GEORGIA ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Volume 3 Biodiversity Document 3.2 Project Component Assessments Prepared for: GSE SLR Ref: 901.12.1 Version No: 2 – Final – Disclosure Authorized June 2020 Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment SLR Ref No: 901.12.1 Volume 3 Biodiversity, Document 3.2 Component Assessment June 2020 BASIS OF REPORT This document has been prepared by SLR Consulting Limited with reasonable skill, care and diligence, and taking account of the manpower, timescales and resources devoted to it by agreement with GSE (the Client) as part or all of the services it has been appointed by the Client to carry out. It is subject to the terms and conditions of that appointment. SLR shall not be liable for the use of or reliance on any information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document for any purpose by any person other than the Client. 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Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment SLR Ref No: 901.12.1 Volume 3 Biodiversity, Document 3.2 Component Assessment June 2020 CONTENTS ACRONYMS PREAMBLE COMPONENT A - TSKALTUBO TO AKHALTSIKHE AND ON TO THE TURKEY BORDER SOUTH OF VALE ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Baseline Information ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Priority Biodiversity Features Assessment .............................................................................. 10 1.3 Component A Impact Assessment .......................................................................................... 24 1.4 Component A Mitigation......................................................................................................... 27 1.5 Component A Cumulative Assessment ................................................................................... 30 1.6 Component A Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Commitments ........................................ 31 COMPONENT B - OZURGETI TO ZOTI HPP AND CONNECTION FROM OZURGETI TO THE PALIASTOMI LINE .............................................................................................................................. 37 2.1 Baseline Information ............................................................................................................... 37 2.2 Priority Biodiversity Features Assessment .............................................................................. 39 2.3 Component B Impact Assessment .......................................................................................... 49 2.4 Component B Mitigation ......................................................................................................... 50 2.5 Component B Cumulative Assessment ................................................................................... 52 2.6 Component B Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Commitments ........................................ 53 COMPONENT C1 –NENSKRA AND ON TO MESTIA ........................................................... 57 3.1 Baseline Information ............................................................................................................... 57 3.2 Priority Biodiversity Features Assessment .............................................................................. 63 3.3 Component C1 Impact Assessment ........................................................................................ 75 3.4 Component C1 Mitigation ....................................................................................................... 77 3.5 Component C1 Cumulative Assessment ................................................................................. 80 3.6 Component C1 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Commitments ...................................... 84 COMPONENT C2 – LAJANURI CONNECTIONS TO KHELEDULA HPP, ONI HPP AND TSKALTUBO ..................................................................................................................................... 89 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 89 4.2 Priority Biodiversity Features Assessment .............................................................................. 96 4.3 Component C2 Impact Assessment ...................................................................................... 109 4.4 Component C2 Mitigation ..................................................................................................... 111 Final – Disclosure Authorized. Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment SLR Ref No: 901.12.1 Volume 3 Biodiversity, Document 3.2 Component Assessment June 2020 4.5 Component C2 Cumulative Assessment ............................................................................... 114 4.6 Component C2 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Commitments .................................... 116 COMPONENT D – REINFORCEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE IN KAKHETI121 5.1 Baseline Information ............................................................................................................. 121 5.2 Priority Biodiversity Features Assessment ............................................................................ 126 5.3 Component D Impact Assessment ........................................................................................ 132 5.4 Component D Mitigation ...................................................................................................... 132 5.5 Component D Cumulative Assessment ................................................................................. 134 5.6 Component D Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Commitments ...................................... 135 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 139 DOCUMENT REFERENCES TABLES Table 1.1 EUNIS habitats – Sairme line .............................................................................................. 11 Table 1.2 EUNIS habitats – Tao line .................................................................................................... 14 Table 1.3 Sensitive bird species: Sairme line ...................................................................................... 18 Table 1.4 Forest habitat compensation areas .................................................................................... 28 Table 2.1 EUNIS habitats – Guria line ................................................................................................. 40 Table 2.2 Sensitive bird species: Guria line ........................................................................................ 43 Table 2.3 Forest habitat compensation areas .................................................................................... 51 Table 3.1 Species listed on Resolution 6 ............................................................................................ 57 Table 3.2 EUNIS habitats – Mestia line............................................................................................... 64 Table 3.3 Sensitive bird species: Mestia line ...................................................................................... 68 Table 3.4 Forest habitat compensation areas .................................................................................... 78 Table 4.1 EUNIS habitats – Oni HPP line ............................................................................................ 98 Table 4.2 EUNIS habitats – Kheledula HPP line ................................................................................ 101 Table 4.3 EUNIS habitats – Lechkhumi and New Derchi line ........................................................... 104 Table 4.4 Sensitive bird species: Component C2 .............................................................................. 107 Table 4.5 Forest habitat compensation areas .................................................................................. 112 Table 5.1 EUNIS habitats – all lines .................................................................................................. 127 Table 5.2 Sensitive bird species: Component D and substations ....................................................