Notice of Intent to Develop for Orlight Sa(Pty) Ltd Solar Pv Project
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NOTICE OF INTENT TO DEVELOP FOR ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD SOLAR PV PROJECT LOERIESFONTEIN SITE ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD FEBRUARY 2012 NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO DEVELOP NEAS Reference: DEA/EIA/0000825/2011 DEA Reference: 12/12/20/2632 PROPOSED LOERIESFONTEIN PHOTO-VOLTAIC SOLAR POWER PLANT ON PORTION 1 OF THE FARM KLEINE ROOIBERG 227 RD, NORTHERN CAPE Orlight SA (Pty) Ltd (Orlight SA), a subsidiary of BSG Resources Limited, is proposing to construct and operate five Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Plants, to be located in the Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa. Digby Wells Environmental (Digby Wells) has been appointed by Orlight SA as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) responsible for undertaking the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed Solar PV Power Plants. This Notification of Intent to Develop (NID) is submitted in terms of Section 38 of the National Heritage Resources Act, 25 of 1999 (NHRA). Detailed information regarding the proposed PV Power Plants can be found in the Appendix A: Background Information Document (BID). This NID provides pertinent details for the proposed PV development on the Remaining Extent of the Farm Kleine Rooiberg 227 RD, near Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape. 1 GEOGRAPHICAL DETAILS Name of property: Kleine Rooiberg Street address or location (eg: off R44): N/A Erf or farm number/s: Portion 5 of the farm Kleine Rooberg 227 Coordinates (WGS 84 datum): (See attached drawing) Town or District: Calvinia Responsible Municipality: Hantam Local Municipality Extent of property: 3 708.9164 ha Maximum extent of proposed develop on 350 ha property: _________________________________________________ Digby W ells & Associates (Pty) Ltd. Co. Reg. No. 1999/05985/07. Fern Isle, Section 10, 359 Pretoria Ave Randburg Private Bag X10046, Randburg, 2125, South Africa Tel: +27 11 789 9495, Fax: +27 11 789 9498, [email protected], www.digbywells.com _________________________________________________ Directors: AR W ilke, CD W ells, LF Koeslag, PD Tanner (British)*, AJ Reynolds (Chairman) (British)*, GE Trusler (C.E.O) *Non-Executive _________________________________________________ Current use: Sheep grazing, Predominant land use/s of surrounding Grazing, ESKOM transmission lines and properties: substation 2 REGISTERED OWNER OF PROPERTY Name: Die Hentie van der Westhuizen Familietrust Address: 104 Aerodrome Rd Strand, 7140 Telephone Number: 021 852 8536 Cell Number: 083 258 4952 Email Address: [email protected] Signature of the Owner: Date: 6 February 2012 3 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 3.1 Proposed activities The construction of a 40 MW solar PV power plant. The power plant infrastructure will consist of a ground mounting system, solar PV panels, inverters, switchboards and transformer. The proposed activities and triggers are as follows: The construction of a 40 MW solar PV power plant. The power plant infrastructure will consist of a ground mounting system, solar PV panels, inverters, switchboards and transformer. NEMA Trigger: Activity 1 NHRA Trigger: 38. (1) c (i) The physical alteration of approximately 200 ha of agricultural land for the purposes of constructing a 40 MW solar PV power plant. NEMA Triggers: Activity 15 NHRA Triggers: 38. (1) c (i); 38. (1) d The construction of a 66 kV overhead line to connect the proposed 40 MW solar PV power plant to the Eskom Helios Substation. 