also impacting on water quality as run-off is likely to be sediment rich and could potentially contain pollutants such as hydrocarbons derived from activities taking place on site (e.g. oil or diesel spills and leaks). However, given the fact that no drainage lines or streams occur on site that could potentially transfer such impacts longitudinally downstream, the spatial extent of the impacts of water quality deterioration and changes to hydrology are expected to be limited to the site and immediate surroundings, unless contamination of groundwater occurs (this impact will be addressed by the groundwater specialists). The inwardly draining nature of the pans however also implies that once pollutants enter these systems, they are unlikely to be flushed out of the systems.

The following impacts are therefore expected:

. Loss and disturbance of wetland habitat . Loss and displacement of wetland associated biodiversity . Water quality deterioration . Changes to the hydrology of wetlands . Increased erosion and sedimentation

A full impact assessment will be undertaken as part of the full wetland assessment study undertaken for the EIA phase of the project once the exact development plans and layout have been finalised. As part of the impact assessment, the proposed development plans will be reviewed, impacts identified and assessed, and mitigation and management measures recommended.

However, it can already be pointed out that in order to minimise the impacts of stormwater run-off and discharge of waste water on surrounding wetlands in terms of erosion, altered hydrology and water quality deterioration, that a closed-loop water management system should form part of the proposed development whereby all waste water (including waste water from the power plant and

Copyright © 2011 Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. 13 Desktop Scoping Report for the Proposed Arriesfontein Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant near Danielskuil in the Northern Cape November 2011 associated activities, as well as treated sewage water) and dirty stormwater be captured, treated, and re-used, with no discharge of water into the environment other than clean stormwater.

6.1 Plan of study for EIA

As indicated, following completion of this wetland scoping report, a full wetland assessment including extensive groundthruthing will be undertaken for the EIA phase of the project. The proposed methodology to be adopted for the study has been detailed above. It is envisaged that field work will be undertaken during January 2012 during the “wet” season. It is hoped that at least some of the pans will contain water at the time, though the ephemeral nature of the pans and the unpredictability of rainfall within these arid areas makes prediction of when the pans contain water difficult. However, it will be possible to complete the required work even in the absence of any water within the pans.

7. CONCLUSIONS

A number of wetlands, consisting mostly of pans and associated hillslope seepage wetlands, are expected to occur within the Arriesfontein study area. No valley bottom wetlands or drainage lines were however identified in the desktop assessment.

Development of the proposed Solar Thermal Energy Power Plant is expected to result in a number of impacts to the wetlands, most notably the expected loss of wetland habitat and biodiversity where the delineated wetlands fall within the footprints of the proposed development. A number of additional impacts were identified, though it is expected that the majority of these could be successfully mitigated through the implementation of a detailed water management strategy with a zero discharge policy.

It is important to point out that any activity which is contemplated and which will impact on the wetlands within the study area is subject to authorisation under Section 21 of the National Water Act (Act 36, 1998). More recently, with projects located on the Mpumalanga Highveld, the DWA has pointed out that all activities within 500 m of any wetland require a Water Use Licence.

8. REFERENCES

Brinson, M. M. 1993. A hydrogeomorphic classification for wetlands. Wetlands Research Program Technical Report WRP-DE-4. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterway Experiment Station. Vicksburg, MS: Bridgham and Richardson.

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. 1999a. Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources. Volume 4. Wetland Ecosystems Version 1.0, Pretoria.

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. 1999b. Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources. Volume 1. River Ecosystems Version 1.0, Pretoria.

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, 2005. A practical field procedure for identification and delineation of wetland and riparian areas. DWAF, Pretoria.

Kleynhans, C.J. 1996. A qualitative procedure for the assessment of the habitat integrity status of the Luvuvhu River. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health 5: 41 - 54.

Kleynhans, C.J. 1999. A procedure for the determination of the ecological reserve for the purposes of the national water balance model for South African Rivers. Institute for Water Quality Studies. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Pretoria.

Kotze, D.C, Marneweck, G.C., Batchelor, A.L., Lindley, D. and Collins, N. 2004. Wetland Assess: A rapid assessment procedure for describing wetland benefits. Mondi Wetland Project, Unpublished report.

Marneweck, G.C. and Batchelor, A. 2002. Wetland inventory and classification. In: Ecological and economic evaluation of wetlands in the upper Olifants River catchment. (Palmer, R.W., Turpie, J., Marneweck, G.C and Batchelor (eds.). Water Research Commission Report No. 1162/1/02.

Walker, L.R. 1999. Ecosystems of Disturbed Ground. In: Ecosystems of the World. Elsevier

Copyright © 2011 Wetland Consulting Services (Pty.) Ltd. 15 SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT ON THE FARM 267, NEAR DANIELSKUIL IN THE NORTHERN CAPE DEA REFERENCE: 12/12/20/2646

Appendix C–Technical Report

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SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD

ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE Technical Report - Concentrated Solar Power Plant

256990PWE – 08-008

03 February 2012

WorleyParsonsRSA V3 Forum, 160 Garsfontein Road Ashlea Gardens 0081 PO Box 36155, Menlo Park 0102 South Africa Telephone: +27 (0)12 425 6300 Facsimile: +27 (0)12 460 1336 www.worleyparsons.com ABN 61 001 279 812 © Copyright 2011 WorleyParsons

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Incorporating KV3

ENGINEERS

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

SYNOPSIS

This document provides a detailed overview of all technical aspects associated with the Concentrated Solar Plant based on preliminary design data..

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD, and is subject to and issued in accordance with the agreement between SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD and WorleyParsonsRSA. WorleyParsonsRSA accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for it in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party.

Copying this report without the permission of SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD andWorleyParsonsRSA is not permitted.

PROJECT 256990PWE - ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE

REV DESCRIPTION ORIG REVIEW WORLEY- DATE CLIENT DATE PARSONS APPROVAL APPROVAL

A Issued for 0 N/A internal review L Rautenbach F. Humphries J. Harris

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

CONTENTS 1 CHAPTER 1: PROJECT INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 BACKGROUND ...... 6 1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND ...... 6 1.3 PROJECT INTRODUCTION ...... 7 2 CHAPTER 2: PROJECT OUTLINE 9 2.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...... 9 2.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF SITE ...... 9 2.3 SURROUNDING AND EXISTING LAND USE ...... 10 2.4 SITE LAYOUT AND INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS ...... 10 2.4.1 Equipment and Facilities ...... 10 2.4.2 Construction Services ...... 12 3 CHAPTER 3: TECHNICAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS 15 3.1 SOLAR FIELD ...... 16 3.1.1 Heliostats ...... 17 3.1.2 Monitoring Systems ...... 18 3.1.3 Power and communications ...... 18 3.2 MOLTEN SALT CIRCUIT ...... 18 3.2.1 Salt Mixture ...... 20 3.2.2 Solar Concentration Tower ...... 20 3.2.3 Thermal storage System ...... 22 3.2.4 Molten salt pumps ...... 22 3.2.5 Auxiliary salt heater (Salt melter) ...... 23 3.3 POWER BLOCK ...... 24 3.3.1 Pre-heating system ...... 25 3.3.2 Steam Generator system ...... 26 3.3.3 Steam turbine Generator ...... 27 3.3.4 Air cooled Condenser ...... 29

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

3.3.5 Auxiliary cooling system...... 30 3.3.6 Generator/Synchronous Motor ...... 31 3.4 Auxiliary facilities and Infrastructure ...... 31 3.4.1 Water treatment plant ...... 32 3.4.2 Wastewater recovery plant ...... 33 3.4.3 Wastewater purification plant ...... 34 3.4.4 Site Access ...... 34 3.4.5 Water Consumption and discharge ...... 35 3.4.6 Administrative Facilities ...... 38 3.4.7 Storage facilities ...... 38 3.4.8 Security Infrastructure ...... 38 3.4.9 Fire protection system...... 38 3.4.10 Control and instrumentation system ...... 39 3.5 ELECTRIC SYSTEM ...... 40 3.5.1 Distribution and Transmission lines ...... 40 3.5.2 Substations ...... 41 3.5.3 Earthing Network ...... 41 3.6 EMISSION CONTROL AND MONITORING ...... 42 3.6.1 NOx Emission Control ...... 42 3.6.2 Particulate Emission Control ...... 43 3.6.3 Continuous Emission Monitoring ...... 43 3.7 CSP OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS ...... 43 3.7.1 Plant Start-up Procedure ...... 43 3.7.2 Plant Operations ...... 43 3.7.3 Water blow down Process ...... 48 4 CHAPTER 4: CSP ACTIVITIES REQUIRING ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION 49 5 CHAPTER 5: ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATION 52 5.1 NO-GO ALTERNATIVE ...... 52

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

5.2 LOCATION OPTIONS ...... 53 5.3 TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS ...... 53 5.3.1 Condensate System – Wet cooling System ...... 53 5.3.2 Hybrid Cooling System ...... 54 5.3.3 Dry Cooling System ...... 54 5.3.4 Auxiliary Cooling System - Dry Cooling ...... 55

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APPENDIX 1 WATER BALANCE - PRELIMINARY VALUES FOR MAXIMUM USAGE OF HYBRID COOLING

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

1 CHAPTER 1: PROJECT INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

The South African economy has shown a significant and rapid growth trend over the past few years. Current infrastructure and service delivery however does not allow for the continuation of this trend. In order for the National Government to create an economic climate which is suitable to their growth targets, and will accommodate the existing economic growth and social development, it was found essential that basic services such as electricity provision be enhanced as a matter of urgency. The current infrastructure and generation capacity of South Africa’s power utility, ESKOM,is unable to accommodate a rapid growing economy in which reliable electricity provision is essential.

South Africa has experienced electricity blackouts or as it was termed, load shedding, during 2008 and 2009 which dampened investor confidence in South Africa as an investor destination and also hampered industrial development. Ageing power plants and the prevalence of unplanned maintenance to these plants were major contributors to the problem, which caused erratic and unreliable electricity provision to major industries as well as households throughout South Africa.

The bulk of South Africa’s power is generated by coal fired power stations and a number of coal fired power stations are being planned to meet the ever increasing demand for power. This makes coal South Africa’s primary energy resource. Beyond the fact that coal is not a renewable resource the burning of coal for the generation of electricity also has a very negative impact on the environment from the point of view that vast amounts of CO2 is being released into the atmosphere and contributing to the ever growing concern of the greenhouse effect and global warming.

