HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT: PROPOSED AGGENEYS 2 - 100 MW SOLAR PV FACILITY AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE NEAR AGGENEYS, NAMAKWALAND MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT, NORTHERN CAPE Required under Section 38(8) of the National Heritage Resources Act (No. 25 of 1999). HWC SAHRA Case No.: 13729 Report for: Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd 1st floor, Block 2, 5 Woodlands Drive Office Park Corner Woodlands Drive and Western Service Road, Woodmead, 2191 Tel: (011) 656 3237 Email: [email protected] On behalf of: ABO Wind Aggeneys 2 PV (Pty) Ltd Dr Jayson Orton ASHA Consulting (Pty) Ltd 40 Brassie Street, Lakeside, 7945 Tel: (021) 783 0557 | 083 272 3225 Email: [email protected] 1st draft: 13 February 2019 Final report: 31 March 2019 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ASHA Consulting (Pty) Ltd was appointed by Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd to conduct an assessment of the potential impacts to heritage resources that might occur with the proposed development of the 100 MW Aggeneys 2 photo-voltaic (PV) solar energy facility and associated infrastructure to be located on the farm Bloemhoek 61/rem (12 378.97 ha in extent), some 12 km southeast of Aggeneys, Namakwaland Magisterial District, Northern Cape. The study area is centred on S29° 17’ 15” E18° 57’ 11”. The project falls within the Springbok 8 Renewable Energy Development Zone. The project will include: » Arrays of PV panels up to 3.5 m high (fixed-tilt PV, single-axis tracking PV or double-axis tracking PV) on up to a maximum 233 ha and with a contracted capacity of up to 100MW; » Mounting structures to support the PV panels; » Cabling between the project components (to be lain underground where applicable); » On-site substation (c. 0.625 ha); » On-site inverters to convert the power from a direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC); » On-site step-up transformers; » Site Offices and Maintenance Buildings (c. 1 ha), including workshop areas for maintenance and storage, canteen, visitor’s centre; » Gatehouse and security office; » Laydown area (c. 5 ha); » Main site access road (c. 200-400 m long and 6 m wide, tarred if necessary); » Internal access roads (c. 18-20 km total length and 4-5 m wide); and » Fencing. The 250 ha site is relatively flat and sandy with a light gravel coating and minimal vegetation. Ground visibility was excellent. No heritage resources were identified within the proposed footprint, although several isolated stone artefacts attributable to background scatter were noted. Because no significant impacts to heritage resources are expected it is recommended that the proposed Aggeneys 2 PV development be authorised. The following should be included as conditions of authorisation: • If any change in the footprint occurs, then an archaeologist should be consulted for an opinion on whether a survey is required; and • If any archaeological or palaeontological material or human burials are uncovered during the course of development then work in the immediate area should be halted. The find would need to be reported to the heritage authorities and may require inspection by an archaeologist. Such heritage is the property of the state and may require excavation and curation in an approved institution. ASHA Consulting (Pty) Ltd | Reg. no.: 2013/220482/07 ii Glossary Background scatter: Artefacts whose spatial position is conditioned more by natural forces than by human agency. Early Stone Age: Period of the Stone Age extending approximately between 2 million and 200 000 years ago. Holocene: The geological period spanning the last approximately 10-12 000 years. Hominid: a group consisting of all modern and extinct great apes (i.e. gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and humans) and their ancestors. Later Stone Age: Period of the Stone Age extending over the last approximately 20 000 years. Middle Stone Age: Period of the Stone Age extending approximately between 200 000 and 20 000 years ago. Pleistocene: The geological period beginning approximately 2.5 million years ago and preceding the Holocene. ASHA Consulting (Pty) Ltd | Reg. no.: 2013/220482/07 iii Abbreviations APHP: Association of Professional Heritage MSA: Middle Stone Age Practitioners NBKB: Ngwao-Boswa Ya Kapa Bokoni ASAPA: Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists NCW: Not Conservation Worthy BA: Basic Assessment NEMA: National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998) CCS: crypto-crystalline silica NHRA: National Heritage Resources Act (No. CRM: Cultural Resources Management 25) of 1999 ECO: Environmental Control Officer NID: Notification of Intent to Develop EMPr: Environmental Management PPP: Public Participation Process Programme PV: Photo-voltaic ESA: Early Stone Age REDZ: Renewable Energy Development Zone GP: General Protection SAHRA: South African Heritage Resources GPS: global positioning system Agency HIA: Heritage Impact Assessment SAHRIS: South African Heritage Resources Information System HWC: Heritage Western Cape SEF: Solar Energy Facility LSA: Later Stone Age ASHA Consulting (Pty) Ltd | Reg. no.: 2013/220482/07 iv Contents Glossary........................................................................................................................................ iii Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... iv 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Project description....................................................................................................................1 1.1.1. Aspects of the project relevant to the heritage study.................................................3 1.2. Terms of reference ...................................................................................................................3 1.3. Scope and purpose of the report .............................................................................................3 1.4. The author ................................................................................................................................3 1.5. Declaration of independence ...................................................................................................3 2. HERITAGE LEGISLATION.............................................................................................................. 4 3. METHODS................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1. Literature survey and information sources..............................................................................5 3.2. Field survey...............................................................................................................................5 3.3. Specialist studies.......................................................................................................................6 3.4. Impact assessment ...................................................................................................................6 3.5. Grading .....................................................................................................................................6 3.6. Consultation..............................................................................................................................6 3.7. Assumptions and limitations ....................................................................................................6 4. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT........................................................................................ 7 4.1. Site context...............................................................................................................................7 4.2. Site description.........................................................................................................................7 5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT............................................................................ 8 5.1. Archaeological aspects .............................................................................................................8 5.2. Historical aspects and the built environment ..........................................................................9 6. FINDINGS OF THE HERITAGE STUDY............................................................................................ 9 6.1. Palaeontology...........................................................................................................................9 6.2. Archaeology............................................................................................................................10 6.3. Graves.....................................................................................................................................11 6.4. Built environment...................................................................................................................12 6.5. Cultural landscape ..................................................................................................................12 6.6. Summary of heritage indicators .............................................................................................12 6.7. Statement of significance and provisional grading ................................................................12 7. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS ........................................................................................................ 13 7.1. Potential