BATANG TORU HYDROPOWER PROJECT Factcheck and References on Key Issues IUCN Section on Great Apes, April 2020 CONTENTS 3 INTRODUCTION 4 SUMMARY 4 APPROACH 4 NSHE DOCUMENT REFERENCES 5 BACKGROUND ON THE TAPANULI ORANGUTAN FACTCHECKS 6 Orangutan Distribution and Ecology Overview: Tapanuli Orangutan Distribution and Population Dynamics 7 Geographic Range 8 Population Density 10 Metapopulation Connectivity 12 Behavioural Response of Orangutans to Project Activities 13 Discrediting Previous Survey Results 14 Area Affected By Project Activities Extent of Area Affected 14 Primary Forest in Project Area 15 Land Designations in Project Area 16 Provincial Power Requirements Overview: Future Power Demand / Supply in North Sumatra 17 Power Demand / Supply 17 “Floating Diesel Generator” 18 CO2 Impacts Overview: Greenhouse Gas Emission Benefits 19 CO2 Emissions Reduction Calculations 20 River Flow and Ecology Environmental Impact of Run of River Hydropower Systems 21 Earthquake Risk Assessment of Risk Level 22 Standards and Compliance International Finance Corporation Standards 23 General Approach Efforts to Minimise Impact 24 CONCLUSIONS 25 SGA STATEMENT ON THE TAPANULI ORANGUTAN Photos © Andrew Walmsley & Maxime Aliaga Design: www.designsolutions.me.uk Citation: Batang Toru Hydropower Project: Factcheck and Key References, IUCN SGA April 2020 INTRODUCTION The project is being developed by PT of the natural world) has called for a The Batang Toru North Sumatera Hydro Energy (NSHE) moratorium on project activities to Hydropower Project is a with main construction activities to be enable a careful assessment of the likely undertaken by the Chinese state-owned impacts, before deciding how (or planned hydro-electric company Sinohydro. The project site is in whether) to continue. With many the Batang Toru ecosystem which contradictory claims being made about power station that is contains the only remaining habitat of the project’s potential impacts, this the critically endangered Tapanuli document identifies specific assertions under construction on orangutan (the recently described made by NSHE and assesses them species Pongo tapanuliensis). Plans for against the best scientific knowledge the Batang Toru River the project have been controversial due available. to the anticipated impact on local people, in North Sumatra, the local environment in general, and the Tapanuli orangutan in particular. The Indonesia. IUCN (the global authority on the status | FACTCHECK AND REFERENCES ON KEY ISSUES BATANG TORU HYDROPOWER PROJECT 3 SUMMARY Several significant claims found in conducted on behalf of NSHE. the most controversial aspects of the NSHE publications or press releases Numerous other claims in NSHE project such as its impact on the are identified as being inaccurate or publications, or directly attributed to Tapanuli orangutan and the ecology of misleading. In at least ten cases, NSHE staff in media articles, are found to the Batang Toru river, the demand for assertions made in public-facing NSHE conflict with findings in peer-reviewed the power that the plant would produce, literature or on the NSHE website are literature and technical reports, or with and the project’s compliance with found to be inconsistent with findings the observations of established experts in international investment standards. presented in earlier impact assessments relevant fields. Some of these relate to APPROACH Contested claims from NSHE are commissioned by NSHE itself. In others, documents have been circulated which addressed in turn. For each, the nature of references are made to peer-reviewed argue for or against the project on the concern is explained, the specific scientific literature or other reputable particular issues, this review attempts to claim made by NSHE is quoted, and studies. Occasionally there is additional cover a broad range of subject areas but contradictory evidence is then detailed insight in the form of personal comments restricts itself to investigating the validity and referenced. In some cases the from highly qualified experts acting in a of specific claims made by NSHE. evidence comes directly from documents professional capacity. Whilst various NSHE DOCUMENT REFERENCES Several source documents produced by Bogor, entitled “Impact of Batang Toru l An alternative and condensed version NSHE are referred to throughout this Hydropower Construction on Primary of this report was also produced (no report. For those not familiar with them Forest, Orangutan Population and date, English version 16 pages) with the here is a quick overview of the most Habitat, Drought and Flood, Greenhouse title “Batang Toru Hydropower Plant – significant ones. Gases Emission and Socio-Economic PLTA Batangtoru A Socially and Surroundings” (English version 166 