South Africa is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) committing to the stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. With this commitment in place and the ever growing need for power, South Africa is urged to expand its generation capacity but through the development and utilisation of alternative resources, which are renewable and more environmentally sustainable.

1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND

Renewable energy is derived from natural resources which are naturally replenished. One such resource is solar energy. The renewable energy potential of solar energy is immense worldwide due to the vast amounts of energy radiated to the surface of the earth from the sun. Numerous studies have shown that harnessing solar radiation has the potential to substitute much of the current nonrenewable energy sources as a means of generating electricity. The two primary solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the sun’s energy. Concentrated solar power (CSP) falls within the category of solar thermal collectors and is approximately twice as efficient in terms of converting solar energy to electricity. CSP systems can z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 6 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012

South Africa is in urgent need of additional and sustainable power and is in a favourable position geographically and due to its suitable climatic conditions to tap into the untapped solar energy resource. The provision of power is critical for development and economic growth in the country. This development refers not only to infrastructure development but also socio-economic development which in return will create skills and opportunities, uplift and empower the people of the nation.

South Africa has experienced prolific economic growth in recent years until the economic crisis hit in 2008 and according to Statistics South Africa, GDP rose by 2.7% in 2001, 3.7% in 2002, 3.1% in 2003, 4.9% in 2004, 5% in 2005, 5.4% in 2006, 5.1% in 2007 and 3.1% in 2008. This unprecedented growth has also been seen as a major contributor to the power capacity constraints that the country is facing. Along with this is the problem of unemployment that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described in its 2007 annual country assessment as one of the biggest challenges to economic growth in the country.

South Africa is classified as a developing country and is eligible to earn certified emission reduction credits under the Clean Development Mechanism. Emission-reduction (or emission removal) projects in developing countries can earn certified emission reduction credits. These saleable credits can be used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997.

1.3 PROJECT INTRODUCTION

South Africa is primarily reliant on fossil fuels and coal in particular for the generation of power. Given the fact that existing and proposed new power plants have a lifespan in the order of 40 years it is vital that forward planning look beyond this window to ensure reliable power provision for generations to come. Much of the current power plants will need to be upgraded or replaced within the next two decades to uphold and increase the current power supply. The use of coal fired power stations is driven by the fact that it is a more cost effective method of generating power with higher short term cost benefits. In the longer term the coal resources will in time become depleted due to its nonrenewable nature and coal fired power stations will become redundant.

South Africa’s renewable energypotential and solar energy in particular, is enormous and is able to deliver sustained yields without the depletion of resources and the negative environmental impacts associated to the burning of fossil fuels as a drawback. The utilisation of renewable energyin South Africa to date has been limited to the off-grid sector but it has the potential to play a major role in the grid and this is outlined in the 2002 draft White Paper on Renewable Energy which suggested thatan additional 10 000GWh of renewable energy contributionshould be achieved over ten years, i.e.1000 GWh/yr, to be produced mainly from biomass,wind, solar and small-scale hydro.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD intends to contribute to this target set by National Government with the construction and operation of a 100 MW CSP in the Northern Cape. The facility is intended to connect to the national grid and would deliver power consistently and reliably during peak and off- peak hours. Albeit a commercial venture the proposed CSP will fall within the targets set by National Government, produce clean energy, generate CDM credits in line with the Kyoto Protocol, feed into the national grid, create jobs, develop skills and on the whole assist with the alleviation of unemployment and the improvement of the standard of living for the people of South Africa by providing power which stimulates economic growth and development.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

2 CHAPTER 2: PROJECT OUTLINE

2.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The following chapter provides a detailed overview of the proposed technology to be implemented for the generation of electricity at the CSPPlant.

SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD is a subsidiary of SolarReserve LLC, one of the world’s leading companies in the field of renewable energy generation. The renewable energy generation market faces two (2) fundamental problems – the first being scalability and the second the issue of electricity storage. SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD has managed to bridge these problems with their CSP technology. CSP Plants draw their heat from the sun, an unlimited source of pure clean energy – and unlike wind and photovoltaic, the technology implemented by SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD can be delivered as and when needed dependent solely on demand and not climatic factors. This feature of the technology allows SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD to bridge the key barriers pertinent to renewable energy generation – scalability and storage.

The technology has been proven and substantiated by one of the world’s leading technology conglomerates – United Technologies. Rocketdyne a subsidiary of United Technologies has demonstrated the technology at the Solar One and Solar Two Power Plants in Southern California. SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD has been granted proprietary technology know-how and an exclusive worldwide license to develop CSP Plants based on this technology.

The CSP Plants are designed as Solar Power Towers, which captures and focuses the sun's thermal energy with thousands of heliostats (tracking mirrors) in an area ofapproximately 1.1 million m2. The tower is erected in an inner circle inside the heliostat field. The heliostats focus concentrated sunlight towards the tower where it is absorbed by a receiver which sits on top of the tower. The concentrated sunlight within the receiver, heats the molten salt up to580ºC, which then flows into a thermal storage tank for storage (maintaining 99% thermal efficiency).

The molten salt is eventually pumped to a steam generator to generate steam to drive a standard turbine in order to generate electricity. This process, also known as the "Rankine cycle" and is very similar to the operations of a standard coal-fired power plant, except for the fact that it is fuelled by clean, renewable and free solar energy.

In order to reduce project’s water consumption, a dry cooling system has been considered to condense the low pressure (LP) steam exhaust from the turbine.

2.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF SITE

SolarReserve SA (Pty) LTD, a renewable energy developer is proposing the development of a CSP– Solar Thermal Power Energy Plant with an electricity generation of 100 MW on the Farm267,

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

Arriesfontein, Barkley Wes RD, within the Kgatelopele Local Municipality and the Siyanda District Municipality in the Northern Cape. The proposed development site is situated approximately32 kmsoutside of Danielskuil. The proposed CSP technology will be constructed on an area that covers between 600 and 800 ha of the entire site, which includes all ancillary facilities.

2.3 SURROUNDING AND EXISTING LAND USE

The affected land portion where the CSP Plant is proposed is zoned as agricultural. The property is currently being used for cattle grazing purposes, and adjacent to several other cattle farms and a Game Ranch. The current land owner is not actively farming on the property but has rented it out to a neighbouring farmer.

Three servitudes are registered on the property – ESKOM servitude for the overhead distribution lines, Sedibeng Bulk Water for the Vaalgamagara Pipeline and Transnet for the railway line running across the site.

The R385 road runs past the site on the northern boundary and a railway line runs through the affected land portion to the southwest of the proposed site.

The fact that the affected farm portion is zoned agricultural hampers the subdivision or the rezoning thereof. In all likelihood a special consent use will be obtained for the operation of the CSP Plant on the affected portion due to the prohibition of the subdivision or rezoning of any agricultural land.

2.4 SITE LAYOUT AND INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS

Infrastructure required for the construction and operation of the proposed CSP Plant includes inter alia the following:

2.4.1 Equipment and Facilities

 High voltage transmission line

 Rerouting of access road

 Piping from [water wells/water utility company] to water treatment plant

 Control/Operations Building

 Administration/Maintenance Building

 Power Distribution Centre (Main Electrical Building)

 Steam Turbine Generator Building

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SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Molten Salt Storage Tanks

 Molten Salt Receiver System and molten salt pumps

 Concrete Tower

 Heliostats with Solar Field Control System

 Water Treatment Plant Building

 Generator Step-Up Transformer 11kV/132kV ~ 118 MVA

 Station Service Transformer

 Unit Aux Transformer

 2 x uninterrupted power supply (UPS) 3.5 MVA emergency diesel generators

 Balance of Plant (BOP) DC battery system

 Low voltage / Medium voltage (LV/MV) switchgear

 Revenue Meters and associate controls/relays

 Power and Control Cable from Power Distribution Centre to all heliostats

 Air Cooled Condenser [Hybrid], with air removal equipment, condensate collection systems, interconnecting piping and instrumentation

 Boiler Feedwater Pumps

 High Pressure feedwater heaters

 Low Pressure condensate heaters

 Deaerator and Storage Tank

 Condensate Pumps

 Auxiliary Cooling water systems; including Fin Fan Cooler, Wet service Air Cooler (WSAC)

 Close Loop Cooling water pumps

 Steam Cycle Chemical feed system

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Demineralized water storage tank and transfer pumps

 Combined service water/fire water storage tank and water transfer pumps

 Fire Protection pump skid for Power Block area includes electric and diesel fire pumps and electric jockey pump

 Demineralized Water treatment system

 Evaporation unit

 Potable water storage tanks and potable water pumps

 Plant Sampling system

 Surface water drainage system

 Evaporation ponds

 Oil/Water Separator and Plant Drain System

 Plant instrument and service air systems

 N2/Ar gas storage bottles and distribution manifold

 Plant worker safety equipment including showers and eye washes

 Fire Protection System

 Plant communications

 Plant Decentralized control system (DCS)

 Plant lighting

 Fencing

 Meteorological Station

 Visitor Center

 [Workers mancamp for operation]

2.4.2 Construction Services

 Any demolition work within site perimeter z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 12 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Construction safety equipment

 Construction trailers and service area

 Site lay-down, storage space

 Site security including temporary fencing

 Temporary construction power

 Temporary communication services

 Construction water from water wells/utility

 Startup and commissioning fuel and fluids

 Workers mancamp for construction

 Wash bays;

 Batch plant;

 Potential borrow pits for gravel for the access road construction.

As mentioned the facility will cover an approximate area of 600 – 800 ha and will house all the mentioned infrastructure and related services. The planned layout of the plant is shown in figure 1 below. The bulk of the surface area of the plant will be covered by the heliostats in a circular configuration. The concentration tower will be the focal point of all the heliostats and will be located slightly off centre to the north of the circular heliostat field, due to the fact that the project is in the southern hemisphere and reflects the solar rays optimally to the tower as such.

All the ancillary infrastructure and facilities are to be located adjacent to the tower within the inner circle of the heliostat field.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

Figure 1: Site layout

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

3 CHAPTER 3: TECHNICAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

The proposed project can be defined as a solar thermo-electric power plant that is embodied in the form of a CSP Plant. In short the electricity generation process can be summarised as follows:

 Heliostats reflect the solar radiation towards the central receiver tower where a large heat exchanger captures the solar heat.

 A molten salt mixture is pumped from the coldsaltthermal storage tank to the central receiver where it is circulated in the heat exchanger until the temperature reaches 566ºC.

