ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS DRAFT SCOPING REPORT PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON HARTEBEESTPAN FARM, CHRISTIANA PV 2 (75MW), NORTH-WEST PROVINCE DEA Ref. No: 14/12/16/3/3/1/259 DRAFT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW 20 January 2012 - 20 February 2012 Prepared for: Solar Reserve South Africa (Pty) Ltd SOLARRESERVEe 159 Rivonia Road Sa ndton 2191 Prepared by: UNIT 606, 1""*10 EeL-IN OFFICE PARK 1'"" EGLIN ROAD, SUNNINGH Il-L..., 6AUTENG PO BOx l~a , SUNNINGHILL, 2157 TEL-: + 27 (0)11 2.3.q 6621 FAX: +27 (0)86 sa... 05<0:17 E - MAIL..: RAV I SHA®SAVANNAHSA.COM ~L'·"'".·""' . SAVANNAHSA . COM PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON HARTEBEESTPAN FARM, CHRISTIANA PV 2 (75MW) , NORTH­ WEST PROVINCE Draft Scoping Report January 2012 PROJECT DETAILS DEA Reference No. 14/ 12/ 16/ 3/ 3/ 1/ 259 Title Environmental Impact Assessment Process Draft Scoping Report: Proposed Solar Energy Facility on Hartebeestpan Farm, Christiana PV 2, North-West Province Authors Savannah En vironmental (pty) Ltd Ravisha Ajodhapersadh Jo-Anne Thomas Sub·consultants David Hoare Consulting cc Terra Soil Science MetroGIS Heritage Contracts and Archaeological Consulting CC (HCAC) Batho Earth Sustainable Futures ZA Client Solar Reserve South Africa (pty) Ltd Report Status Draft Scoping Report for Public Review Review Period 20 January 2012 - 20 February 2012 When used as a reference this report should be cited as: Savannah Environmental (20 12) Draft Scoping Report: Draft Scoping Rep ort: Proposed Solar Energy Facility on Hartebeestpan Farm, Christiana PV 2, North-West Province COPYRIGHT RESERVEO This t echnica l report has been produced for Solar Reserve South Africa (Pty) Ltd . The intellectual property contained in t his report remains vested in Savannah Environmental (pty) Ltd, No part of the report may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Savannah En vironmental (pty) Ltd or So lar Reserve South Africa (pty) Ltd. Project Details Pa ge i PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON HARTEBEESTPAN FARM, CHRISTIANA PV 2 (75MW) , NORTH · WEST PROVINCE Draft Seoping Report January 2012 PURPOSE OF THE SCOPING REPORT Solar Reserve South Africa (Pty) Ltd is proposing the establishment of a 150MW commercial photovoltaic (PV) solar energy facility and associated infrastructure on the remainder of Portion 2 of Farm Hartebeestpan 330, which is located approximately 12 kilometres south-west of Christiana in the North-West Province (refer to Figure 1.1). The project is referred to as Christiana PV 2. The solar energy facility is proposed to accommodate several arrays of tracking photovoltaic (PV) panels and associated infrastructure. From a regional perspective, this region of the North-West Province is preferred by virtue of its climatic conditions (primarily due to the economic viability of a solar energy facility being directly dependent on the annual direct so lar irradiation va lues for a particular area). From a local perspective, the site is preferred due to suitable topography, grid connection (as an Eskom substation is located on the site), access, and by virtue of the extent of the site. Solar Reserve South Africa (pty) Ltd has appointed Savannah Environmental as the independent environmental consultant to undertake the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed facility. The EIA process is being undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the EIA Regulations of June 2010 (of GNR543) promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA; Act No. 107 of 1998). This Draft Scoping Report represents the findings of the Scoping Phase of the EIA process and contains the following sections: » Chapter 1 provides background to the proposed solar energy facility and the environmental impact assessment process. » Chapter 2 describes the components of the proposed project. » Chapter 3 outlines the process which was followed during the Scoping Phase of the EIA process. » Chapter 4 describes the existing biophysical and socio-economic environment affected by the proposed project. » Chapter 5 provides a desktop assessment of the potential environmental and social impacts associated with the two development phases of the proposed project. » Chapter 6 presents the conclusions of the scoping evaluation. » Chapter 7 describes the Plan of Study for EIA. » Chapter 8 provides references used in the compilation of this Scoping Report. Invitation to Comment on the Draft Seeping Report Page ii PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON HARTEBEESTPAN FARM, CHRISTIANA PV 2 (75MW), NORTH­ WEST PROVINCE Draft Seoping Report January 2012 INVITATION TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT SCOPING REPORT This Draft Seoping Report has been made available for public review at the following places, which lie in the vicinity of the proposed project area from 20 January 2012 - 20 February 2012: » Christiana Public Library » Bloemhof Public Library The report is also available for download on: » www.savannahsa.com Please submit your comments to Shawn Johnston of Sustainable Futures ZA PO Box 749, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701 