Tyalara -Qunu 132 Kv Power Line and Associated Infrastructure
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC (PTY) LTD DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF ESKOM TYALARA -QUNU 132 KV POWER LINE AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2013 J31096 GIBB Environmental 9 Pearce Road East London, South Africa 5241 www.gibb.co.za Contact : Mervin Olivier Tel: +27 43 706 3656 Fax: +27 43 721 0141 [email protected] DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF ESKOM TYALARA-QUNU 132KV POWER LINE AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE CONTENTS Chapter Description Page SECTION A: ACTIVITY INFORMATION ......................................................................................... 3 SECTION B: SITE/AREA/PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ................................................................... 29 SECTION C: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................ 48 SECTION D: IMPACT ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 51 SECTION E: RECOMMENDATION OF PRACTITIONER ............................................................... 79 SECTION F: APPENDIXES ......................................................................................................... 81 APPENDICES Appendix A1: 21-Digit Site Reference Appendix A2: 250m Coordinates Appendix A3: Locality Map Appendix A4: Vegetation Map Appendix A5: Terrestrial Critical Biodiversity Areas Appendix A6: Aquatic Critical Biodiversity Areas Appendix A7: Route Deviation around Nelson Mandela’s Property Appendix B: Photographs Appendix C1: Facility Illustration - Route Delineation Appendix C2: Facility Illustration - Structure Design Appendix D1: Specialist reports: Avifaunal Impact Assessment Appendix D2: Specialist reports: Archaeological Impact Assessment Appendix D3: Specialist reports: Paleontological Impact Assessment Appendix E: Public Participation Process Report Appendix F: Detailed Impact Assessment Appendix G: Environmental Management Programme Appendix H1: Details of the Environmental Assessment Practitioner Appendix H2: Curriculum Vitae of the Environmental Assessment Practitioner Appendix H3: Environmental Assessment Practitioner Declaration of Independence Appendix I1: Specialists Declaration of Interest - Avifaunal Appendix I2: Specialists Declaration of Interest - Archaeology Appendix I3: Specialists Declaration of Interest - Palaeontology Appendix J: Other Information (NONE) BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT (For official use only) File Reference Number: Application Number: Date Received: Basic assessment report in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010, promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), as amended. Kindly note that: 1. This basic assessment report is a standard report that may be required by a competent authority in terms of the EIA Regulations, 2010 and is meant to streamline applications. Please make sure that it is the report used by the particular competent authority for the activity that is being applied for. 2. This report format is current as of 1 September 2012 . It is the responsibility of the applicant to ascertain whether subsequent versions of the form have been published or produced by the competent authority 3. The report must be typed within the spaces provided in the form. The size of the spaces provided is not necessarily indicative of the amount of information to be provided. The report is in the form of a table that can extend itself as each space is filled with typing. 4. Where applicable tick the boxes that are applicable in the report. 5. An incomplete report may be returned to the applicant for revision. 6. The use of “not applicable” in the report must be done with circumspection because if it is used in respect of material information that is required by the competent authority for assessing the application, it may result in the rejection of the application as provided for in the regulations. 7. This report must be handed in at offices of the relevant competent authority as determined by each authority. 8. No faxed or e-mailed reports will be accepted. 9. The signature of the EAP on the report must be an original signature. 10. The report must be compiled by an independent environmental assessment practitioner. 11. Unless protected by law, all information in the report will become public information on receipt by the competent authority. Any interested and affected party should be provided with the information contained in this report on request, during any stage of the application process. 12. A competent authority may require that for specified types of activities in defined situations only parts of this report need to be completed. 13. Should a specialist report or report on a specialised process be submitted at any stage for any part of this application, the terms of reference for such report must also be submitted. 1 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT 14. Two (2) colour hard copies and one (1) electronic copy of the report must be submitted to the competent authority. 15. Shape files (.shp) for maps must be included on the electronic copy of the report submitted to the competent authority. 2 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT SECTION A: ACTIVITY INFORMATION Has a specialist been consulted to assist with the completion of this section? YES NO If YES, please complete the form entitled “Details of specialist and declaration of interest” for the specialist appointed and attach in Appendix I. 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION a) Describe the project associated with the listed activities applied for INTRODUCTION Eskom’s core business is the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. Eskom generates approximately 95% of the South African electricity in accordance with supply and demand requirements. Reliable provision of electricity by Eskom is critical for industrial and sustainable development in South Africa, which inevitably provides and sustains job opportunities for jobseekers. As electricity cannot be stored, power is generated and delivered over long distances to where it is required. This is achieved through thousands of kilometres of high voltage transmission and distribution lines which transmit this power from power stations located outside the Eastern Cape Province, to Eskom’s major substations. At these major substations, the voltage loading is reduced and distributed to smaller substations. From here the voltage is further reduced for distribution to industry, businesses, farms and homes. In order to maintain a reliable power supply within the entire network, the voltages at all substations are required to be within certain desired limits. If the network is operated at voltages below these limits, power outages may be experienced, which results in unreliable electricity supply. In order to avoid this, the distribution network must have the capacity to supply the electricity required by customers at all times. The network must therefore be designed with reserve distribution capacity in order to ensure an uninterruptable supply of electricity. GENERAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION GIBB has been appointed by Eskom Distribution to conduct a Basic Assessment as part of a network strengthening project in the Province of the Eastern Cape. The project in its entirety entails the rebuilding of existing power lines and construction of new 132 kV Eskom power line on guyed steel monopole structures from the Neptune substation located near East London to the Vuyani substation located near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The total line distance is 180.2 km comprising 86.4 km of new servitude and 93.8 km break and build of old servitude, as depicted in Figure 1. (A larger version of the Map is attached in Appendix A) 3 BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT Figure 1: Locality map for the entire power line showing sections to be rebuilt (green) and construction of new sections (red). The project links 132 kV Eskom power lines over a distance of 180.2 km between seven (7) substations, as follows: • Neptune – Chaba • Chaba – Butterworth • Butterworth – Idutywa • Idutywa – Tyalara • Tyalara – Qunu • Qunu – Vuyani This Basic Assessment Report is for a project component, specifically the Tyalara to Qunu section , whose details are provided below. DESCRIPTION OF THE TYALARA-QUNU 132 KV LINE The proposed section from Tyalara to Qunu entails the re-building of approximately 15.5 km and construction of 2 km of new Chickadee 132 kV power line on guyed steel monopole structures. The proposed power line takes off from the Tyalara substation (31°54'34.62" S and 28°29'8.04" E) and travels in a north east direction to the Qunu substation (31°48'17.09"S and 28°37'5.05"E). Both substations are situated within the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality (KSDLM) and the Qunu substation is situated approximately 30 km south of Mthatha, along the N2. 4 BASIC ASSESSMENT REP ORT Figure 2: Ariel image showing the location of the proposed Tyalara Qunu powerline, 30 km south of Mthatha, along the N2. The proposed project will involve the construction of: • 17.5 km of 132 kV overhead Chickadee power line • 58 guyed steel monopole struct ures. The new Tyalara - Qunu 132 kV overhead power line is required to strengthen the electricity grid supply to the eastern areas of the KSDLM and improve the network: • The new network with longer lifespan • Improve network integrity/reliability • This will also create a stronger network since it will be supplied from two 400 kV sources. 4. LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT The take-off point of the proposed Tyalara - Qunu 132