 The molten salt concentration is then transported to the hot salt thermal storage tank.

 Hot salt is pumped from the hot salt storage tank to the steam generator where heat is transferred from the salt to water in order to generate high pressure steam.

 The highly pressurised steam is then passed through a steam turbine, which is linked to an electric generator to generate electricity.

Figure 2: Basic process description

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

The CSPPlant can be divided into four main subsystems:

 The Collector Field - consists of all services and infrastructure related to the management and operation of the heliostats;

 The Molten Salt System- includes the thermal storage tanks for storing the hot and cold liquid salt, a concentration tower, pipelines and heat exchangers;

 The Power Block – consists of inter alia the steam turbine where the electricity is generated; and

 The Auxiliary facilities and infrastructure - includes the condenser-cooling system, electricity transmission lines, a grid connection, access routes, water supplies and facility start-up energy plant (gas or diesel generators).

3.1 SOLAR FIELD

The collector field will make use of a large number of mirrors, also called heliostats to reflect the solar radiation towards the solar receiver tower. It is expected that the collector field will be equipped with any number of heliostats ranging between 10 300 and 17 500 heliostats (dependent on the size of the Heliostats), positioned concentrically to the solar receiver tower.

As each of the heliostats occupy roughly 62 m2to 116 m2of surface area(depending on final design) it is projected that the solar field will have a diameter of approximately 2,620 m (2.6 km), creating an estimated 1,1million m2 of mirrored surface around the solar receiver tower.

Figure 3: Layout of collector field (left: typical; right: for 17,350 heliostats)

All of the heliostats are automated and are designed to follow the sun’s path. The heliostats are controlled from a central control point.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

Heliostats will be positioned in such a manner that optimum radiation reflection can occur, and so that no interference between heliostats can occur.

The collection system comprises the following elements:

 Heliostats;

 Monitoring and control system

 Power and communication connections.

3.1.1 Heliostats

The heliostats are composed of mirror modules, equipped with structural support components and two (2) motors for rotation purposes and a local heliostat controller, fitted at the base of each structure.

Figure 4: Components of a single heliostat assembly

The heliostat support structures are galvanised steel reinforcements that support the mirror modules and a tubular steel footing structure, planting the heliostat firmly on the ground. The heliostat structure is embedded in a concrete foundation and foundation design parameters will be revealed in the detailed Geotechnical Assessment. In ideal soil and geotechnical conditions the heliostat foundation parameters are 1 m in diameter and 4 m below surface.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

The dimensions of each heliostat will be approximately 8.5 m (width) x 7.3 m (height) over a 3.3 m tall pedestal – depending on the final design specifications.

3.1.2 Monitoring Systems

The monitoring and control system comprises of all the various systems and programs required to monitor the collection field – which includes the Heliostat Control Software (HCS) and the Beam Characterisation System (BCS).

The HCS can be defined as the active control system which manages the orientation of each heliostat as to ensure optimum solar radiation is reflected towards the solar receiver tower at all times. Orientation positioning is dependent on several factors –

 Time of day;

 Time of the year (day); and

 Operation mode. The operational mode will include Start-up, Normal operation monitoring, Closure and a series of abnormal operational conditions (i.e. loss of heliostat power etc.).

The BCS on the other hand will automatically calibrate the heliostats during plant operations by means of camera system installed in the solar receiver tower. This is done to ensure maximum efficiency of solar heat reflection. A total of 16 BCS cameras are expected to be installed in the solar receiver tower.

3.1.3 Power and communications

The power and communication connections includes the:

 Connection between the HCS and the controllers for the heliostats motors; and

 Electrical supply for the motorised-controllers for each of the heliostats.

3.2 MOLTEN SALT CIRCUIT

The molten salt circuit is a very important part of the CSP plant’s design, as it increases the plant’s ability to produce electricity all year round, during night and day times. The design of the molten salt circuit ensures that heat collected from the sun’s rays can be transferred effectively to the power cycle, but it also ensures that this heat can be stored for relative long periods of time to provide the plant with a source of energy when the sun’s rays does not reach the collector filed.

This circuit is designed to store up thermal energy during the day time, within the hot salt storage tanks, and then utilise the energy during the night time or periods when it is overcast. The unique properties of the molten salt ensure that it can reach very high temperatures at atmospheric pressures.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

Its relative high density and heat capacity further ensures that it is an efficient thermal storage medium in large quantities at such high temperatures.

Figure 5: – Basic Process description – Molten salt Circuit

During normal operation the salt stored in the cold salt storage tank(at 288°C) is pumped to the top of the solar tower where it passes through a special heat exchanger assembly (this heat exchanger is the central point of focus for the beams of the thousands of heliostats). Within the heat exchanger the salt is heated to very high temperature (566°C) and then flows down the tower to the hot salt storage tank. From the hot salt storage tank it will be pumped to the steam generator to produce steam for the steam turbines. Once the salt passed through the steam generator and other heat transfer devices it has cooled down significantly to about 288°C and is then pumped back to the cold salt storage tank from where it will repeat the cycle.

The molten salt system is a closed circuit system that operates separately to that of the steam generation system. The circuit consists out of all the infrastructure and equipment that is required to heat, mobilise and store the molten salt mixture for power generation. The molten salt circuit is designed based on gravitation feed principals – in the event of a leak or problem, a valve opens and the molten salt mixture is fed to the respective storage tank. This prevents to possibility that salt can solidify in the circuit if something goes wrong.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

3.2.1 Salt Mixture

The salt mixture is comprised of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) (60%) and potassium nitrate(KNO3) (40%).This mixture of salts is used to ensure the salt stays molten at a wide range of temperatures. The salt mixture must be kept well above 238ºC to ensure it stays molten. When the salt is molten it is in a liquid state with a high viscosity and takes on the behaviour of water. It is furthermore very effective with regards to the storing of heat, given its thermal inertia. The plant will require approximately 35 000 tonnes of this salt mixture for normal operation.

After the initial fusion/melting ofthe salt during start-up, the salt remains in a liquid state and at high temperatures during the plants entire operating life, and is constantly reused in the system.

Table 1: Properties of molten salt (60% NaNO3, 40%KNO3) – from SAND2001-2010 Specific Absolute Thermal Temp Density Heat Viscosity Conductivity Celsius kg/m3 J/ (kg K) Pa s W/(m K) 260 1924 1,491 0.043 0.493 288 1906 1,499 0.036 0.498 316 1888 1,503 0.029 0.503 343 1870 1,507 0.024 0.509 371 1852 1,511 0.021 0.514 399 1835 1,516 0.018 0.520 427 1817 1,520 0.016 0.525 454 1799 1,524 0.015 0.531 482 1781 1,532 0.014 0.536 510 1764 1,537 0.013 0.541 538 1746 1,541 0.012 0.547 566 1728 1,545 0.011 0.552 593 1710 1,549 0.010 0.558

3.2.2 Solar Concentration Tower

The Solar Concentration Tower is a tall concrete tower which supports the central receiver. It needs to be of sufficient height to ensure the central receiver is in clear view of all heliostats within the collector field. The tower has the following dimensions (based on preliminary design):

 Concrete Tower estimated at 164 m high.

 Solar receiver and crane – estimated at 36 m in height. z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 20 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 An approximately 200 meter tall slip-form concrete tower and thermal receiver rated at approximately 565 MW thermal (MWt);

 Size of the round base section: 35.05 m.

 Size of the round section in the upper sections: 26.37 m.

Please note that this is worst case scenario for the tower – the final design specification will be determined only once an EPC contractor has been appointed.

Figure 6: Solar Tower – Preliminary Design

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

The central receiver is a cylindrical heat exchanger approximately 16 m in diameter and 27 m high, which receives the solar energy as reflected from the heliostats and transfers it to the molten salt mixture. This receiver comprises of 14 panels which are attached to a steel structure.

High capacity solar radiation absorption paint is used to cover the sections of the receiver (panels) that are exposed to the solar radiation. It is estimated that the solar receiver will have a thermal yield of approximately 88%. The receiver is furthermore equipped with tube nozzle headers, tube supports, structural supporting frame, control equipment and instruments, piping to mobilise the molten salt to and from the storage tanks, valves, heating cables and an internal lift.

3.2.3 Thermalstorage System

The storage system is comprised of two (2) molten salt thermal storage tanks – the hot salt tank andthe cold salt tank. The hot salt storage tank is to be constructed from stainless steel, whereas the cold thermal storage tank is to be made of carbon steel. Both facilities have sufficient insulation, as well as electrical heat tracing, to avoid the loss of the salt mixtures thermal energy as it moves through the tanks.

Each storage tank has a capacity equivalent to the total volume of the salt stored forthe plant, some 35 000 tonnes (based on preliminary calculations). This amount allows for up to 24 hours of electricity generation at the turbine’s maximum capacity. The tanks will be situated within a containment basin (or bund) designed to hold110% of the contents of a storagetank in the event of a possible leak.

Both tanks will be constructed on a concrete foundation with passive cooling sothat the foundations do not surpass the concrete's temperature limits.

Each storage tank is roughly 12 meters high and 38 meters in diameter and has the capacity to store salt mixture for up to24 hours. The roof of the storage tanks are domed and designed to operate at ambient pressure with an ambient temperature of 38ºC and a salt temperature of 580ºC. The hot storage tank will have a slightly higher capacity to that of the cold storage tank.

3.2.4 Molten salt pumps

The molten salt mixture is circulated through the plant by means of special molten salt pumps.

The cold storage tank is equipped with four (4) pumps positioned parallel to one another in the upper section of the tank for the circulation of the molten salt mixture. Three of the pumps are operational whilst the fourth is merely a backup pump. The pumps operate at a flow rate of 4 573 tonnes/hour; a temperature of 288ºC and under a pressure of 21 bar. The pumps are rotated on a regular basis to ensure continuity and reliability.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

The hot storage tank only has three (3) pumps that circulate the molten salt mixture from the tank to the steam generator. Two (2) of the pumps are operational with the third pump being a backup pump. The pumps used for the hot storage tank, like that of the cold storage tank, are also situated in the upper section of the tank and positioned parallel to each other.

The operating conditions for the hot storage tanks are subject to a flow rate of 1 143 tonnes/hour, a temperature of 566C and a service pressure of 9 bar. Again, as with the cold storage pumps, the hot storage pumps are rotated on a regular basis to ensure continuity and reliability. In the event of pump failure, the reserve pump can be utilised.

