DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT for SHRUBLAND PV On RE Farm Geel Kop Farm No 456. In terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998, as amended) & 2014 Environmental Impact Regulations Prepared for Applicant: Shrubland PV (Pty) Ltd. Date: 06 July 2020 Author of Report: Dale Holder Author Email: [email protected] Report Reference: KAI632/14 Department Reference: To be allocated Case Officer: Click here to enter Case Officer Name DOCUMENT TRACKING DOCUMENT HISTORY REVISION DATE AUTHOR Draft Basic Assessment Report 06 July 2020 Dale Holder Final Basic Assessment Report Pending Dale Holder Draft Environmental Management 06 July 2020 Dale Holder Programme Final Environmental Management Pending Dale Holder Programme APPROVAL FOR RELEASE NAME TITLE SIGNATURE Dale Holder Senior Environmental Practitioner DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION LIST Department of Environmental Affairs Shrubland PV (Pty) Ltd Registered and Potential I&AP’s SUBMISSION AND CORRESPONDENCE SUBMISSION / CORRESPONDENCE DATE Application form Submitted 06 July 2020 Application form Acknowledged Pending Draft Basic Assessment Report Submitted 06 July 2020 Draft Basic Assessment Report Acknowledged Pending Comment on Draft Basic Assessment Report Pending Final Basic Assessment Report Submitted Pending APPOINTED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER: Cape EAPrac Environmental Assessment Practitioners PO Box 2070 George 6530 Tel: 044-874 0365 Fax: 044-874 0432 Report written & compiled by: Dale Holder (Ndip Nature Conservation), who has over 15 years’ experience as an environmental practitioner. Registrations: Director, Louise-Mari van Zyl (MA Geography & Environmental Science [US]; Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner with the Interim Certification Board for Environmental Assessment Practitioners of South Africa, EAPSA). Ms van Zyl has over fifteen years’ experience as an environmental practitioner. PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT: I&AP Review and Comment APPLICANT: Shrubland PV (Pty) Ltd CAPE EAPRAC REFERENCE NO: KAI632/14 DEPARTMENT REFERENCE: Pending SUBMISSION DATE: 06 July 2020 DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998 as amended) & Environmental Impact Regulations2014 (as amended) Shrubland PV RE Farm Geel kop No. 456 Submitted for: Stakeholder Review & Comment This report is the property of the Author/Company, who may publish it, in whole, provided that: • Written approval is obtained from the Author and that Cape EAPrac is acknowledged in the publication; • Cape EAPrac is indemnified against any claim for damages that may result from any publication of specifications, recommendations or statements that is not administered or controlled by Cape EAPrac; • The contents of this report, including specialist/consultant reports, may not be used for purposes of sale or publicity or advertisement without the prior written approval of Cape EAPrac; • Cape EAPrac accepts no responsibility by the Applicant/Client for failure to follow or comply with the recommended programme, specifications or recommendations contained in this report; • Cape EAPrac accepts no responsibility for deviation or non-compliance of any specifications or recommendations made by specialists or consultants whose input/reports are used to inform this report; and • All figures, plates and diagrams are copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means, in any form, in part or whole without prior written approved from Cape EAPrac. Report Issued by: Cape Environmental Assessment Practitioners Tel: 044 874 0365 PO Box 2070 Fax: 044 874 0432 17 Progress Street, George 6530 Web: www.cape-eaprac.co.za Cape EAPrac Draft Basic Assessment Report REPORT DETAILS Title: Draft Basic Assessment Report for Shrubland PV Purpose of this report: This Draft Basic Assessment Report is made available to all registered and potential Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) for review and comment and all comments received will be incorporated into the Final Basic Assessment Report that will be submitted to the competent authority for decision making. This BAR forms part of a series of reports and information sources that are being provided during the Basic Assessment Process for the proposed Shrubland PV near Keimoes in the Northern Cape Province. Registered I&APs will be given an opportunity to comment on the following reports as part of this environmental process: - Draft Basic Assessment Report, - All Specialist Studies, and - Draft Environmental Management Programme. In accordance with the regulations, the objectives of an environmental process are to, through a consultative process: (a)identify the relevant policies and legislation relevant to the activity; (b) motivate the need and desirability