Tel : 083 325 9965 Fax: 0865102537 Email: [email protected] The due date for comments on the Draft Scoping Report is 20 February 2012 Comments can be made as written submission via fax, post or e-mail. PUBLIC MEETING In order to further facilitate co mments on this Draft Scoping Report and to provide feedback on the findings of the specialist scoping studies, a public feedback meeting will be held during the review period. All interested and affected parties are invited to attend a public meeting to be on: » Date: Tuesday, 31 January 2012 » Time: 17:30 - 19:00 » Venue: Protea Hotel - Christiana (on Main Road) Invitation to Com ment on the Draft Seoping Report Page ill PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON HARTEBEESTPAN FARM, CHRISTIANA PV 2 (75MW) NORTH- WEST PROVINCE ' Draft Seeping Report January 2012 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Scoping Report. It should be noted that Solar Reserve South Africa (Pty) Background Ltd is also proposing the development of a 15 MW facility on Solar Reserve South Africa (Pty) Ltd Portion 2 of Farm Hartebeestpan is proposing the establishment of a 330. This project would be referred 150MW commercial photovoltaic (PV) to as Christiana PV 1. A separate solar energy facility and associated Basic Assessment Process for this infrastructure on the remainder of project is being undertaken'- This Portion 2 of Farm Hartebeestpan report will thus not focus on the 330, which is located approximately Christiana PV 1 project. 12 kilometres south-west of Christiana in the North-West Province Project Location (refer to Figure 1.1). The project is referred to as Ch ristiana PV 2 . The Christiana PV 2 Solar Energy Facility is proposed to be established The solar energy facility is proposed on the remainder of Portion 2 of the to accommodate several arrays of Farm Hartebeestpan 330, which falls tracking photov oltaic (PV) panels within the Lekwa-Teemane Local and associated infrastructure. From Municipality of the North-West a regional perspective, this region of Province. The identified site has the North-West Province is preferred existing road access via the N12 and by virtue of its cl imatic conditions other secondary roads. The larger (primarily due to the economic site covers an area of approximately viability of a solar energy facility 428 hectares (ha) which is the extent being directly dependent on t he of the farm portion that is being annual direct solar irradiation va lues assessed in the EIA process. The for a particular area). From a local development footprint is not perspective, the site is preferred due precisely known at this stage but will to suitable topography, grid be confirmed during the EIA Phase connection (as an Eskom substation and is currently estimated to be is located on the site), access, and roughly 20 hectares for each block of by virtue of the extent of the site. 10 MW. The facility can therefore be appropriately placed within the larger An EIA process and publiC site taking environmental and any participation process is being other identified constraints into undertaken for the proposed. The consideration. nature and extent of this facility, as well as potential environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation and decommissioning phases are 1 This project is registered under DEA explored in more detail in this Draft Reference number 14/ 12/ 16/ 3/ 3/ 1/ 424 Executive Summary Page iv PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON HARTEBEESTPAN FARM, CHRISTIANA PV 2 (75MW), NORTH­ WEST PROVINCE Draft Seoping Report January 2012 Project Components Evaluation of the Proposed Project The proposed facility is envisaged to The main issues identified through make use of photovoltaic (PV) this scoping study associated with technology with a maximum total the proposed solar energy facility are generating capacity of ~75 MW and summarised in Table 1. will include the following infrastructure: As can be seen from the table above, the majority of potential impacts » Mounting structure to be either identified to be associated with the rammed steel piles or piles with construction of the solar energy pre-manufactured concrete facility are anticipated to be localised footings to support the PV and restricted to the proposed site panels; itself (apart from social impacts - job » Cabling between the project creation which could have more of a components, to be lain regional positive impact; and visual underground where practical; impacts which would extend beyond » Internal access roads and the site boundaries), while fencing; operational phase impacts range » Workshop area for maintenance from local to regional and national storage, office, tOilets; water (being the positive impact of storage tanks; and contribution of clean energy as part » Upgrade of the Bloemheuwel of the energy mix in South Africa; Rural 132/22kV substation which and visua l impacts which would is located on the site. extend beyond the site boundaries). No environmental fatal flaws or no go The overarching objective for the areas have been identified at this solar energy facility is to maximise stage to be associated with the site.