All of the salt system pumps have a vertical design, with extended axles ofsome 15.5 metres and operating with a frequency converter.

Figure 7: Example of a vertical molten salt pump (fromFlowserve)

3.2.5 Auxiliary salt heater (Salt melter)

The salt melter is comprised of an insulated tank that will be heated by combustion of natural gas (or alternatively diesel). During plant commissioning the solid salt mixture is brought to a temperature between 288°C and 370°C (at least 50°C above its melting point of 238°C) and then pumped out of

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT the salt melter into a secondary gas-fired heater and further elevated in temperature to a range required for the final conditioning process. The initial melting and heating process is expected to operate continuously, 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, until the plant's total inventory of approximately 35 000 tonnes of salt has been melted. Salt melting is expected to take approximately 70 days.

After melting and conditioning the salt is pumped to the salt storage tanks.The auxiliary salt heater will potentially also be used as a back-up system that provides additional heat to the plant in severe cases where the salt’s thermal storage is not sufficient to keep generating power.

3.3 POWER BLOCK

The function of the power block is to turn the stored solar energy into electrical energy. This will be achieved through a conventional Rankin Cycle, as used on most power plants worldwide.

Figure 8: Simplified Rankin Cycle process diagram (preliminary values)

The process starts with water which is fed from a condensate tank and a make-up source into a de- aerator which removes all traces of oxygen or entrapped gasses from the water. The water is then z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 24 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT pressurized with feed pumps and fed through a number of heat exchangers to transfer as much as possible of the energy stored in the molten salt to the steam cycle. Super heated steam (at ±540ºC and 116 bar) is then passed through the High Pressure turbine. There after the steam is reheated and then passed through the intermediate and low pressure turbine stages. The turbine spins at very high revolutions and drives the electrical generator in order to deliver electricity to the plant’s substation. Steam exiting the low pressure turbine is directed through coolers which condense the steam back to water.

The main components of the power block are described in more detail.Steam is generated by means of a steam turbine with an intermediate re-heating application. The specifications for aforementioned re-heaters in terms of the CSP Plant in questions are as follow –

3.3.1 Pre-heating system

The pre-heating system can be defined as the cycle in which the condensate is heated to the optimum temperature for steam generation purposes. The system comprises of the following: a) Low pressure water/steam pre-heaters

Three low pressure pre-heaters are positioned in sequence. The pre-heaters are of shell and tube arrangement. These pre-heaters use steam from various specific extraction points on the steam turbine to pre-heat the condensate before it enters the de-aerator. b) De-aerator

The CSP Plant is equipped with a de-aerator in order to remove oxygen and any other entrapped gasses within the feedwater of the steam cycle. Such gasses can cause serious damage to piping and equipment in the long run if not removed. The de-aerator uses extraction steam from the steam turbine for heating and to aid the de-aeration process. The process also serves to preheat the condensate and to store it as source of supply to the steam generator feed pumps. Deionized cycle makeup water is introduced at the inlet of the de-aerator to allow for heating and deaeration. Cycle makeup water is necessary to compensate for system losses, primarily due to steam drum blowdown.

The de-aerator head will be fitted with adequate safety valves to ensure pressure is maintained and that in the event of over pressurising the excess pressure is released. The system is furthermore fitted with a vacuum-breaking valve which guarantees that the feedwater tank never depressurises.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

Figure 9: Typical deaerator (from Hurst Boiler)

c) Feedwater Pumps

The feedwater pumping system will deliver feedwater to the steam generator and comprises of three horizontal centrifugal pumps, each with a 50% capacity. The pumps will draw feedwater from the de-aerator tank and transfer it to the steam generator by passing it through the three feedwater heaters. These are powerful pumps which need to deliver water at very high pressures. d) Feedwater-heaters

From the outlet of the de-aerator the heated condensate is pressurized via feedwater pumps and then passed through three (3) high-pressure feed water heaters in series. The first two (2) heaters are heated with steam extracted from specific extraction points on the high pressure and intermediate pressure turbines, while the third is heated with steam from the steam drums within the steam generator.

3.3.2 Steam Generator system

The steam generation system is the core of the steam supply system for the power block and consists of an economizer, evaporator, two superheaters, and two (2) re-heaters. High pressure feedwater enters the system from the feedwater heaters, passes through the economizer, the steam drum, through the evaporator, back to the steam drum, and leaves as saturated steam that subsequently flows to the superheaters. Superheated steam passes through the HP steam turbine and is exhausted to the re-heaters. Reheat steam is then directed to the inlet of the IP turbine. Hot salt pumped from the hot storage tank enters the shell side of the steam generation system heat

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT exchangers and flows through the superheaters, reheaters, the boiler and finally the economizer. The salt is then directed to the cold storage tank.

The steam generation system components are described more in detail below: a) Economizer –

The economizer is a shell and tube design heat exchanger. High pressure feedwater enters the economizer tubes from the feedwater heaters and is directed from there to the evaporator steam drum. b) Evaporator

Feedwater from the steam drum is transferred by a recirculation pump to the evaporator section to produce saturated steam. Saturated steam from the evaporator section is directed back to the steam drum. Moisture separators in the steam drum help to remove moisture droplets from the steam as it passes on to the superheater. The evaporator tubes receive heated, high pressure feedwater from the steam drum via the recirculation pump and evaporate the water into saturated steam. The evaporator section is a shell and tube design heat exchanger. The saturated steam leaving the evaporator section flows back to the steam drum. c) Super heaters and Re-heaters

The saturated steam flows through the tubes of the shell and tube design superheater to heat the steam to the desired temperature and pressure for steam turbine operating conditions. The re-heater receives “cold” outlet steam into its tubes from the highpressure turbine exhaust and reheats the steam before being reintroduced into the intermediatepressure turbine.

3.3.3 Steam turbine Generator

The steam turbine generator system consists of a multi-stage, reheat, condensing steam turbine generator (STG) with extraction, a gland seal steam system, lubricating oil system, hydraulic control system, and steam admission and control valving. Once the pressurized steam has reached the optimum temperature in the superheater, it flows to the steam turbine, which converts thermal energy in the steam into mechanical power (rotation), driving an attached power generator. Superheated steam is expanded through the high-pressure stages of the turbine, is routed back to the steam generation system where it is reheated, and then returned to expand through the intermediate and low-pressure turbine sections. On exiting the turbine, the steam is directed into the air cooled condenser.

The steam generation system is supported by various auxiliary services which need to be maintained. These services include the –

 Control and shut-down valves for the primary steam generation system and re-heater.

 Lubrication oil system.

 Hydraulic oil system.

 Gear box.

 Steam sealing system.

 Turbine and generator control system.

 Earthing system and electric protection equipment. b) Steam turbine control system

The turbine set as well as the auxiliary systems will be equipped with its own control system, which is to be integrated into the DCS of the plant. The control system will be a standard control system and will be obtained from the turbine suppliers. The primary functions of this system will be for–

 Protection and triggering due to over speed.

 Protection and triggering of the turbine.

 Oversight of the field instrumentation associated with the turbine.

 Monitoring of the position of the shaft.

 Monitoring of the eccentricity of the rotor.

 Monitoring of the expansion of the casing.

 Monitoring of thermal fatigue.

 Monitoring of the temperature of the metal of the bearings.

 Frequency control.

 Control of the control valve position.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Control of the extractions from the turbine.

 Maximum and minimum speed limiter.

 Limitation of maximum admission pressure.

 Limitation of counter pressure.

 Maximum and minimum power limiter.

 Seal steam pressure control.

 Hydro-electric control system

 The emergency shut-down valves and the main control valves will regulate the operation of the turbine as per the required operational conditions. The control system is designed to ensure the turbine retains power based on demand, by means of opening and closing the control valves as per the control room instructions. c) Steam bypass system

In the event of the turbine being not operational or has tripped for some reason, the steam generated by the steam generation process will be fed into a bypass steam circuit. This bypass circuit sends the steam directly to the condenser, bypassing the turbine.

The bypass circuit consists of a –

 High pressure bypass turbine, which transfers high pressure steam from the superheater to the re-heater, and

 A low pressure bypass turbine, which transfers reheated steam to the cooling system.

Each bypass circuit is fitted with pressure and temperature control valves. The pressure control valves reduce the steam pressure and the temperature control valves control the steam temperature by injecting feed water from the boiler into the high pressure turbine’s bypass circuit in order to cool the steam down. The reheated steam on the other hand is cooled down via a diffusion conduit.

3.3.4 Air cooled Condenser

Air cooled condensers are used to cool and condensate steam exiting the low pressure steam turbine. The air cooled condenser is designed to cool the steam cycle with ambient air which is forced across its radiators As steam output is air cooled a difference in air temperature and pressure will be recorded. The steam output will vary according to ambient temperature and the air flow in the air cooler. The condenser consists of the following: z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 29 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Packages of tubes with finned heat exchanging surfaces (also called radiators);

 Axial fans, with gearbox, couplings and motors;

 Output conduit for the steam turbine, steam distribution pipes and expansion joints;

 Windbreak between cells and outside enclosure;

 Steel support structure;

 Condensate tank;

 Complete system of accumulation and discharge of the condensate;

 Vacuum pumps and accessories;

 Regulation and measurement equipment;

 Conduit cleaning system;

 Protection systems; and

 Instrumentation and accessories.

3.3.5 Auxiliary cooling system

The CSPPlant will be equipped with a closed circuit cooling system for all auxiliary components. The primary inputs of the cooling system will be a mixture of demineralised water and propylene glycol and will consist of the following component –

 One (1) air-cooler at 100% capacity (fin-fan cooler) (optional);

 One (1) wet-surface air-cooler;

 Two (2) water cooling pumps, each at 100% of the total system capacity; and

 Pipes, valves, instrumentation, etc.

Vitally important to the plant is the fact that the primary cooling system is a dry-based cooling system, which does not require water. The auxiliary cooling system, as specified above, however includes a wet surface air-cooler, and is used for the cooling of all equipment i.e. pumps, alternators etc. that does not form part of the output cycle of the turbine. The pumps will be manufactured from materials that can withstand wear and tear with regards to the liquid being transported therein. The same manufacturing principle will be applied to the motor chosen to drive the pumps – it will be designed

The aforementioned infrastructure will be constructed on a carbon steel base structure which is designed to bear the full weight of the equipment. These will then be cast onto a concrete foundation.

