VAN ZYL Mobile: 072 222 6194 P.O. Box 567 Facsimile: 086 624 0306 Upington Telephone: 054 338 0722 8800 Enquiries: Irmé van Zyl 18 October 2013 Email: [email protected] ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS cc 2009/073037/23 Ref: 23/2011 Welcome Wood PV Power Station 2 and 3 DEA Ref: 12/12/20/2675; 12/12/20/2613 NEAS Ref: DEA/EIA/0000881/2011; DEA/EIA/0000893/2012 DAFF (Forestry) Ref: F13/11/2/136; F13/11/2/137 Telkom: SR/002 759 SAHRA: 9/2/074/0003 Dear Sir/Madam DRAFT BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORTS THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF PV POWER STATIONS NEAR DANIËLSKUIL, NORTHERN CAPE – AE-AMD RENEWABLE ENERGY (PTY) LTD 1. AE-AMD Renewable Energy (Pry) Ltd (hereafter AE-AMD) proposes the development of two 3 MW PV power stations on Portions 4 and 5 of Farm 457, near Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape. The two developments will each have a footprint of less than 20 ha. 2. Van Zyl Environmental Consultants has been appointed as the independent environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) by AE-AMD to conduct the basic environmental impact assessments in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, published in Government Notice No. R. 543 (Government Gazette No. 33306, dated 18 June 2010) in terms of Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998). 3. The National Department of Environmental Affairs has accepted the applications and amendments to these applications. The applicant is in the process of applying to amend the applications as follow: 3.1 Amendment of project titles: From: The Development of PV Power Plant Clusters II & III, Consisting of One or More PV Plants, with a Total Capacity of up to 18 MW, at the Welcome Wood Substation, Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape To: The development of two PV power plants 2 & 3, with a capacity of 3 MW each, at the Welcome Wood Substation, Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape 3.2 Amendment of the AE-AMD contact person and contact particulars: From: Dr Tamuka Kaseke 23 St James Crescent, Bryanston PO Box 2303, Cramerview, 2060 To: Mr Charles Berrington Level D, The Adderley, 25 Adderley Street, Cape Town, 8001 PO Box 2681, Cape Town, 8000 3.3 Amendments of the activities applied for to be authorised: From: Notice R 544 Activities 1(i), 10 (i), 11 (xi), 22 (ii), 23 (ii), and Notice R 546 Activity 14 (a) (i) To: Notice R 544 Activities 1 (ii), 10 (i), 11 (xi), 22 (ii), 23 (ii) and Notice R 546 Activities 4 (a) (ii) (cc), 13 (c) (ii) (cc), 14 (a) (i) 4. These amendments that are in the process of application are due to the fact that the Department of Energy’s Small Projects Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme has been released and AE-AMD intends to bid these projects. The total capacity for each plant is therefore amended from 18 MW back to 3 MW. These amendments have been taken into consideration during the EIA studies available for review. 5. AE-AMD has also established its headquarters in Cape Town since the applications have been submitted, therefore the change in contact person and address. 6. The Siyanda EMF (2008) indicates that the area surrounding the sites proposed for development possibly contains sensitive groundwater resources and potential wind erosion areas. Therefore Notice R 546, Activities 4 and 13 have been added to the activities applied for as a precautionary principle. These have been considered in the environmental impact assessment processes. 7. Find electronic copies (paper copies to DENC, DWA, and National Department of Agriculture) of the draft basic environmental impact assessment reports included. Copies can be made available via dropbox (online storage access) at request. 8. As part of the public participation processes you are hereby invited to submit your comments and/or objections with regard to the proposed developments in writing by mail, facsimile or email to the EAP. 9. Your comments must reach the EAP no later than Monday 02 December 2013. If no correspondence has been received from you by this date, it would be assumed that you do not wish to submit any comments on or objections to the proposed developments during this phase of the processes. 10. Please note that the public participation processes are subject to a time schedule to which the EAP must keep. Your prompt response would be dearly appreciated, as this would ensure that your comments and/or objections would be received in time to be included and addressed in the final report. 