REF. NO.: IDA/TGSP/CS/CQS/02-2016 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND PREPARATION OF LAND ACQUISITION AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR CONSTRUCTION OF 500 KV JVARI-TSKALTUBO OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION LINE AND ASSOCIATED SUBSTATION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT INTERIM REPORT TECHNICAL PART, BASELINE AND VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT CLIENT: JSC GEORGIAN STATE ELECTROSYSTEM PROJECT : TRANSMISSION GRID STRENGTHENING PROJECT (TGSP) – P147348 41380_INTERIM_ V11, TBILISI, AUGUST 2017 DG Consulting Ltd Address: 10, Mirza Gelovani Street, 0160, Tbilisi, Georgia; Registered in Georgia, No 205 280 998; Tel: +995 322 380 313; +995 599 500 778; [email protected] 41380_r01_v02_GSE_ESIA_JvariTskaltubo Page 2 of 196 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 8 ESIA Report Preparation Process and Structure ..................................................................... 9 2. Legal and Regulatory Framework .................................................................................................. 12 Georgian laws applicable for the environmental impact assessment .................................. 12 The technical standards and guidelines ........................................................................ 19 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in Georgia .................................................... 20 Current EIA legislation ................................................................................................... 20 The “Environmental Assessment Code” (recently enforced) ........................................ 21 International requirements and standards ........................................................................... 22 EU Regulations and International Conventions ............................................................ 22 World Bank and IFC Policy Requirements and Guidelines ............................................ 23 3. The Project Description .................................................................................................................. 26 Need for the Project .............................................................................................................. 26 General Description of the Project ........................................................................................ 29 Location ................................................................................................................................. 29 Basic Design of Jvari-Tskaltubo 500 kV OHL ......................................................................... 32 Technical standards and norms ..................................................................................... 32 The Basic Design Parameters ........................................................................................ 32 The Basic Design of Substation ...................................................................................... 32 SCMS / SCADA Control and monitoring equipment ...................................................... 33 Telecommunication ....................................................................................................... 34 Functional and Electrical Parameters ............................................................................ 34 Design Climate Parameters ........................................................................................... 36 The Design Spans ........................................................................................................... 36 Information regarding clearances ................................................................................. 37 Line Configuration and Components ..................................................................................... 38 Conductor system .......................................................................................................... 38 OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) ....................................................................................... 38 Insulators and fittings .................................................................................................... 39 Towers ........................................................................................................................... 39 Foundations ................................................................................................................... 42 ROW, access and clearance zones ......................................................................................... 44 ROW ............................................................................................................................... 44 Vegetation Clearance zone ............................................................................................ 45 Access roads .................................................................................................................. 47 New Substation in Tskaltubo and associated connections ................................................... 49 Project Activities .................................................................................................................... 54 Mobilization Phase ........................................................................................................ 54 Construction Phase ........................................................................................................ 58 Geotechnical Survey Work ............................................................................................ 59 DG Consulting Ltd 41380_r01_v02_GSE_ESIA_JvariTskaltubo Page 3 of 196 Tower Spotting .............................................................................................................. 59 The typical equipment requirements ............................................................................ 65 4. Analysis of Project Alternatives ..................................................................................................... 67 1.1 No-action Alternative ............................................................................................................ 67 1.2 System Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 68 1.3 Design Alternatives ................................................................................................................ 68 The tower types and dimensions .................................................................................. 69 The foundation types .................................................................................................... 69 1.4 Route Alternatives ................................................................................................................. 70 Sub Alternatives ............................................................................................................ 77 5. ESIA Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 79 Methodology for screening and scoping process ................................................................. 79 Public Participation ................................................................................................................ 79 Methodology for baseline study ........................................................................................... 80 Methodology for detailed environmental survey of the corridor ................................. 81 Methodology for GIS database development ............................................................... 81 Methodology for detailed botanical survey of the corridor ......................................... 83 Methodology for detailed survey of terrestrial and avia fauna .................................... 83 Methodology for cultural heritage and archaeology survey ......................................... 84 Methodology for socio-economic study ....................................................................... 85 1.5 Impact identification ............................................................................................................. 85 1.6 Methodology for impact rating ............................................................................................. 86 6. Physical and Natural environment - Baseline Conditions .............................................................. 88 Physical description of Project route .................................................................................... 88 Physical Environment ............................................................................................................ 98 Climate and Meteorological Conditions ........................................................................ 98 Landscapes and Land Use ............................................................................................ 103 Baseline Geological conditions ............................................................................................ 107 Geomorphology of Project area .................................................................................. 107 Tectonics ...................................................................................................................... 107 Karst Formations ......................................................................................................... 110 Hydrogeology