3.3.6 Generator/Synchronous Motor

A synchronous self-exciting brushless generator will be employed, that is suitable for parallel operations. The generator functions by means of an armature winding when excited by a poly-phase (3 phase) supply, creating a rotating magnetic field inside the motor. The field winding locks in with the rotating magnetic field and rotates alongside it.

During operation the motor is said to be in synchronisation once the field locks in with the rotating magnetic field. These types of motors are not self-starting and only start functioning once power is supplied to the motor.

The main characteristics of the generator are as follows:

Table 2: Generator characteristics

Generator Characteristics Nominal power ±115MVA (preliminary) Nominal Voltage 11 kV +/-5% Frequency 50 Hz Motor protection IP 44 Insulation class F Temperature increase F Power factor 0,9

3.4 Auxiliary facilities and Infrastructure

Over and above the infrastructure and equipment requirements directly related to the operations of the CSPPlant, several auxiliary facilities and infrastructure also needs to be constructed and implemented. These facilities and infrastructure will support the daily operations of the CSPPlant by their various operation related functions, by producing inputs i.e. water, treating products generated by the plant, facilitating or housing of operations staff etc.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

3.4.1 Water treatment plant

The technology used for the CSPPlant is highly sensitive and requires that all water used during operations conform to a rigorous water specification. As all raw water entering the plant must be treated prior to use in the plant a water treatment plant will have to be constructed. The main water treatment subsystems will include the following components (These are also depicted on the water balance PFD in Appendix 1): a) Multimedia Filter

The Multimedia Filter (MMF) contains multiple types of media with the coarse media layers in the top of the tank to trap large particles, and successively smaller particles trapped in the finer layers of media deeper in the bed. A coagulant will be introduced before the MMF inlet to capture fine particles for ease of filtration in the MMF. The multi-media filter is backwashed using reverse or upward flow of water through the filter bed. The various layers of media retain their stratification because each material has a different density. b) Reverse Osmosis

The Reverse Osmosis (RO) system is a filtration process that works by using pressure to force water through a membrane, retaining the contaminants on one side and allowing the pure water to pass to the other side. The RO will include an additional concentration step for RO serving to treat the waste from the main lines and reduce by a maximum the final waste from the system An anti-scalant and de-chlorinator will be injected upstream of the RO skids to reduce the cleaning cycle of the membranes. c) Electrodeionization

Electrodeionization (EDI) is a continuous and chemical-free process of removing ionized and ionizable species from the water using DC power. EDI is used to polish the RO permeate and to replace conventional mixed bed ion exchange, which eliminates the need to store and handle hazardous chemicals used for resin regeneration and associated waste neutralization requirements.In order to treat the raw water to be used in the CSP Plant several key facilities and infrastructure will have to be constructed and installed.

The auxiliary equipment needed for water treatment include –

 Reagent-dispensing systems;

 Pumps with filters;

 Filters, filter washing pump, blowers for washing filters;

 Cartridge filters and high-pressure pumps;

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Measurement systems: flow meters and pressure gauges;

 Reverse osmosis support frame;

 Membrane cleaning system;

 Electro-deionisation module; and

 Storage tanks for water of different qualities (stabilised, filtered, osmotically-treated and demineralised waters)

3.4.2 Wastewater recovery plant

An evaporator unit designed to treat the final waste amount for recovery purposes will be implemented at the end of the stream line. A six (6) effect evaporator was selected with a flow rate of 10 m3/h; the evaporator reject will be discharged at the evaporation pond

Figure 10: 6 Effect evaporators

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

3.4.3 Wastewater purification plant

The CSP Plant will generate several forms of liquid effluent as part of operations. The primary effluents sources generated include –

 Wastewater from the evaporation plant;

 Contaminated surface water i.e. stormwater and rainwater; and

 Sewage effluent.

For a 50 MW –100 MW plant it is estimated that the total volume of discharge, inclusive of sewage water and evaporationsystem discharge is roughly 72 700 m3 per year. As the proposed plant is estimated at generating 100 MW electricity these volumes can be expected to generate between 116 320 and 145 400m3 per annum.

The Wastewater Purification plant will source the wastewater from four independent intake (feeder) systems as per the different types of wastewater.

 System 1 will collect all the containment surface water (stormwater).

 System 2 will be responsible for transporting all sewage effluent to the biological treatment system. This treatment system consists of a septic tank and biological filter.

 System 3 will transport the wastes generated during the evaporationprocess to a wastewater treatment plant.

 Lastly, a system will be designed to collect stormwater (surface water), which will be sent to a drainage pool before it is discharged.

The treatment options for the four systems are based on the types of effluent to be treated. The following treatment options have been defined for each source of effluent –

 Contaminated water treatment system will be installed to separate both clean and dirty surface water where after the different types of grease/hydrocarbon products will be treated and clean surface runoff diverted away from site.

 A biological treatment system will be implemented to treat the sewage effluent from the offices.

3.4.4 Site Access

Infrastructure located in the vicinity of the proposed development include –

 The R31 passes the site on the northern side – running from Kimberley towards Danielskuil/Postmasburg.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 A gravel road D3276 which extends past the western side of the site – i.e. access road from the R31.

 A railway line cuts across from east to west in the northern side of the site. a) Road Access

The site can be accessed from D3276which runs in a southern direction from the R31.

Upon entering the property several existing farm roads are noticed. These farm roads require upgrading for project purposes and it is envisaged that several new gravel roads may have to be constructed to facilitate movement of construction and maintenance vehicles.

 Length of roads (to be confirmed in following design phases)

 Width of roads 7.14 m

 Access points (to be confirmed in following design phases) b) Rail Access

A railway line crosses across the property from east to west in the northern (upper) part of the site from Kimberley towards Postmasburg – Kathu.

3.4.5 Water Consumption and discharge

Water plays a critical role in the day to day operations of the proposed CSP Plant and significant volumes of water will be required during both the construction and operational phase of the proposed development. a) During Construction

During the construction phase water is needed to ensure and maintain soils/surfaces are kept hydrated (wet) during earthmoving operations as to prevent dust generation. For a 100 MWCSP Plant it is estimated that roughly 117 500m3 of water will be required for the entire construction phase, which is estimated to run over a period of 30 months. The volumes of water required during construction can be divided into the following areas of consumption/uses –

 Dust control: Dust control needs to be administered in the working areas. And estimated 242 m3 of water is required per day (precipitation included) for a 100 MW plant. Roughly 42 350 m3 of water is required for dust control purposes throughout the entire construction phase.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

 Irrigation: For the compacting of and/or stabilisation of roads and excavations including the power block and heliostat field. A bowser truck will be used when required for the execution of this task. However as the volume of water required is dependent on the soil conditions and more information is required in this regard only an estimation in this regard can be presented. It is estimated that 51 100m3 of water will be required for the execution of this task.

 Heliostat cleaning: The cleaning of heliostats is vital to the effective operations of the CSP Plant. Heliostats are to be cleaned with demineralised water – and it is calculated that 76 litres of water is required per heliostat. The heliostat field comprises of anywhere between 10 300 and 17 500 heliostats each requiring approximately 76 litres of water equating to 1 318 600 litres.

 Human use and consumption: Potable water is required for human consumption during the heliostat construction and erection phase. It is estimated that roughly 3.8 litres of potable water

 Testing purposes

 Water demineralised

 Raw Water

 Contaminated Water

 Sewage & Effluent b) During normal operation

During normal operational conditions the CSP will require approximately 272 400 m3 per year with peak consumption of approximately 44.5 m3/hr. The plant operates on dry cooling as well as hybrid cooling depending on power plant operational point and cooling requirements. This provides an optimal solution between achieving required plant efficiencies and using as little as possible water.

The plant is also optimized to re-use water where possible and the total system discharge from the plant is fed to an evaporation pond, yearly total approximately 59 600 m3. The balance of water is either evaporated or used in plant washing functions and operational consumption.

The table below shows the water usage for both cases, hybrid cooling and dry cooling.

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Table 3 Operational Water Usage (See Appendix 1 for PFD) Hybrid Dry Cooling Stream No. Stream Description Cooling (m3/h) (m3/h) 1 Water Supply - Drinking Water Quality 44.49 11.34 2 Filtered water 43.15 11.00 3 Filter wash water 1.33 0.34 4 Fire Protection Water 0.00 0.00 5 Domestic Water 4.00 4.00 6 Sanitary Consumption 0.16 0.16 7 Septic System 3.84 3.84 8 Service Water 3.00 3.00 9 Process Consumption 0.10 0.10 10 Eyewash/Safety Showers 0.00 0.00 11 Oil Water Separator 2.90 2.90 12 Water Treatment System 17.04 4.00 13 RO Water 12.86 3.39 14 RO Brine 2.31 0.61 15 Demin Water 12.61 3.32 16 EDI Brine 0.25 0.07 17 Solar Field Mirror Wash 3.32 3.32 18 Make up 11.77 0.00 19 Steam Loses 2.35 0.00 20 Steam Generator Blow Down 9.42 0.00 21 Quench Water 4.71 0.00 22 Vent to Atmosphere 4.71 0.00 23 Blowdown + Quench to Evaporator 9.42 0.00 24 Septic Water to Evap. Pond 3.84 3.84 25 Oil Water Separator to Evap. Pond 2.90 2.90 26 Water Treatment Brine to Evaporator 2.57 0.68 27 Demin from Evaporator to Demin Tank 2.49 0.66 28 Evaporator Brine 0.08 0.02 29 Evaporation pond 6.82 6.76 30 Cooling Tower Makeup 14.40 0.00 31 Cooling Tower Evaporation 12.47 0.00 32 Cooling Tower Drift 0.06 0.00 33 Cooling TowerBlowdown 1.87 0.00

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3.4.6 Administrative Facilities

Additional facilities to be constructed as part of the CSP Plant operational phase include –

 An office building will be constructed for administrative purpose to serve as a centre for project support staff during operations.

 Warehousing;

 Laboratories;

 Training facilities;

 Medical Facilities;

 Ablution facilities.

3.4.7 Storage facilities

It is proposed that the storage facility will have a dual function – during construction this facility will be used for assembly and constructing of the heliostats and when the facility is operational it will serve as a storage facility. The storage facilities during operation will serve for the:

 Storage of general materials;

 Storage of Hazardous material; and

 Storage of Salts.

Salts will be delivered in solid form in one-tonne bags and stored in this facility. The salts will be heated and liquefied for use in the plant as and when required.