2 NEMA Trigger: Activity 10 NHRA Trigger: 38. (1) a The clearance of approximately 200 ha of land consisting of 75% or more indigenous vegetation in a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) as identified in the CBA map for the Hantam Local Municipality. NEMA Trigger: Activity 12 NHRA Trigger: 38. (1) c (i) The clearance of approximately 200 ha of land consisting of 75% or more of indigenous vegetation. NEMA Trigger: Activity 14 NHRA Trigger: 38. (1) c (i) 4 PRELIMINARY HERITAGE STATEMENT The following history and heritage resources were found to occur near the proposed development site: ■ Rock engravings have been found in the general landscape surrounding the proposed development, with evidence of dwellings in the form of stone hut circles and some stone tools. Artefacts include quartz microliths (probably Wilton), possible herder pottery sherds and ostrich eggshell beads (Rudner and Rudner 1968). References: RUDNER, J AND RUDNER, I. 1968. Rock-Art in the Thirstland Areas. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 23 (91): 75-89. 5 POTENTIAL HERITAGE IMPACT 5.1 Places, buildings, structures and equipment of cultural significance ■ None 5.2 Places to which oral traditions are attached or which are associated with living heritage ■ None 5.3 Historical settlements and townscapes ■ None 5.4 Landscapes and natural features of cultural significance ■ None 3 5.5 Geological resources of scientific or cultural importance ■ None 5.6 Archaeological resources (Including archaeological sites and material, rock art, battlefields & wrecks) ■ Occurrences of Middle and Late Stone Age lithic surface scatters ■ Potential destruction of lithic material and sites during construction 5.7 Palaeontological resources (ie: fossils) ■ Possible imprint of fossilised fish. ■ Potential exposure of more fossil remains during construction. 5.8 Graves and burial grounds (eg: ancestral graves, graves of victims of conflict, historical graves & cemeteries) ■ Potential unknown burials could occur in the proposed project area ■ Accidental damage during site clearing 5.9 Sites of significance relating to the history of slavery in South Africa ■ None 6 RECOMMENDATION Based on preliminary findings, a limited heritage impact assessment may be conducted that should include an assessment of the Stone Age in the project area. 4 DIGBY WELLS I. II. o. _,"I Al ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD- Notice of Intent to Develop for Orlight SA (Pty) Ltd Solar PV Project (Loeriesfontein site) APPENDIX A MAPS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: LOERIESFONTEIN SITE 1 17°0'0"E 18°0'0"E 19°0'0"E 20°0'0"E 21°0'0"E 22°0'0"E 23°0'0"E R373 Plan 1 28°0'0"S R31 28°0'0"S R360 Orlight SA (PTY) Ltd NAMIBIA R385 Solar PV Project Upington R325 ! Regional Setting N10 R359 R309 29°0'0"S 29°0'0"S N14 Legend AGGENEYS SITE R313 R382 (! (! Proposed Project Sites KENHARDT / ARIES SITE R383 (! !\ City Springbok ! R358 R369 ! Major Town R361 R347 Freeway 30°0'0"S 30°0'0"S Main Road Northern Cape R386 International Boundary R357 LOERIESFONTEIN SITE Provincial Boundary (! R384 R355 ! R27 SOUTH AFRICA N12 31°0'0"S R353 R403 31°0'0"S N7 R398 R364 R308 R63 R363 (! VAN RHYNSDORP SITE R362 R356 R381 32°0'0"S 32°0'0"S GRAAFWATER SITE (! R354 Beaufort West ! R365 R61 R399 R306 R303 R366 33°0'0"S 33°0'0"S R45 R44 Eastern Cape N1 R329 R311 R46 R328 R407 R315 Western Cape R62 R332 R307 Oudtshoorn R341 N9 R301 Worcester ! R302 ! R101! R318 M14 !Paarl Robertson R304 !R60 CAPE TOWN M5 ! R323 R339 ! ! R102 !!! R310 R327 George !