ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE (DEA Ref No: 14/12/16/3/3/2/716) FINAL EIA REPORT APRIL 2015 Prepared for: Bluewave Capital SA (Pty) Ltd Unit EB05, Tannery Park, 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Prepared by: Block 2, First Floor 5 Woodlands Drive Office Park, Corner Woodlands Drive & Western Service Road, WOODMEAD, Gauteng po box 148, sunninghill, 2157 Tel: +27 (0)11 656 3237 Fax: +27 (0)86 684 0547 E-mail: [email protected] www.savannahsa.com PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Final EIAR April 2015 PROJECT DETAILS DEA Reference No. : 14/12/16/3/3/2/716 Title : Environmental Impact Assessment Process EIA Report: Proposed Wolmaransstad 75MW Solar Energy Facility, North West Province Authors : Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd Steven Ingle & Karen Jodas Specialists : Simon Todd Johann Lanz Jaco van der Walt John Almond Mandy van der Westhuizen Candice Hunter Client : Bluewave Capital SA (Pty) Ltd Report Status : Final When used as a reference this report should be cited as: Savannah Environmental (2015) Final EIA Report: Proposed Wolmaransstad 75MW Solar Energy Facility, North West Province COPYRIGHT RESERVED This technical report has been produced for Bluewave Capital SA (Pty) Ltd. The intellectual property contained in this report remains vested in Savannah Environmental. No part of the report may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd or Bluewave Capital SA (Pty) Ltd. Project Details Page i PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Final EIAR April 2015 PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Bluewave Capital SA (Pty) Ltd (hereafter referred to as Bluewave) a Solar Developer, is proposing the establishment of a commercial solar electricity generating facility and associated infrastructure situated north-west of the town of Wolmaransstad, within the North West Province. The proposed project will have a maximum contracted capacity of up to 75 megawatts (MW) and will be known as the Wolmaransstad 75MW Solar Energy Facility. The project site falls within the jurisdiction of the Maquassi Hills Local Municipality which forms part of the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality (refer to Figure 1.1). Bluewave has appointed Savannah Environmental as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner to undertake the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed project. The EIA process has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) (as per the acceptance of Scoping) and the EIA Regulations of June 2010 (GNR543) promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA; Act No. 107 of 1998). The EIA Report consists of nine chapters: » Chapter 1 provides background and an introduction to the proposed project and the environmental impact assessment. » Chapter 2 describes the proposed project and explains the overall project requirements from a technical perspective. » Chapter 3 explains the regulatory and legal context for electricity generation projects and the EIA process. » Chapter 4 explains the approach to undertaking the EIA phase. » Chapter 5 describes the existing biophysical and socio-economic environment. » Chapter 6 describes the assessment of environmental impacts associated with the proposed Wolmaransstad 75MW solar energy facility. » Chapter 7 describes the assessment of cumulative environmental impacts associated with the proposed solar energy facility. » Chapter 8 presents the conclusions of the impact assessment as well as an impact statement. » Chapter 9 contains a list of references for the EIA report and specialist reports. The Scoping Phase of the EIA process identified potential issues associated with the proposed project, and defined the extent of the studies required within the EIA Phase. The EIA Phase addresses those identified potential environmental impacts and benefits associated with all phases of the project including design, construction and operation, and recommends appropriate mitigation measures for Purpose of the EIA report Page ii PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Final EIAR April 2015 potentially significant environmental impacts. The EIA report aims to provide the environmental authorities with sufficient information to make an informed decision regarding the proposed project. The release of a Final EIA Report provides stakeholders with an opportunity to verify that the issues they have raised to date have been captured and adequately considered within the study. The Final EIA Report will incorporate all issues and responses prior to submission to the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the decision-making authority for the project. Purpose of the EIA report Page iii PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Final EIAR April 2015 INVITATION TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT EIA REPORT Members of the public, local communities and stakeholders were invited to comment on the draft EIA Report which was made available for public review and comment at the following locations from 3 March 2015 - 15 April 2015. » Maquassi Hills Local Municipality Library – 19 Kruger Street. » www.savannahSA.com PUBLIC FEEDBACK MEETING In order to facilitate comments on the Draft EIA Report and provide feedback on the findings of the studies undertaken, a public feedback meeting was held during the review period. All interested and Affected Parties are invited to attend the public meeting on 17 March 2015. Purpose of the EIA report Page iv PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Final EIAR April 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY » Perimeter fencing Bluewave Capital SA (Pty) Ltd The nature and extent of this facility, (hereafter referred to as Bluewave) a as well as potential environmental Solar Developer, is proposing the impacts associated with the establishment of a commercial solar construction and operation of a electricity generating facility and facility of this nature are explored in associated infrastructure situated more detail in this Environmental north-west of the town of Impact Assessment (EIA) Report Wolmaransstad, within the North West Province. OVERALL CONCLUSION (IMPACT STATEMENT) The proposed Wolmaransstad 75MW Solar Energy Facility will make use of From the assessment of potential photovoltaic (PV) technology and will impacts undertaken within this EIA, it have a generating capacity of up to is concluded that there are no 75MW and will comprise of the environmental fatal flaws associated following infrastructure: with the proposed site identified for the development of the » Photovoltaic (PV) panels of Wolmaransstad 75MW Solar Energy between 4m – 6m in height (fixed Facility. Some areas of high or tracking technology) with a sensitivity were however identified. contracted capacity of up to In summary, the most significant 75MW environmental impacts associated » Mounting structures to be either with the project, as identified rammed steel piles or piles with through the EIA, include: pre-manufactured concrete footing to support the PV panels » Potential impacts on flora and » Cabling between the project fauna components, to be lain in » Potential impact on listed floral trenches ~ 1-2m deep species » Power inverters between the PV » Potential impacts on the local 2 arrays (±4.5m ) soils, land capability and » Overhead power line to evacuate agricultural potential of the site the power into the Eskom grid via » Potential visual impacts the existing Goat DS 132/88kV » Potential heritage impacts Substation or the Wolmaransstad » Potential social and economic Municipality 88/11kV Substation impacts » Main and internal access roads » Potential cumulative impacts (up to 7m wide) » Water storage facility/ reservoir » Office, workshop area for maintenance and storage » Temporary laydown area Summary Page v PROPOSED WOLMARANSSTAD 75MW SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Final EIAR April 2015 OVERALL RECOMMENDATION erioloba trees and other listed species could be affected by the Based on the nature and extent of proposed development. A site the proposed project, the local level walk through should be of disturbance predicted as a result undertaken by an ecologist to of the construction and operation of determine the position and the Wolmaransstad 75MW Solar number of listed species that will Energy Facility and associated be affected by the facility infrastructure, the findings of the footprint. EIA, and the understanding of the » An application must be made to significance level of potential the Department of Agriculture, environmental impacts, it is the Forestry and Fisheries and opinion of the EIA project team that provincial conservation authority the identified impacts can be for the permitting of the removal mitigated to an acceptable level. In or relocation of listed plants and terms of this conclusion, the EIA trees. project team support the decision for » While no heritage sites were environmental authorisation. identified on the site, chance find procedures must be implemented The following conditions would be to mitigate the potential required to be included within an discovery of informal graves. authorisation issued for the project: » Areas of very high ecological sensitivity determined through the EIA must be avoided as far as possible at the detail design stage. » Following