3.4.8 Security Infrastructure

The site will be secured at all times, day and night. A security or site access office will be located at the entrance of the CSP Plant to restrict access. The entire site will furthermore be fenced off for security purposes.

3.4.9 Fire protection system

A fire protection and prevention plan will be prepared for both the construction and operational phases of the project. The primary aim of this system will be to preserve and protect human life as well as tangible goods and equipment in the event of a fire. The fire protection system will employ measures to reduce the occurrence of fire in the event of an explosion as well as to contain and prevent fires from happing or entering the site/plant.

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The fire protection and prevention plan will define and delineate the various appropriate emergency exits, identify safe zones (buildings), identify possible sources of combustion as well as to address and present measures of mitigation in the event of a fire.

During construction the CSP Plant will be services with an intermediate fire protection system which will entail anauxiliary pressure pump, fire extinguishers and other portable fire-fighting equipment.

The fire protection system will consist of a water distribution system which aims to curb and restrict fire, in the event of occurrence. Water will be stored in the fire protection system tank and will be sourced from the raw water storage tank. The raw water tank will be fitted with a safety water level. This water level will serve as indication to the plant as to when no raw water is available for use in the water steam cycle, as it is exclusively assigned for fire fighting and protection measures.

The volume of water required for this purpose will be defined by the areas specific character and localities standards.

The fire protection system is fed by two (2) water feeding pumps (electrical and diesel), which will supply the pipe network with the allocated and required water. A small jockey pump will maintain the pressure in the pipe network. The diesel pump is a precautionary measure, and will be designed to commence with operation if and when the jockey pump no longer has the capability to maintain pressure in the pipe network. This pipe network will feed the hydrants situated throughout the plant.

3.4.10 Control and instrumentation system

The control and instrumentation system will be based on a SCADA (Supervisory control and Data Acquisition) distributed control system. This SCADA system consists of PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers), hardware and software, field instrumentation, weather stations and communication devices designed for the monitoring and control of the plant's historical data. A control room will be constructed wherein this system will be housed. Over and above the SCADA the control room will also be equipped with an Ethernet network. All in all the control room will be equipped with the following equipment –

 Web Server;

 SOE Recorder;

 Domain Controller;

 HMI Server Historian;

 Engineering post 1;

 Control room;

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 Printers;

 Operation post 1;

 Operation post 2;

 CCTV; and

 Engineering post 2.

The control room will be linked with the fibre optic network of the control equipment of each of the plant's systems via the Human Machine Interface (HMI) Server Historian and two Ethernet switches.

 Turbine system - EHC system

 Steam generation system - DCU system, linked via fibre optics to the control systems for the salt storage tanks, both cold and hot.

 Receiver - DCU system; includes an HMI interface.

 Monitoring of the heat control signal.

 Control system for the electric part, transformer, and protections.

 Control system for the plant's electric production.

 Control system for the air-cooled condenser.

All of the data collected will be sent to the control room via a communication network (fibre optic/copper cabling).

3.5 ELECTRIC SYSTEM

It is proposed that a medium voltage collection system will be implemented to transport the electricity to a substation which will connect the facility to the national grid via an existing 132 kV Overhead transmission line which passes along the eastern side of the site. The medium voltage collection system will be comprised out of either underground cable or overhead transmission lines (to be determined during the design phase), dependent on the distance and/or terrain conditions of the site.

3.5.1 Distribution and Transmission lines

There is an existing 132kV electricity transmission line running on the eastern side of the site in parallel to the river. ESKOM is furthermore in the process of delineating and determining possible routeing options for the proposed 2016 Network Upgrade project for the area. As part of this project

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It is proposed that a 132kV loop in-loop out (LILO) sub-Transmission line be installed by ESKOM (this will be done via the payment of bulk contributions by the client) to a substation which will connect the new facility to the national grid. A 132/11kV (step-up / step-down) substation will be constructed as close as possible to the generation plant to facilitate the transfer of between 80 to 100 MW of CSP generated power. The new 132kV O/H lines will be constructed along the most direct route (taking environmental constraints into consideration) between the generation plant and the existing 132kV ESKOM O/H line.

It has been determined that the existing 132kV overhead distribution lines will have to be relocated as they cross across site – these negotiations are in process with ESKOM.

3.5.2 Substations

Currently there are no direct substation access points on the site, and it is proposed that the Olien Substation will be used as connection points – as there are 132 and 275kV bays available. ESKOM is still in process of assessing network capacity. . The purpose of this substation is to facilitate connection of the Solar Power Park to the national grid network via the existing transmission facilities as outlined above, if a direct tie in to the existing 132kV lines is not possible.

It is expected that the substation would incorporate an area of approximately 100 x 100 m (10 000 m2) and would consist of a control room, operations and maintenance facility, external 132 kV transformers and electrical switchgear and would be fenced for security and safety.

The final design of the electrical transformer switchyard will be conducted once the power generation capacity is firmed up. This will influence the number and sizes of transformers to be used. It is currently planned to locate the proposed switch yard next to the power block in the southern part of the property, where it will connect the CSP Plant to the existing 132kV ESKOM grid.

Medium and low voltage reticulation will be installed to power the CSP plant, equipment and facilities.

3.5.3 Earthing Network

The earthing grid system will consist of buried stranded copper conductors, ground rods, and ground wells as required.Each service area of the network will be interconnected by at least two earthing conductors.

The earthing system network will be designed to connect to earth all of the frames, conductive parts (metallic) of the electric equipment, the transformers' neutral, lighting equipment protection, switchboards, MCCs, metal electrical wireways and in accordance with SANS 62305 (1-4) & SANS10313.

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The design will ensure that the step and contact voltage levels will not be exceeded, whether by staff exposure or external exposure due to voltage transfer.

The earthing system consists of a number of conduits which are interconnected in order to create a network to which all metal equipment and structures can be connected, both directly and through interconnection cables.The parts of the tower and the adjacent buildings which are constructed of a metal base will be interconnected to the earthing system through the pylon's own structural columns and its underground substructure. Whilst all of the metal parts that form part of the power block's electric system will be connected via a single point to the earthing system.

In terms of the heliostat field, earthing will be done by means of grouping and earthing. Heliostats will be grouped (the number of heliostats per group will be determined in the detailed engineering) where after they will be connected to a local earthing rod.The heliostats' earthing system will include a rod for each group, as well as an electric switchbox with the corresponding distribution of all of the local earthing cables.The earthing rod of this group will be supplementary, for protection against over- voltages (in the event of lightning) in each group of heliostats.

The heliostats' earthing system will be insulated from the earthing network, from the part of the power block, in order to prevent the propagation of voltage failures to earth from the power block itself to the heliostats.All of the non-conductive metal parts in the power block will be insulated from the solar field.

3.6 EMISSION CONTROL AND MONITORING

Diesel-powered equipment includes two fire pumps, and two emergency generators. These will only be operated during bona fide emergencies and periodically for brief periods, as required by relevant codes and standards, for reliability testing or maintenance within strict limitations on acceptable fuels and maximum allowable run hours. Accordingly, these emissions sources will not require monitoring.

3.6.1 NOx Emission Control

NOx will not be generated during operation of the CSP. However, during plant commissioning, the initial melting, heating, and conditioning of the salt will result in limited NOx emissions. For the melting and heating segments of the process, two small boilers each employing ultra-lowNOx burners and flue gas recirculation, will be used to mitigate emissions from the combustion of LPG or natural gas. For the salt conditioning process, a multi-stage wet scrubber will be used to limit NOx emissions from the decomposition of magnesium nitrate inherent in the salt mixture.

This series of operations is limited to a one-time event, resulting in a closed loop system of liquid salt storage and circulation. At no other time will NOx be generated during the operation of the CSP.

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3.6.2 Particulate Emission Control

Particulate emissions will only be of concern during the salt melting, heating, and conditioning processes described above. Particulate emissions will be controlled by the use of best combustion practices, including the measures discussed in the preceding paragraph.

3.6.3 Continuous Emission Monitoring

Continuous emission monitoring will not be used at the CSP, as there is no source of emissions once the plant is fully commissioned, or throughout the life of the plant.

3.7 CSP OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

3.7.1 Plant Start-up Procedure

During the construction phase, diesel/fuel/trucked in LPG will be used for plant start-up and the salt melting process.

During the operational phase, diesel/fuel/trucked in LPG gas will be used for the initial salt heating process and oil for operating of the salt pumps.

A diesel operated stand-by generator will be implemented on site – however it is not expected that this will be used.

Fuel consumption estimations for a 100 MW plant are as follow –

1. Salt Melting Process:

It is estimate that 50 to 70 days are required for initial salt melting for the 100 MW plant. During this period an estimated 35 400 m3of natural gas (final volume of fuel to be confirmed) will be consumed for the melting process.

2. Salt Heating Process:

It is estimated that roughly 15 000 m3/hour of natural gas is required for auxiliary heating of the salt, with an added 2 015 Liters of fuel per day for operating the molten salt pumps.

3.7.2 Plant Operations

The 100 MW plant is designed to maximize solar energy collection during daylight hours while enabling a highly efficient steam turbine power generation cycle to operate during hours of highest system demand, which generally occur during afternoons and early evenings. The process is more efficient than other solar-thermal processes by enabling a highly controllable generation platform that is highly responsive to system load conditions. The project will be dispatchable, load-following, and

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It is anticipated that all the electricity produced by the plant will be up taken by ESKOM. The exact operational profile of the plant will be dependent on weather conditions, and generation controlled by the power purchaser’s economic dispatch decisions and portfolio resource scheduling, transmission constraints and other factors. Given the inherent properties of the thermal energy storage system, the power plant can participate in the day-ahead scheduling market controlled by ESKOMwith the power purchaser acting as Scheduling Coordinator for the generating unit.

On a daily basis, however, the facility would be operated in the following modes:

 Long-Term Hold. The facility is shut down with the heliostats in the stow position, the salt pumps off, the receiver panels, riser, and down-comer are drained, electric heat trace set to trickle heat, and positive air flow is established through the salt side of the receiver. The salt side of the steam generation modules is drained, with heat trace set to low temperature or off on the heat exchangers and associated piping for maintenance, as applicable. The feedwater side of the steam generation modules is also depressurized and drained, with a nitrogen blanket maintained to preclude corrosion inside the system. Salt in the storage tanks is maintained in a liquid state by means of installed electrical heat trace. The ACC is at atmospheric pressure, the steam turbine is shutdown, cold, and off the turning gear. This condition is expected to occur only during periods of extended maintenance outage (more than about 7 days).