of the proposed activity, including the need and desirability of the activity in the context of the preferred location; (c) identify and confirm the preferred activity and technology alternative through an impact and risk assessment and ranking process; (d) identify and confirm the preferred site, through a detailed site selection process, which includes an impact and risk assessment process inclusive of cumulative impacts and a ranking process of all the identified alternatives focusing on the geographical, physical, biological, social, economic, and cultural aspects of the environment; (e) identify the key issues to be addressed in the assessment phase; (f) agree on the level of assessment to be undertaken, including the methodology to be applied, the expertise required as well as the extent of further consultation to be undertaken to determine the impacts and risks the activity will impose on the preferred site through the life of the activity, including the nature, significance, consequence, extent, duration and probability of the impacts to inform the location of the development footprint within the preferred site; and (g) identify suitable measures to avoid, manage or mitigate identified impacts and to determine the extent of the residual risks that need to be managed and monitored. The Draft Basic Assessment Report is available to all registered and potential interested and affected parties for a 30 day review and comment period extending from 06 July 2020 – 06 August 2020 All comments received during this comment period will be incorporated into the Final BAR that will be submitted to the DEA for Decision making. Prepared for: Shrubland PV (Pty) Ltd Published by: Cape Environmental Assessment Practitioners (Pty) Ltd. (Cape EAPrac) Authors: Mr Dale Holder Reviewed by: Ms Melissa Mackay Cape EAPrac Ref: KAI632/14 DEA Case officer & Ref. No: To be allocated Date: 06 July 2020 To be cited as: Cape EAPrac, 2020. Draft Basic Assessment Report for Shrubland PV. Report Reference: KAI632.14. George. TECHNICAL CHECKLIST The following technical checklist is included as a quick reference roadmap for the proposed project. Applicant Details Applicant Name: Shrubland PV (Pty) Ltd Company Registration Number: 2020/156340/07 BBBEE Status: n/a Project Name: Shrubland PV Size of the study area Size in ha of initial study area. 400ha Cape EAPrac Draft Basic Assessment Report Development Footprint This includes the total footprint of PV panels, Approximately 245ha auxiliary buildings, onsite substation, inverter stations and internal roads. Capacity of the facility Generation Capacity of facility (in MW) Net generating capacity of 100MWAC Storage Capacity (in MWh) Storage Capacity of 400 MWh Solar Technology selection Type of technology Solar photovoltaic (PV) with either of fixed-tilt, single-axis tracking- or dual-axis tracking- mounting structures. Structure height Solar panels a maximum of ± 3.5m from ground level Surface area to be covered (including Approximately 245ha associated infrastructure such as roads) Structure orientation Fixed-tilt: north-facing at a defined angle of tilt Single-axis: horizontal axis tracking from east to west Laydown area dimensions Approximately 2-5ha of temporary laydown area will be required (the laydown areas will not exceed 5ha and will be situated within the assessed footprint). Permanent laydown area not exceeding 1ha. The PV energy facility is to consist of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, fixed-tilt-, single-axis tracking- or dual-axis tracking- mounting structures, with a net generating capacity of 100 MW as well as associated infrastructure, which will include: • On-site switching-station / substation; • Battery energy storage system; • Auxiliary buildings (gate-house and security, control centre, office, warehouse, canteen & visitors centre, staff lockers etc.); • Inverter-stations, transformers and internal electrical reticulation (underground cabling); • Access and internal road network; • Laydown area; • The projects intend to connect from the onsite sub-stations to the Upington MTS (400/132 kV), via the 132kV Geelkop Collector Substation (this basic assessment process only includes the IPP portion of the onsite sub-station, while the remainder of the grid connection is being assessed in a separate BAR process); • Rainwater tanks; and • Electrified Perimeter fencing and security infrastructure. COMPONENT DETAILS Component Description/ Dimensions Location of the site Approximately 27km Southwest of Upington along the N14 PV Panel area A maximum of 235 ha within a total project footprint of approximately 245ha SG Codes C02800000000045600000 Preferred Site access The site will be accessed directly from the N14 via Access Point 1 (an existing farm access) as described in the Transport study undertaken