ESIA FOR THE 220kV OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION LINE (OHTL) FOR RSWE 500MW WIND FARM PROJECT August 2020 Prepared by: ECO Consult – Jude Center, Salem Al-Hindawi Street, Shmeisani, P.O. Box 941400, Amman 11194 Jordan Tel: 962 6 569 9769 Fax: 962 6 5697264 E-mail: [email protected] and EcoConServ Environmental Solutions as a subcontractor to ECO Consult: Tel: + (202) 2735 9078/2736 4818 Fax: + (202) 2736 5397 12 El-Saleh Ayoub St., Zamalek Cairo, Egypt 11211 Prepared for: RCREEE - Regional Centre for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency Hydro Power Building, Floor 7 Block 11, Piece 15, Melsa District Ard el Golf, Nasr City, Cairo Arab Republic of Egypt On behalf of: Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) Sponsered by: Red Sea Wind Energy S.A.E. (RSWE) Issue and Revision Record: Template Code QF-PM-01-15 Template Revision No. REV 0 Version Date Description Reviewed By Approved by Rev 0 4 July 2020 Draft ESIA Report RCREEE/EETC/EBRD/Golder Rev 1 21 July 2020 Draft ESIA Report RCREEE/EETC/EBRD/Golder Rev 2 31 July 2020 ESIA Report RCREEE/EETC/EBRD/Golder FINAL 6 August 2020 ESIA Report RCREEE/EETC/EBRD/Golder 220 kV OHTL for RSWE 500MW Wind Power Plant – Final ESIA Report ii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................. III ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................. V LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................................ VI LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................................................... VI 1 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 1 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Background ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report ..................................................................................... 4 2.3 Document Structure ......................................................................................................................................... 5 2.4 Key Involved Entities ......................................................................................................................................... 5 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Project Rationale ............................................................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Project Location ................................................................................................................................................ 7 3.3 Project Components ......................................................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Right of Way for the OHTL .............................................................................................................................. 10 3.5 Overview of Project Phases ............................................................................................................................ 11 4 REGULATORY & POLICY FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................ 13 4.1 Egyptian Environmental Clearance Process .................................................................................................... 13 4.2 Egyptian E&S Regulatory Context ................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 International Agreements ............................................................................................................................... 18 4.4 Requirements for Project Financing ............................................................................................................... 19 5 ESIA APPROACH & METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 23 5.1 Analysis of Alternatives ................................................................................................................................... 23 5.2 Delineation of Study Boundaries & Scope of Assessment .............................................................................. 23 5.3 Environment & Social Baseline Conditions ..................................................................................................... 24 5.4 Impact Assessment Methodology .................................................................................................................. 25 5.5 Assessment of Residual Significance............................................................................................................... 28 5.6 Development of an Environmental & Social Management (ESMP) Plan ........................................................ 28 6 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 29 6.1 Site Alternatives .............................................................................................................................................. 29 6.2 Design and Technology Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 29 6.3 No Project Alternative .................................................................................................................................... 30 7 LANDSCAPE & VISUAL ......................................................................................................................................... 32 7.1 Assessment of Baseline Conditions ................................................................................................................ 32 7.2 Assessment of Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................... 33 8 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................................................ 35 8.1 Assessment of Baseline Conditions ................................................................................................................ 35 8.2 Assessment of Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................... 35 9 GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY .................................................................................................. 37 9.1 Assessment of Baseline Conditions ................................................................................................................ 37 9.2 Assessment of Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................... 40 10 BIODIVERSITY ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 10.1 Baseline Assessment Methodology ................................................................................................................ 46 10.2 Results ............................................................................................................................................................. 46 10.3 Assessment of Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................... 51 11 BIRDS (AVI-FAUNA) ............................................................................................................................................. 54 220 kV OHTL for RSWE 500MW Wind Power Plant – Final ESIA Report iii 11.1 Assessment of Baseline Conditions ................................................................................................................ 55 11.2 Assessment of Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................... 75 12 BATS ................................................................................................................................................................... 80 12.1 Assessment of Baseline Conditions ................................................................................................................ 80 12.2 Results ............................................................................................................................................................. 80 12.3 Assessment of Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................... 81 13 ARCHEOLOGY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE...........................................................................................................