 Short-Term Hold. This is a transition mode from Long-Term Hold to Standby as the facility is prepared for operation. The heliostats remain in the stow position. Heat trace on the salt side of the steam generation modules and associated piping is energized. A condensate pump is started to fill the water side of the steam generation modules. A cold salt pump is started to fill the salt side of the steam generation modules and bring the temperatures up to 285°C. The receiver panels, riser, and down-comer remain drained; however, air flow through the salt side of the receiver is terminated in preparation for filling. The feed booster pump is started in preparation to supply feedwater for seal steam demand. The steam turbine is placed on the turning gear in preparation for start-up, and the ACC remains at atmospheric pressure.

 Standby. The heliostats are moved from the stow position to standby aim points, and salt flow is established to the tower. Salt is pumped from the cold salt tank, up the riser, through the upper bypass, the down-comer, the lower bypass and back into the cold salt tank. The heat trace is fully energized. The condensate and the feed booster pumps are running to supply feedwater for seal steam demand. The steam turbine remains on the

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turning gear, and seal steam is admitted to the turbine gland seals as soon as steam conditions permit. Vacuum is established in the ACC.

 Preheat. Heliostats are moved from standby aim points to the receiver panels to preheat the receiver. Salt flow is diverted to fill the receiver panels. Hot salt flow is now initiated and blended with cold salt to bring the steam generation modules up to operating temperature. Hot salt out of the receiver passes through the down-comer and is redirected into the hot salt tank once the salt temperature reaches 565°C. Steam from the superheater is admitted to the steam system to preheat the piping and begin heating the steam turbine. The heat trace cycles off. The steam turbine is on the turning gear, seal steam is maintained to the turbine gland seals, and vacuum is maintained in the ACC.

 Normal Operation. Cold salt flow from the riser is directed through the receiver panels, the down-comer, and to the hot salt tank. The heliostats are focused on the panels, and salt flow control is set to limit salt temperature exiting the receiver to 565°C, and the heat trace is de-energized. Hot salt is now flowing through the steam generating modules and steam flow is being generated in the steam system. As steam temperature, pressure, and flow steadily increase, the steam turbine is taken off the turning gear, and the unit rolled with steam. Once the steam parameters are sufficient, and the turbine metal temperatures have stabilized, the steam turbine generator is ramped to full speed, synchronized to the transmission network, and load increased to rated (dispatched) output.

 Cloud Standby. The salt flow is taken off automatic control. Cold salt flow from the riser continues through the receiver panels, the down-comer, and to the hot salt tank until the salt temperature exiting the receiver drops below 370°C. At the operator’s discretion, salt flow from the down-comer may then be redirected back to the cold salt tank. The heliostats remain focused on the panels, and the heat trace remains de-energized. This is intended to be a short-term condition. If cloud cover persists and will not allow further solar collection, the stored energy in the hot salt may be used to continue to produce steam and operate the steam turbine. Once the hot salt temperature drops and steam quality cannot be maintained, the plant can be placed back into a Standby or Overnight Hold mode, depending on the ambient conditions at that time.

 Supplemental Gas. When hot salt inventory is low, less than six (6) hours, at the operator’s discretion additional hot salt can be produced by operating the two natural gas-fired supplemental heaters. These heaters are sized to run at 100% and one or both units can be activated. During periods of frequent use, these units will be kept warm with pilot heating in order to limit thermal stressing the systems. A small tri-function pump will take salt from the cold tank and route it through the natural gas fired convection heaters and deliver it to the hot salt storage tank.

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 Reduced Load. During periods when the hot salt inventory is low, at the operator’s discretion the steam turbine generator may be turned down to part load level to as much as 20% of design level. The principal purpose to produce sufficient electricity to support plant auxiliary loads and to keep the steam turbine generation system hot and ready for full load without cycling through the start-up process. When operating at this mode, the steam cycle efficiency is reduced substantially.

 Overnight Hold. The facility is partially shut down with the heliostats in the stow position, a limited number of cold salt pumps running for attemperation to reduce heat exchanger temperatures and maintain the steam generation modules at or near 285°C. The receiver panels, riser, and down-comer are drained to the cold salt tank, and electric heat trace is energized as needed. A condensate pump and the feed booster pump are running to supply feedwater for seal steam demand. The steam turbine, once disconnected from the transmission network and steam flow stopped, is placed on the turning gear. Seal steam is maintained to the turbine gland seals, and vacuum is maintained in the ACC. b) Operations and Maintenance Personnel

The plant is expected to employ up to 47 full-time employees. Anticipated job classifications are shown below.

Table 4 Typical Plant Operation & Maintenance Workforce

Department Personnel Shift* Workdays

Operations (20) Plant Ops Standard 8-hour 7 days per week, 24 Personnel days, hours per day (1) Plant Chemist 4 operators per shift (5 crews of 4)

Heliostat Washing (8) Heliostat Standard 8-hour 5 days a week, with Servicemen days additional coverage as required by seasonal and other effects

Maintenance (4)Mechanical 4x10 hour shifts or Monday through Technicians 5x8 hour shifts Friday (4)Electrical/I&C (Maintenance crews Technicians may also work (4) Laborers (Semi- unscheduled days Skilled) and hours as needed to support plant outages)

Administration (6)Total. 4x10 hour shifts or Monday through (1) Plant General 5x8 hour shifts Friday with additional

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Department Personnel Shift* Workdays Manager coverage as needed (1)Ops Superintendent (1) Plant Engineer (1) Maintenance Manager (1) Maintenance Planner (1) Administrative Assistant

* O&M shifts may include nighttime work routines particularly during conditions of extreme summer heat.

The plant operating personnel are responsible for the overall operation of the facility. A shift supervisor, a control room operator, and two field operators will attend to the plant around the clock. Maintenance technicians will attend to the plant equipment maintenance schedule daily, and will be available as needed to attend to urgent needs during evening and night shift operations. The Plant General Manager will be responsible for the plant and all activities associated with operations and maintenance. The Operations Superintendent will be responsible for all matters pertaining to plant operations and report to the Plant General Manager. The Maintenance Manager, with the aid of the Maintenance Planner, will be responsible to the Plant General Manager for maintenance of the plant. The Plant Engineer will also report to the Plant General Manager, and provide engineering support for maintenance and operation’s needs. The Administrative Assistant will report to the Plant General Manager and provide administrative support as directed.

A separate crew dedicated solely to heliostat washing will report to the Maintenance Manager. Heliostat washing is accomplished by filling a number of diesel-fueled tank trucks specially fitted with high-pressure washers. The trucks are filled with demineralized water and then driven slowly through the heliostat field, spraying high pressure water onto the heliostat mirrors effectively removing any accumulated dust or foreign matter. The trucks will be fueled by a separate onsite 38 000 liter diesel storage tank. They will draw water from the demineralized water storage tank via a gravity-fed filling station located adjacent to the power block perimeter road. c) Unplanned Outages

In the unlikely event of an unplanned (forced) outage situation that causes a long-term cessation of facility operations, security of the facilities will be maintained on a 24-hour basis,

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and the regional authority will be notified. Depending on the length of shutdown, a contingency plan for the long-term cessation of operations may be implemented. Such contingency plan will be in conformance with all applicable Laws, Ordinances, Regulations and Standards(LORS) and protection of public health, safety, and the environment. The plan, depending on the expected duration of the shutdown, could include the draining of all chemicals from storage tanks and other equipment and the safe shutdown of all equipment. Salt in the storage tanks would be maintained in a liquid state through means of the installed electrical heaters. All wastes from equipment shutdown will be disposed of according to applicable LORS. If the cessation of operations becomes permanent, the plant will be decommissioned

3.7.3 Water blow down Process

The boiler blowdown stream consists of water purged continuously from the boiler during normal operations to control the concentration of dissolved solids, silica and pH in the boiler following accepted practices and guidelines for corrosion control. Boiler blowdown flow is purged directly from the boiler steam drum and discharged to a flash tank.

Demineralized water is injected into the blowdown flow to limit the temperature of (quench) the blowdown water to prevent rapid flashing and over-pressurization when the blowdown water reaches the flash tank, which is vented to atmospheric pressure. The flash tank collects and retains a minimum volume of water and drains excess volumes in equilibrium discharging to the evaporation ponds in a relatively continuous flow. When the power plant is operating normally under steady-state conditions, cycle feedwater makeup rate and boiler blowdown rate is equal. Flows may vary during transient conditions such as start-up, load-changes and shut-down.

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4 CHAPTER 4: CSP ACTIVITIES REQUIRING ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION

The primary triggers of the EIA process are sanctioned by the various activities to be executed as part of the CSP Plant construction, operation and decommissioning. The primary triggers identified per the EIA regulations of 2010 are listed below along with the applicable activities pertaining to the CSP Plant operational phase. The table below aims to align the activities proposed for the development of the aforementioned CSP Plant with the relevant environmental legislation.

Table 5 Environmental requirements and associated activities

Environmental Requirement Applicable CSP Activities

Regulation No. Regulated activity CSP Activity CSP Subsystems

The construction of facilities or infrastructure exceeding 1 000 meters in length for the bulk GNR. 544, Provision of raw water to the Subsystem 4: (9) transportation of water, sewage or stormwater – Auxiliary Services & 18 June 2010 CSP Plant. (i) with an internal diameter of 0,36 meters or more; or Infrastructure (ii) with a peak throughput of 120 litres per second or more.

The construction of facilities or infrastructure for the Transmission or transfer of Subsystem 4: (10) transmission or distribution of electricity – electricity generated to the (i) outside urban areas or industrial complexes with a Auxiliary Services & substation. capacity of more than 33 but less than 275 kilovolts. Infrastructure

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Environmental Requirement Applicable CSP Activities

The construction of facilities or infrastructure for the storage, or for the storage and handling of Storage of materials – Subsystem 4: (13) dangerous good, where such storage occurs in hazardous nature – for Auxiliary Services & containers with a combined capacity of 80 but not operations and plant start up Infrastructure exceeding 500 cubic meters;

Subsystem 4: Construction of a road, outside urban areas; Routes to access site and (22) (i) where no reserve exists where the road is wider than Auxiliary Services & 8 meters. plant. Infrastructure

The transformation of undeveloped, vacant or derelict land to – Development of entire site and (23) (ii) residential, retail, commercial, recreational, industrial Subsystem 1 - 4 or institution al use, outside an urban area and CSP Plant. where the total area to be transformed is bigger than 1 hectare but less than 20 hectares;

The transformation of land bigger than 1 000 meters in size, to residential, commercial, industrial or Development of entire site and (24) institution use, where at the time of the coming into Subsystem 1 - 4 CSP Plant. effect of this Schedule such land was zoned open space, conservation or had an equivalent zoning.