11. The EAP can be contacted for any enquiries. Thanking you in anticipation, IRMé VAN ZYL (ND: Nat. Cons., FD: Env. Edu., MEM) VAN ZYL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS: PROJECT MANAGER For Attention For Attention: Ms M. Rabothata Administrative Section Ms N. Nkosi DEA Telephone: 012 395 1768/1694 Private Bag X447 Facsimile: 012 320 7539 Pretoria Email: [email protected] 0001 [email protected] For Attention: Ms T. Makaudi Impact Management Section DENC Telephone: 053 807 7430 Private Bag X6102 Facsimile: 053 832 1035 Kimberley Email: [email protected] 8300 For Attention: Ms R.N. Mazwi Department of Water Affairs Telephone: 053 802 0502 Private Bag X6101 Facsimile: 053 832 1206 Kimberley Email: [email protected] 8300 For Attention: Ms J. Mans Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Telephone: 054 338 5860 P.O. Box 2782 Facsimile: 086 541 9562 Upington Email: [email protected] 8800 For Attention: Ms D. Nhlaka Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ms Thoko Buthelezi AgriLand Liaison Office Telephone: 012 319 7619/7634 Directorate: Land Use and Soil Management Facsimile: 012 329 5938 Private Bag X120 Email: [email protected] Pretoria [email protected] 0001 For Attention: Mr N.J. Toerien Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Telephone: 054 337 8000 Rural Development Facsimile: 054 337 8001 P.O. Box 52 Mobile: 071 860 7551 Upington Email: [email protected] 8800 For Att.: Mr J. Steyn Steyn Boerdery Trust Telephone: 053 384 0906 P.O. Box 111 Mobile: 083 289 2550 Daniëlskuil 8405 For Attention: Mr A. Viljoen CEO Tshiping WUA Telephone: 053 313 0595 PO Box 434 Facsimile: 086 589 3482 Postmasburg Email: [email protected] 8420 VAN ZYL Mobile: 072 222 6194 P.O. Box 567 Facsimile: 086 624 0306 Upington Telephone: 054 338 0722 8800 Enquiries: Irmé van Zyl 18 October 2013 Email: [email protected] ENVIRONMENTAL CCCONSULTANTSCONSULTANTS cccccc 2009/073037/23 Ref: 23/2011 Welcome Wood PV Power Station 2 and 3 DEA Ref: 12/12/20/2675; 12/12/20/2613 NEAS Ref: DEA/EIA/0000881/2011; DEA/EIA/0000893/2012 Dear Sir/Madam DRAFT BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORTS THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF PV POWER STATIONS NEAR DANIËLSKUIL, NORTHERN CAPE – AE-AMD RENEWABLE ENERGY (PTY) LTD 1. AE-AMD Renewable Energy (Pry) Ltd (hereafter AE-AMD) proposes the development of two 3 MW PV power stations on Portions 4 and 5 of Farm 457, near Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape. The two developments will each have a footprint of less than 20 ha. 2. Van Zyl Environmental Consultants has been appointed as the independent environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) by AE-AMD to conduct the basic environmental impact assessments in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, published in Government Notice No. R. 543 (Government Gazette No. 33306, dated 18 June 2010) in terms of Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998). 3. The National Department of Environmental Affairs has accepted the applications and amendments to these applications. The applicant is in the process of applying to amend the applications as follow: 3.1 Amendment of project titles: From: The Development of PV Power Plant Clusters II & III, Consisting of One or More PV Plants, with a Total Capacity of up to 18 MW, at the Welcome Wood Substation, Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape To: The development of two PV power plants 2 & 3, with a capacity of 3 MW each, at the Welcome Wood Substation, Daniëlskuil, Northern Cape 3.2 Amendment of the AE-AMD contact person and contact particulars: From: Dr Tamuka Kaseke 23 St James Crescent, Bryanston PO Box 2303, Cramerview, 2060 To: Mr Charles Berrington Level D, The Adderley, 25 Adderley Street, Cape Town, 8001 PO Box 2681, Cape Town, 8000 3.3 Amendments of the activities applied for to be authorised: From: Notice R 544 Activities 1(i), 10 (i), 11 (xi), 22 (ii), 23 (ii), and Notice R 546 Activity 14 (a) (i) To: Notice R 544 Activities 1 (ii), 10 (i), 11 (xi), 22 (ii), 23 (ii) and Notice R 546 Activities 4 (a) (ii) (cc), 13 (c) (ii) (cc), 14 (a) (i) 4. These amendments that are in the process of application are due to the fact that the Department of Energy’s Small Projects Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme has been released and AE-AMD intends to bid these projects. The total capacity for each plant is therefore amended from 18 MW back to 3 MW. These amendments have been taken into consideration during the EIA studies available for review. 5. AE-AMD has also established its headquarters in Cape Town since the applications have been submitted, therefore the change in contact person and address. 6. The Siyanda EMF (2008) indicates that the area surrounding the sites proposed for development possibly contains sensitive groundwater resources and potential wind erosion areas. Therefore Notice R 546, Activities 4 and 13 have been added to the activities applied for as a precautionary principle. These have been considered in the environmental impact assessment processes. 7. The draft basic environmental impact assessment reports are available for review at the Daniëlskuil Public Library.