\ ! M12 ! R43 ! R340 www.digbywells.com 34°0'0"S !M9 Knysna 34°0'0"S N2 M4 R406 R322 ! M6 M44 !! R321 Projection: Geographic Ref #: tdm.BSG1384.201111.090 M65! !Mossel Bay Datum: WGS 1984 Revision Number: 2 Strand R324 Date: 11/01/2012 Simon's Town R320 R319 R316 R326 0 37.5 75 150 R317 Kilometres ± 1:3 000 000 17°0'0"E 18°0'0"E 19°0'0"E 20°0'0"E 21°0'0"E 22°0'0"E 23°0'0"E © Digby Wells Environmental 19°20'0"E 19°30'0"E 19°40'0"E 19°50'0"E Plan 2d 30°20'0"S 30°20'0"S Orlight SA (PTY) Ltd Solar PV Project Regional Topographical Map Loeriesfontein Legend Project Area 30°30'0"S 30°30'0"S 30°40'0"S 30°40'0"S Map Sheets: 3018 Loeriesfontein www.digbywells.com 30°50'0"S Projection: Transverse Mercator Ref #: scc.BSG1384.201201.024 30°50'0"S Datum: Hartebeesthoek 1994 Revision Number: 1 Central Meridian: 19°E Date: 11/01/2012 0 2.5 5 10 Kilometres ± 1:250 000 19°20'0"E 19°30'0"E 19°40'0"E 19°50'0"E © Digby Wells Environmental 19°28'0"E 19°30'0"E 19°32'0"E 19°34'0"E 19°36'0"E Plan 3d Orlight SA (PTY) Ltd Solar PV Project Topographical Map Loeriesfontein Legend Project Area 30°34'0"S 30°34'0"S 30°36'0"S 30°36'0"S Map Sheets: 3019 CB Brakfontein 3019 DA Stinkputs 30°38'0"S 30°38'0"S www.digbywells.com Projection: Transverse Mercator Ref #: scc.BSG1384.201201.019 Datum: Hartebeesthoek 1994 Revision Number: 1 Central Meridian: 19°E Date: 11/01/2012 0 0.5 1 2 Kilometres ± 1:50 000 19°30'0"E 19°32'0"E 19°34'0"E 19°36'0"E © Digby Wells Environmental ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 19°30'30"E 19°31'0"E 19°31'30"E 19°32'0"E 19°32'30"E ! 19°33'0"E ! Plan 3 ! ! Orlight SA (Pty) Ltd ! 30°34'0"S 30°34'0"S ! Solar PV Project ! Site Layout: ! Loeriesfontein ! ! Legend ! ! Study Area ! Ptn 7 Main Roads ! National Roads ! !. Zone Transformers ! 30°34'30"S 30°34'30"S ! !. Loeriesfontein Park Transformer ! !. !. !. !. Access Road ! Zone Lines ! !! Loeriesfontein HV supply !. !. !. !. ! ! Site Office ! Park Zones !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. ! Farm Boundaries !. !. ! Farm Portions ! !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. KLEINE ROOIBERG NO. 227 ! 30°35'0"S F1679/1880 30°35'0"S ! !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. ! ! Ptn 3 !. ! !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. !. ! !.! !. !. !. !. !. !. Ptn 1 !. !. !. !. 30°35'30"S 30°35'30"S Ptn 2 www.digbywells.com Projection: Transverse Mercator Revision Number: 1 Datum: Hartebeesthoek 1994 Date: 06/12/2011 Central Meridian: 29°E Ref #:amc.BSGR1384.201112.023 30°36'0"S 30°36'0"S 0 0.25 0.5 1 Kilometres ± 1:16 000 19°30'30"E 19°31'0"E 19°31'30"E 19°32'0"E 19°32'30"E 19°33'0"E © Digby Wells Environmental ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD- Notice of Intent to Develop for Orlight SA (Pty) Ltd Solar PV Project (Loeriesfontein site) Figure 1: General view of Loeriesfontein site Figure 2: Stratigraphy with at Loeriesfontein site 2 ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD- Notice of Intent to Develop for Orlight SA (Pty) Ltd Solar PV Project (Loeriesfontein site) Figure 3: Fossil identified at Loeriesfontein site 3 NOTICE OF INTENT TO DEVELOP AND CULTURAL RESOURCES PRE-ASSESSMENT FOR ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD SOLAR PV PROJECT ORLIGHT SA (PTY) LTD JANUARY 2012 _________________________________________________ Digby Wells & Associates (Pty) Ltd.