Environmentally Responsible l The first is the original environmental pages). This states that its purpose is to Development”.6 impact assessment report or ANDAL “provide scientific clarification/ (Analisis Dampak Lingkungan) for the justifications on data/information that l An additional 2-page document has project which was produced in 2014, has been received by several researchers also been circulated on NSHE headed which is only available in Indonesian and and nongovernmental organizations, paper entitled “Common Misconceptions consists of 532 pages.1 (A previous who have raised objections/negative about Our Projects”, presenting alleged ANDAL exists for an earlier version of the accusations toward the Batang Toru (but not attributed) criticisms of the project2, but is not cited in this report.) hydroelectric power plant development”.4 project and responses to them.7 l This report was followed up in 2017 by l Following this a shorter, more a further document which covered some accessible report (English version 78 of the same topics in more detail and pages) was produced entitled “PLTA brought in some additional topics, which Batangtoru "A Socially and was published in English (1,266 pages) Environmentally Responsible and called the “Addendum Development"”, with a foreword signed Environmental, Social and Health Impact by Sarimudin Siregar, Director of Dharma Assessment (ESHIA)”.3 Hydro / NSHE and dated 5th October 2018. This document draws on previous l In 2018 a report was produced by NSHE reports in order to, as it says, “… express together with the NGO Pusaka Kalam our research, fact-based findings and (Pusat Kajian, Advokasi dan Konservasi views on the reports those have been Alam / Center for Nature Study, developing, which have caused Advocacy and Conservation) based in misconception on the project …”5 4 BACKGROUND ON THE TAPANULI ORANGUTAN The Tapanuli Later in 2017 the species was assessed as In April 2019 the IUCN (International Critically Endangered for the IUCN Red Union for the Conservation of Nature11) orangutan was first List, which noted a decreasing population called for “a moratorium on projects trend and severely fragmented impacting the Critically Endangered described as a separate population.9 The Tapanuli orangutan is Tapanuli orangutan”.12 In October of the found in three main populations, the two same year the Section on Great Apes species in 2017 after largest of which are probably not (SGA) of the IUCN Primate Specialist connected by forest cover (although it is Group issued a statement proposing genetic analysis possible that individual orangutans could “a moratorium on development in the still move between them). The Batang Tapanuli orangutan’s range” saying that it revealed that its Toru hydropower project is situated at a was “particularly concerned by the threat key location for connectivity between of a hydroelectric project development in lineage diverged these sub-populations (see “Overview: core orangutan habitat”.13 This statement Tapanuli Orangutan Distribution and “calls for a complete halt to all from the rest of the Population Dynamics”). encroachment and development” and “further proposes that its [the SGA’s] orangutans on In April 2019 a scientific letter was Executive Committee leads an published in Conservation Science and independent study to determine the Sumatra over 3 million Practice entitled “The Tapanuli orangutan: implications for the Tapanuli orangutan of Status, threats, and steps for improved the various threats to orangutans … and years ago, and gene- conservation” which warned that “the whether or not those threats can be flow between them Tapanuli orangutan was the latest extant mitigated.” It explains that “The wide great ape to be discovered, but … it might breadth of expertise in the IUCN SGA, ceased completely at well be the first one to go extinct.”10 which includes scientists from both The paper recommended (among other range (e.g., Indonesia) and non-range least 10 thousand measures) that the Government of state great ape countries, makes this Indonesia “halt the hydroelectric dam group particularly well suited to lead years ago.8 development” and “establish a forest such a study.” corridor between the west and east block”. | FACTCHECK AND REFERENCES ON KEY ISSUES BATANG TORU HYDROPOWER PROJECT 5 FACTCHECKS ORANGUTAN DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OVERVIEW: Tapanuli Orangutan Distribution and Population Dynamics Evaluating the impact of the project on establish when or if movement of Population and Habitat Viability the Tapanuli orangutan requires an individuals between these populations Assessment (PHVA) conducted in 2016 understanding of the species’ current stopped taking place. This is the location divided these simply into an East and a