GNR. 546, Not applicable. Not applicable Not applicable

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Environmental Requirement Applicable CSP Activities 18 June 2010

The construction of facilities for the generation of Transmission or transfer of GNR. 545, (1) electricity where the electricity output is electricity generated to the Subsystem 1 - 4 18 June 2010 20 megawatts or more. substation.

Construction of facilities or infrastructure for the Storage of materials – Subsystem 4: storage, or storage and handling of dangerous good, (3) hazardous nature – for where such storage occurs in containers with a Auxiliary Services & operations and plant start up. combined capacity of more than 500 cubic meters; Infrastructure

The construction of facilities or infrastructure for the bulk transportation of dangerous goods – (i) in gas form, outside an industrial complex, using Storage of materials – (6) pipelines, exceeding 1 000 meters in length, with a hazardous nature – for Subsystem 1 - 4 throughput capacity of more than 700 tons per day;in liquid form, outside an industrial area, using operations and plant start up. pipelines exceeding 1 000 meters in length with a throughput of 50 cubic meters per day.

Physical alteration of undeveloped, vacant or derelict land for residential, commercial, recreational, Development of entire site and (15) Subsystem 1 - 4 industrial or institutional use where the total area to CSP Plant. be transformed is 20 hectares or more.

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5 CHAPTER 5: ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATION

In August 2010, a new set of regulations were promulgated under the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) to guide the undertaking of the EIA process. GNR 543 defines the various steps to be taken with regards to the undertaking of a full scale Scoping and EIA or Basic Assessment, and within the methodology for each of these processes the assessment of alternatives are highlighted as crucially important. When referring to alternatives the following definition applies as per the GNR 543:

“Alternatives”, in relation to a proposed activity, means the different means of meeting the general purpose and requirements of the activity, which may include alternatives to – a) The property on which or location where it is proposed to undertake the activity; b) The type of activity to be undertaken; c) The design or layout of the activity; d) The technology to be used in the activity; e) The operational aspects of the activity; and f) The option of not implementing the activity.

For the purpose of the proposed EIA only options(c), d) and (f) will have relevance in terms ofproject alternatives.

In terms of (c) various plant design or layout positions on the proposed site will be assessed as alternatives. For the purpose of the EIA application and in terms of (d) three (3) possible technology alternatives have been identified as development options and will be considered and assessed. In relation to (f) the no-go alternative will also be assessed in order to reflect the potential impact if the proposed project will not be implemented.

5.1 NO-GO ALTERNATIVE

In relation to the EIA Regulations the no-go alternative must be investigated in some degree of detail to determine in very simplified terms how the environment (biophysical and social) would be impacted on should the proposed project not be implemented. The current status quo would be maintained by not implementing the proposed CSP Plant. The current farming activities will continue and the land use will not change. No new jobs will be created and no skills development or infrastructure development will be resultant from the current activities on the land. The impact on natural vegetation will remain unchanged with the continuance of current livestock grazing practices. The extraction of groundwater from a borehole on the site for watering livestock will remain unchanged.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

5.2 LOCATION OPTIONS

The options for the proposed location of the CSP are limited to the Farm 267, Arriesfontein,Barkley WesRD. However more than one design or layout option of the proposed plant on the selected site will be investigated. The selection of the proposed site and the different plant design or layout positions are driven by various technical and operational factors pertinent to the development of the CSP Plant.

5.3 TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

The three (3) technology alternatives that are being considered relates to the water consumption of the plant and particularly the consumption of the cooling systems. The cooling system is the only variable in terms of water consumption.

The three cooling system options are dry, wet and hybrid cooling. The estimated water consumption during the construction phase remains constant irrespective of the cooling option chosen. The consumption during operation however will be influenced by the selected cooling system. The dry system consumes approximately 90% less water than the wet system and moderately less than the hybrid cooling system and the availability of water will be a determining factor of the option to be selected.

5.3.1 Condensate System – Wet cooling System

A wet cooling tower is a conventional design and is the most common and economic alternative. This form of technology application and system design is based on the one hand by convective heat transfer, and on the other hand, evaporation of the water (increase in the air’s humidity). As a result, the cooling water temperature that can be obtained from a wet cooling tower isn’t solely operative from the ambient temperature but also from the air humidity (air with 100% humidity). This type of technology results in severe water loss of which the primary reasons for loss of water in the cooling tower include:

 Evaporation

The required water supply represents approximately 2.4% of the total quantity of water circulating through the system.

 Loss due to Solid Impurities

The solid impurity losses in the tower can be controlled by special droplet separation equipment.

 Purging

Water purging is necessary to maintain the mineral content in the water below a certain level and to eliminate other impurities from the system. The quantity of water purges varies significantly depending

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT on the quality of the water supply and the level of impurities that are tolerated in the system (materials from the heat exchanger and pipes).

In addition to purging, it is necessary to add certain chemical products to the system to prevent corrosion.

 Condenser

The condenser is a steam/water heat exchanger. In order to attain the maximum production capacity of electricity, it works with the greatest depression possible in order to reach the maximum contents of water permitted at the end of the turbine.

 CondensationPumps

The pumps will extract the condensate from the condenser and send it to the de-aerator, passing through the corresponding preheaters for the low pressure feed water.

Characteristics of the Condensate Pumps:

 Type: Vertical Can

 Number of pumps: 3

 Capacity per Pump: 65 m³/h

 Voltage (V/Hz): 400 / 50

 Power: T.B.D.

 Level of Protection: IP 55

5.3.2 Hybrid Cooling System

In order to reduce project’s water consumption, a hybrid cooling system has been considered to condensate the LP steam exhaust from the turbine. The hybrid cooling system is a combination of wet and dry cooling. This kind of cooling system is also called parallel condensing system (PCS) in order to clarify that the system is made up with a wet cooling tower and a surface condenser and an air cooled condenser (ACC) in a parallel configuration. In this system the heat duty from steam turbine is split in both cooling ways. The split between both systems can be adjusted to different ratios.

5.3.3 Dry Cooling System

This cooling system consists of an exhaust transfer duct (extending between the exhaust flange of the steam turbine and the condenser inlet), an ACC, a condensate collection tank, and a condensate pumping system. The ACC receives exhaust steam from the steam turbine exhaust duct into the z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 54 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT bundled finned-tube sections of the condenser. Fans located beneath the condenser force ambient air across the heat transfer fins, cooling and condensing the steam into condensate. The finned tubes are usually arranged in the form of an A frame (or delta) above the forced draft fans, which minimizes the overall footprint of the ACC and optimizes air flow and heat transfer. Condensed steam is manifolded to a condensate collection tank from which the condensate pumps take suction, pumping the condensate back into the cycle.

The ACC can condense steam to within 15°C to 28°C of the ambient dry-bulb temperature depending on actual operating conditions. This air-cooled system does not require any water for cooling and condensing the steam back into a liquid state. Liquid-ring vacuum pumps or steam jet air ejectors will be used to initially draw and maintain vacuum on the condenser for startup and during normal operation.

5.3.4 Auxiliary Cooling System - Dry Cooling

A closed-circuit cooling system for the plant's auxiliary components will be installed. The system will use a mixture of demineralised water and propylene glycol.

The cooling system will include the following elements:

 One (1) air-cooler at 100% capacity (fin-fan cooler)

 One (1) wet-surface air-cooler

 Two (2) water cooling pumps, 100% capacity each

 Pipes, valves, instrumentation, etc.

 Connections to the equipment to be cooled,

The materials the pumps are manufactured of will be appropriate for the fluid being pumped. In addition, the power of the chosen motor will allow for the pump to function at any point of its curve without the motor being overloaded.

The motor-pump group will also include a carbon steel base structure designed to bear the weight of the equipment. The entire set of equipment will be installed on an appropriately-sized concrete foundation.

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

Appendix 1 Water Balance - preliminary values for maximum usage of Hybrid cooling

SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD ARRIESFONTEIN CONCENTRATED THERMAL SOLAR POWER TOWER ON THE FARM 267, BARKLEY WES RD, IN THE NORTHERN CAPE TECHNICAL REPORT - CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

CT Evaporation Drift 3112.47 32 0.06

CT Makeup 3 Filter wash water 30 14.40 CT Blowdown Values in m /hour 1 44.49 3 1.33 33 1.87 Water Suppy 2 Prefiltration 43.15 Water Treatment System R/O Plant (3 stages) R: 75% RO Water 12 17.04 13 12.86 R: 98% Demin Water Filtration 1512.61 17 3.32 EID Fire Protection Water Demin water SF Mirror Wash Tank 4 0.00 Domestic Water Filtered Water 5 Sanitary Consumption RO Brine EDI Brine Make up Storage/Fire Water 4.00 Tank Domestic Water 61416180.16 2.31 0.25 11.77 Service Water Steam Loses 8 3.00 Process Consumption 19 2.35 Steam Cycle 9 0.10 Service Water System Eyewash/Safety Showers 10 0.00 Septic System Oil Water Separator 272.49 20 9.42 7113.84 2.90 Demin from Evaporator to Demin Tank Steam Generator Blow Down Vent to Atmosphere Oil Water 22 4.71 Separator 25 2.90 Blow Down Septic Oil Water Separator to Evap. Pond Quench Water System 21 4.71 Blowdown + Quench to Evaporator 24 3.84 Water Treatment Brine to Evaporator 23 9.42 Septic Water to Evap. Pond 26 2.57 Evaporation

28 0.08 Evaportator Brine

Evaporation Pond 29 6.82 Evaporation pond

z:\02-environmental management projects\260380pwe - solarreserve arriesfontein\08 reports\003_eir\csp eiar_appendix\appendix c_tech report\0206_arriesfontein csp_technical scope of work_001 (lr).docm Page 57 256990PWE : 08-008Rev 001 : 03 February 2012 SOLARRESERVE SA (PTY) LTD DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT ON THE FARM 267, NEAR DANIELSKUIL IN THE NORTHERN CAPE DEA REFERENCE: 12/12/20/2646

Appendix D–Issues and Response Report

To be Included in Final EIA Report