Proposed Boulders Wind Farm, West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape Province
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PROPOSED BOULDERS WIND FARM, WEST COAST DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE DEA Reference: 14/12/16/3/3/2/1057 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Prepared for: Vredenburg Windfarm (Pty) Ltd. Prepared by: CES EAST LONDON 25 Tecoma Street Berea, East London, 5214 043 726 7809 Also in Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Maputo (Mozambique) www.cesnet.co.za | www.eoh.co.za May 2019 DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report – May 2019 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION This document contains intellectual property and propriety information that is protected by copyright in favour of CES and the specialist consultants. The document may therefore not be reproduced, used or distributed to any third party without the prior written consent of CES. This document is prepared exclusively for submission to Vredenburg Windfarm (Pty) Ltd., and is subject to all confidentiality, copyright and trade secrets, rules intellectual property law and practices of South Africa. CES i Boulders Wind Farm DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report – May 2019 This Report should be cited as follows: CES, May 2019: Proposed Boulders Wind Farm, Environmental Impact Assessment Report, CES East London. REVISIONS TRACKING TABLE CES Report Revision and Tracking Schedule Document Title Boulders Wind Energy Facility, Western Cape Client Name & Vredenburg Windfarm (Pty) Ltd. Address Document Reference DEA Ref: 14/12/16/3/3/2/1057 Status DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report Issue Date May 2019 Lead Author Dr Alan Carter CES Reviewer Dr Ted Avis CES Study Leader or Registered Dr Alan Carter Environmental Assessment CES Dr Ted Avis Practitioner Approval Circulated to No. of hard No. electronic copies copies Department of Environmental 2 2 Report Distribution Affairs (DEA) Western Cape Government Environmental Affairs And 1 Development Planning This document has been prepared in accordance with the scope of CES appointment and contains intellectual property and proprietary information that is protected by copyright in favour of CES. The document may therefore not be reproduced, used or distributed to any third party without the prior written consent of CES. This document is prepared exclusively for use by CES’s client. CES accepts no liability for any use of this document other than by its client and only for the CES purposes for which it was prepared. No person other than the client East London may copy (in whole or in part) use or rely on the contents of this 25 Tecoma Street document, without the prior written permission of CES. The document Berea, East London is subject to all confidentiality, copyright and trade secrets rules, 5214 intellectual property law and practices of South Africa. +27 43 726 7809 [email protected] www.cesnet.co.za Also in Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Maputo (Mozambique) and Romsey (UK) CES ii Boulders Wind Farm DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report – May 2019 THE PROJECT TEAM CES has been appointed by Vredenburg Windfarm (Pty) Ltd. to conclude the Boulders Wind Farm Environmental Impact Assessment process. CES now takes over from Savannah Environmental as independent consultants to undertake an EIA process for the proposed project, as required by the NEMA EIA Regulations, 2014, as amended. The EAP is largely dependent on the information and assessments provided by the independent specialists and the input received during the public participation process in order to inform the overall environmental assessment of the proposed development on both environmental and social aspects. The process where the environmental impacts associated with a project are assessed is a collective effort from a team of appropriate and independent specialists, as well as an independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP). The EIA report is required to assess the planned development from a holistic perspective, considering all aspects and characteristics within the affected natural and social environment. The following specialist consultants have provided expert input and a detailed assessment of the project within their area of expertise, in order to assess the environmental and social impacts within the affected environment, as well as the acceptability of the application. CES team and responsibilities CES TEAM MEMBER PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES Dr Ted Avis Project Leader Dr Alan Carter