ENVIRONMENTAL BASIC ASSESSMENT PROCESS DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT PROPOSED BIOMASS CO-FIRING DEMONSTRATION FACILITY AT ARNOT POWER STATION, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE DEA Ref No: 12/12/20/2380 DRAFT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW December 2011 Prepared for: Eskom Holdings SOC Limited MegaWatt Park 1 Maxwell Drive Sunninghill 2157 Prepared by: Unit 606, 1410 Eglin office park 14 Eglin road, sunninghill, Gauteng po box 148, sunninghill, 2157 Tel: +27 (0)11 234 6621 Fax: +27 (0)86 684 0547 E-mail: [email protected] www.savannahsa.com (For official use only) File Reference Number: Application Number: Date Received: Basic assessment report in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010, promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), as amended. Kindly note that: 1. This basic assessment report is a standard report that may be required by a competent authority in terms of the EIA Regulations, 2010 and is meant to streamline applications. Please make sure that it is the report used by the particular competent authority for the activity that is being applied for. 2. The report must be typed within the spaces provided in the form. The size of the spaces provided is not necessarily indicative of the amount of information to be provided. The report is in the form of a table that can extend itself as each space is filled with typing. 3. Where applicable tick the boxes that are applicable in the report. 4. An incomplete report may be returned to the applicant for revision. 5. The use of “not applicable” in the report must be done with circumspection because if it is used in respect of material information that is required by the competent authority for assessing the application, it may result in the rejection of the application as provided for in the regulations. 6. This report must be handed in at offices of the relevant competent authority as determined by each authority. 7. No faxed or e-mailed reports will be accepted. 8. The report must be compiled by an independent environmental assessment practitioner. 9. Unless protected by law, all information in the report will become public information on receipt by the competent authority. Any interested and affected party should be provided with the information contained in this report on request, during any stage of the application process. 10. A competent authority may require that for specified types of activities in defined situations only parts of this report need to be completed. PROPOSED BIOMASS CO-FIRING DEMONSTRATION FACILITY AT ARNOT POWER STATION, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE Draft Basic Assessment Report December 2011 PROJECT DETAILS DEA Reference No. : 12/12/20/2380 Title : Environmental Basic Assessment process: Draft Basic Assessment Report: Proposed Biomass Co-firing Demonstration Facility at Arnot Power Station, Mpumalanga Province Authors : Savannah Environmental Tammy Kruger Jo-Anne Thomas Sub-consultants : uMoya-NILU Consulting MetroGIS Client : Eskom Holdings SOC Limited Report Status : Draft Basic Assessment Report for public review Review Period : 5 December 2011 – 23 January 2012 When used as a reference this report should be cited as: Savannah Environmental (2011) Draft Basic Assessment Report: Proposed establishment of the Eskom Biomass Co-Firing Demonstration Plant at Arnot Power Station, Mpumalanga Province. COPYRIGHT RESERVED This technical report has been produced for Eskom Holdings SOC Limited. The intellectual property contained in this report remains vested in Savannah Environmental and Eskom Holdings SOC Limited. No part of the report may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Eskom Holdings SOC Limited or Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd. Project Details Page i PROPOSED BIOMASS CO-FIRING DEMONSTRATION FACILITY AT ARNOT POWER STATION, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE Draft Basic Assessment Report December 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PROJECT DETAILS ..................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ ii APPENDICES ........................................................................................... iv OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT .................................................. 1 1.1. Rationale for the Development of the Proposed Facility ............... 4 1.1.1 National and International Climate Change Policy Context .............. 4 1.1.2 Taking opportunities of the carbon market including the CDM ......... 5 1.2. Requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment Process .. 5 1.3. Details of the Environmental Assessment Practitioner ................. 7 SECTION A: ACTIVITY INFORMATION ...................................................... 9 1. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION ...................................................................... 9 2. FEASIBLE AND REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES ....................................... 13 3. ACTIVITY POSITION ......................................................................... 15 4. PHYSICAL SIZE OF THE ACTIVITY ...................................................... 16 5. SITE ACCESS ................................................................................... 16 6. SITE OR ROUTE PLAN ....................................................................... 17 7. SITE PHOTOGRAPHS ........................................................................ 17 8. FACILITY ILLUSTRATION ................................................................... 17 9. ACTIVITY MOTIVATION ..................................................................... 18 9(a) Socio-economic value of the activity ............................................. 18 9(b) Need and desirability of the activity .............................................. 18 10. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND/OR GUIDELINES ............... 19 11. WASTE, EFFLUENT, EMISSION AND NOISE MANAGEMENT .................. 20 11(a) Solid waste management ......................................................... 20 11(b) Liquid effluent ........................................................................ 22 11(c) Emissions into the atmosphere ................................................. 22 11(d) Generation of noise ................................................................. 23 12. WATER USE .................................................................................. 23 13. ENERGY EFFICIENCY ..................................................................... 23 SECTION B: SITE/AREA/PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ................................ 25 1. GRADIENT OF THE SITE .................................................................... 26 2. LOCATION IN LANDSCAPE ................................................................. 27 3. GROUNDWATER, SOIL AND GEOLOGICAL STABILITY OF THE SITE ......... 27 4. GROUNDCOVER ............................................................................... 28 5. LAND USE CHARACTER OF SURROUNDING AREA ................................... 28 6. CULTURAL/HISTORICAL FEATURES ...................................................... 29 SECTION C: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ..................................................... 31 1. ADVERTISEMENTS AND NOTICES ....................................................... 31 2. CONTENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS AND NOTICES ................................... 31 3. PLACEMENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS AND NOTICES ................................ 31 Table of Contents Page ii PROPOSED BIOMASS CO-FIRING DEMONSTRATION FACILITY AT ARNOT POWER STATION, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE Draft Basic Assessment Report December 2011 4. DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE MEASURES .................................... 32 5. COMMENTS AND RESPONSE REPORT .................................................. 32 6. AUTHORITY PARTICIPATION .............................................................. 33 7. CONSULTATION WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS .................................... 33 SECTION D: IMPACT ASSESSMENT ......................................................... 35 1. ISSUES RAISED BY INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES .................... 35 2. IMPACTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE PLANNING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OPERATIONAL, DECOMMISSIONING, AND CLOSURE PHASES AS WELL AS PROPOSED MANAGEMENT OF IDENTIFIED IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES ......................................................... 35 2.1. IMPACTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE ............................................................................................... 35 2.2. IMPACTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE ...... 35 2.3. IMPACTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE OPERATIONAL PHASE ......... 38 2.4. IMPACTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE DECOMMISSIONING PHASE 40 3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ............................................... 42 SECTION E. RECOMMENDATION OF THE PRACTITIONER ..................... 44 Table of Contents Page iii PROPOSED BIOMASS CO-FIRING DEMONSTRATION FACILITY AT ARNOT POWER STATION, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE Draft Basic Assessment Report December 2011 APPENDICES Appendix A: Site Plan(s) Appendix B: Photo Record(s) Appendix C: Facility Illustration(s) Appendix D: Specialist Studies » Appendix D1: Air Quality Study Appendix E: Record of Public Involvement Process » Appendix E1: Proof of Advert Placement » Appendix E2: Proof of Site Notice Placement » Appendix E3: Letters to Stakeholders » Appendix E4: I&AP Database » Appendix E5: Correspondence with Authorities » Appendix E6: Comments and Response Report Appendix F: Draft Environmental