ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT MINISTRY OF ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AUTHORITY (NREA) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study 1,000 MW Wind Farms at the GULF OF SUEZ financed by KfW-Entwicklungsbank October 2011 PREPARED BY THE JOINT VENTURE LAHMEYER INTERNATIONAL GMBH, BAD VILBEL AND ECODA DR. BERGEN & FRITZ GBR, DORTMUND, GERMANY CONTENTS Abbreviations 6 1. Non Technical Executive Summary 7 1.1 INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT 7 1.1.1 Objective and Scope 7 1.1.2 Wind Power Development in the 200 km² ESIA Area 8 1.2 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 12 1.2.1 Features except Fauna and Flora 12 1.2.2 Flora and Fauna – plants and animals (except birds) 14 1.2.3 Birds 16 Methods 16 Spring migration – results and assessment of the importance of the area 17 Autumn migration – results and assessment of the importance of the area 19 Local birds – results and assessment of the importance of the area 20 Roosting birds – results and assessment of the importance of the area 20 1.3 PREDICTION OF IMPACTS 21 1.3.1 Features except Fauna and Flora 21 1.3.2 Fauna and Flora 23 1.3.3 Birds 24 1.4 MITIGATION MEASURES 27 1.4.1 Mitigation measures with regards to migrating birds 27 1.4.2 Mitigation measures with regards to other features (except migrating birds) 29 1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 30 2. Description of the project and layout 33 2.1 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE 33 2.2 THE “200 KM² PROJECT AREA” 34 2.3 THE PROJECT - LAYOUT OF WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT 37 2.3.1 General Description of the Project 37 2.3.2 Topographical Restrictions of the Project 40 2.4 CONSTRUCTION PHASE: SITE PREPARATION & CONSTRUCTION MEASURES 41 2.5 O&M PHASE ACTIVITIES 42 2.6 DECOMMISSIONING 42 3. Background information 44 3.1 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK IN EGYPT 44 3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS 45 3.2.1 EIA Guidelines 45 3.2.2 Equator Principles 46 3.2.3 The EIA and Permitting Process 47 3.3 METHODOLOGY 47 - 2 - 3.4 CONSULTATION 48 3.4.1 Early Stakeholder Participation 48 3.4.2 Public Hearing 49 3.5 CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT 50 4. The existing environment 51 4.1 OVERVIEW OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 51 4.2 LAND CHARACTERISTICS AND USE 52 4.2.1 Climate 52 4.2.2 Geomorphology and Geology 55 4.2.3 Land use 57 4.3 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AND EXISTING VIEWS 58 4.4 TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA (EXCLUDING BIRDS) 58 4.4.1 Methods 59 4.4.2 Results 59 4.4.2.1 Flora 59 4.4.2.2 Fauna (except birds) 62 4.5 BIRDS – AVIFAUNA 68 4.5.1 Characteristics of the study area 68 4.5.2 Methods 69 4.5.3 Results 71 4.5.3.1 Migrating birds 71 4.5.3.2 Local birds 76 4.5.3.3 Roosting birds 77 4.6 WATER RESOURCES AND WASTE WATER 78 4.7 AIR QUALITY 78 4.8 AMBIENT NOISE LEVELS 79 4.9 ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE 79 4.10 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT 79 4.11 EXISTING TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRAFFIC FLOWS 80 4.12 EXISTING UTILITIES 80 5. Prediction of impacts and evaluation of significant environmental and social effects 81 5.1 GENERAL AND BASIC METHODOLOGY 81 5.2 LAND USE 83 5.3 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AND VISUAL IMPACT 83 5.4 TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA 84 5.4.1 Flora 84 5.4.2 Fauna 85 5.5 BIRDS-AVIFAUNA 87 5.5.1 Bird-wind turbine interactions 87 5.5.2 Importance of the study area for birds 89 5.5.3 Migrating birds 89 5.5.4 Local birds 92 5.5.5 Roosting birds 92 5.5.6 Prediction and assessment of expected impacts 93 - 3 - 5.5.6.1 Construction phase 93 5.5.6.2 Operation and maintenance phase 94 5.6 WATER RESOURCES & WASTE WATER 99 5.7 DOMESTIC AND HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT 100 5.8 AIR QUALITY 101 5.9 NOISE, VIBRATIONS, ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCES AND LIGHT REFLECTIONS / SHADOWING 101 5.9.1 Noise 101 5.9.2 Vibrations 103 5.9.3 Electromagnetic Interferences 104 5.9.4 Light Reflections and Shadowing 104 5.10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE 104 5.11 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS 105 5.12 IMPACT ON TRAFFIC, UTILITY SERVICES AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE 106 5.13 SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS 106 6. Mitigation of Environmental Impacts 108 6.1 MITIGATION STRATEGY 108 6.2 MITIGATION MEASURES 108 6.2.1 Mitigation Measures with regards to Migrating Birds 108 6.2.2 Mitigation Measures with regards to other Features (except migrating birds) 111 7. Environmental and Social management 113 7.1 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT 113 7.2 MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS AND ACTIONS 115 - 4 - Annexes Annex 1: Ornithological Investigation Study Annex 2: Project Design Document for early Stakeholder Participation (English & Arabic) Annex 3: Correspondence related to early Stakeholder Participation Annex 4: Non Technical Executive Summary (Arabic) Annex 5: Documentation of Public Hearing - 5 - ABBREVIATIONS AFD Agence Française de Développement a.s.l Above sea level CAA Competent Administrative Authority EA Environmental Assessment EC European Commission EEAA Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency EEHC Egyptian Electricity Holding Company EETC Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company EA Environmental Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIB European Investment Bank EMP Environmental Management Plan EU European Union GoE Government of Egypt GPC General Petroleum Company (or Corporation), Ministry of Petroleum GUPCO Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company HV High Voltage HT High Tension (e.g. 220 kV) KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau LC Local currency (EGP) LDC Load Dispatch Centre LT Low Tension MEE Ministry of Electricity and Energy MOP Ministry of Oil and Petroleum MT Medium Tension (e.g. 22 kV) NREA New and Renewable Energy Authority OHL Overhead Line TL Transmission Line WT Wind Turbine - 6 - 1. NON TECHNICAL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT 1.1.1 Objective and Scope For an area of 200 km² (‖ESIA AREA‖) about 15 km inland from the Gulf of Suez near Ras Gharib the Environmental and Social Impacts of wind power utilisation with up to 1000 MW installed capacity had to be studied. This area is part of a total area of 1229 km allocated by presidential decree of May 13th, 2009 to wind power utilisation. The area was proposed by the National Centre for Land-use Planning and was approved by the Council of Ministers. Thus, it can be assumed that assessment of alternatives had already been considered. The wind power development is coordinated by NREA. The area shall be split into different individual project zones with buffer corridors. Individual projects intended in this ―ESIA area‖ are a BOO project of a private investor as well as public projects financed by European de- velopment partners (EU, EIB and AFD) under the lead of KfW and by Governmental Lenders from Abu Dhabi and Spain. The final configuration is subject to further discussions to be based on the results of this ESIA study. Nevertheless, it is the objective of this study to de- scribe the future wind power utilisation in the area as realistic as possible to limit additional efforts for getting the environmental permit for the individual projects. The objective of wind power utilisation in this area is to make use of the excellent wind power potential at the site, and in the same time to substitute oil and gas for electricity generation and to safe indigenous fuel re- sources, and to safe CO2 emissions. The assessment of environmental and social impacts caused by wind power development is targeting to determine any likely significant impact caused by wind power development in the area, to assess, whether such impacts can be mitigated or whether they require a restriction or a cancellation of wind power development, to define eventually necessary mitigation measures and environmental management (EM) requirements, and to assess the effects of possibly required mitigation and EM measures with regard to the overall viability of wind power development in the area. This ESIA study follows the Egyptian Environmental laws, regulations and guidelines. In the same time it is considered that the minimum standards of the Equator Principles are kept. This is to fulfil the financing conditions of international financing institutes as most of them have committed themselves to keep the Equator Principles as minimum environmental stan- dards. Major elements of the assessment were field surveys such as general area reconnaissance, ornithological field monitoring over spring and autumn migration period, and a representative survey on flora and fauna (others than avifauna). By early public participation the stake- holders were invited to comment. This included one Bedouin family living at a water pumping station within the area. - 7 - 1.1.2 Wind Power Development in the 200 km² ESIA Area The location of the project area can be seen from Fig. 1.1. It is located on the western bank of the Gulf of Suez, 120 km in the North of Hurghada and 10 to 15 km to the West of the Hurghada – Suez Road. The distance by road to Cairo is about 350 km. The boundary coor- dinates are given in Table 1.1. 200 km² ESIA Area Fig. 1.1: Location of the ―1,000 MW Project Area‖ Table 1.1: Boundary Coordinates of the 1,000 MW Project Area Border Co- GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES ordinates (DATUM: WGS 1984) 23 28°11'8.34"N 32°56'45.77"E A6-3 28°12'55.38"N 33° 6'32.66"E 21 28° 5'27.50"N 33° 9'14.00"E 20 28° 7'28.50"N 33° 8'13.50"E 17 28°12'36.40"N 33° 6'29.86"E 22 28° 3'25.43"N 33° 5'4.02"E 19 28° 9'59.00"N 33° 6'8.50"E 4 BOO 28°10'37.56"N 33° 2'2.88"E 18 28°10'40.96"N 33° 8'6.67"E X2 28°15'10.88"N 32°59'28.54"E X3 28°11'53.33"N 32°55'45.54"E - 8 - More details on the location can be seen from Fig.