Project Manager, Lead Report Writer & Specialist Reviewer Ms Maura Talbot Public Participation Specialist & Specialist Reviewer Dr Greer Hawley Specialist Reviewer Ms Caroline Evans Assistant Report Writer GIS Specialist Mr Michael Johnson Visual Specialist Sub-consultant team members and areas of expertise TEAM MEMBER COMPANY AREA OF EXPERTISE Tony Barbour Environmental Consulting and Mr Tony Barbour Socio-Economic Research Ms Elena Broughton Urban-Econ Socio-Economic Mr Saul du Toit Appraisal Corporation Property Evaluation Mr Lourens du Plessis LoGIS Visual Mr Michael Johnson CES Visual Mr Tim Hart Cultural Heritage, Ms Kathryn Smuts ACO Associates Archaeology and Mr John Pether Palaeontology Mr Simon Todd Simon Todd Consulting Ecology CES iii Boulders Wind Farm DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report – May 2019 TEAM MEMBER COMPANY AREA OF EXPERTISE Mr Miguel Mascarenhas Mr Craig Campbell Bioinsight South Africa Avifauna Ms Margarida Augusto Ms Stacey Jordaan Gaia Environmental Services Bats Mr Stephen van Scientific Aquatic Services Freshwater Systems Staden Mr Johann Laubscher Soils and Agricultural Stellenbosch University Mr Freddie Ellis Potential Mr Morné de Jager Enviro-Acoustic Research Noise Mr Pieter Arangie ITS Global Traffic Mr Theodore Neels CES iv Boulders Wind Farm DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report – May 2019 GENERAL SITE INFORMATION Table 1: Affected Farm Portions Project Name Boulders Wind Farm Province Western Cape Province District Municipality West Coast District Municipality Local Municipality Saldanha Bay Local Municipality Ward Number(s) Ward 11 Paternoster (7km west) Closest Town(s) St Helena Bay (7km northeast) Vredenburg (12km south) Portion / Zoning Farm Name SG Digit Number Farm Number Area (ha) Boebezaks Kraal C04600000000004000002 2/40 Agriculture 891.17 Boebezaks Kraal C04600000000004000003 3/40 Agriculture 328.97 Boebezaks Kraal C04600000000004000005 5/40 Agriculture 271.58 Frans Vlei C04600000000004600002 2/46 Agriculture 149.91 Schuitjes Klip C04600000000002200003 3/22 Agriculture 899.61 Schuitjes Klip C04600000000002200001 1/22 Agriculture 843.56 Davids Fontyn C04600000000001800009 9/18 Agriculture 85.61 Davids Fontyn C04600000000001800007 7/18 Agriculture 428.98 Het Schuytje C04600000000002100001 1/21 Agriculture 445.59 Uitkomst C04600000000002300006 RE/6/23 Agriculture 757.15 TOTAL 5 102.13ha Turbine Design Specifications Number of turbines 45 (maximum) Power output per turbine 3.15MW (maximum) Facility output 140MW (maximum) Turbine hub height 120m (maximum) Foundation dimensions 570m2 per turbine Laydown area dimensions 2 624m2 per turbine Blade length 45m Rotor diameter 103m (maximum) Onsite Measured Wind Parameters Two met mast have been installed on the project site to assess and confirm the expected wind potential for this site. The first mast, with a maximum measurement height of 85m, was installed and commissioned in March 2015. The second mast, with a maximum measurement height of 120m, was installed and commissioned in Aug 2016. The results of these measurements confirm and exceed the expected wind potential at the site based on the South African Wind Atlas. CES v Boulders Wind Farm DRAFT Environmental Impact Assessment Report – May 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION IN SOUTH AFRICA................................................................................ 5 1.3 NATURE AND STRUCTURE OF THIS REPORT .............................................................................................. 9 1.4 DETAILS AND EXPERTISE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER................................. 10 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................... 13 2.1 PROJECT LOCALITY ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 PROPOSED ACTIVITY ................................................................................................................................ 15 2.2.1 Wind Farm ........................................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.2 Production of Electricity from Wind .................................................................................................. 15 2.3 STAGES OF WIND FARM DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................. 16 2.3.1 Preliminary Civil Works ..................................................................................................................... 17 2.3.2 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 17 2.3.3 Electrical connections .......................................................................................................................