Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility - SAHRIS | SAHRA...Project title: Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility and associated infrastructure, South West of Aggeneys, Northern Cape Co-Ordinates of corner

Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility South West of Aggeneys, Northern Cape Province

Environmental Impact Assessment Process

Split Environmental Impact Report 2

DEA Ref No.: 14/12/16/3/3/2/871

August 2018

SOL INVICTUS 6 PV FACILITY, NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

Split Environmental Impact Assessment Report August 2018

Project Details Page i

PROJECT DETAILS

DEA Reference No. : 14/12/16/3/3/2/871

Title : Environmental Impact Assessment Process

Split Report 2: EIA Report for the Sol Invictus 6 PV

Facility, Northern Cape

Authors : Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd

Shaun Taylor

Jo-Anne Thomas

Specialists : Savannah Environmental

Jayson Orton of ASHA Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr John E. Almond of Natura Viva cc

Candice Hunter of Savannah Environmental

Jon Marshall of Afzelia Environmental Consultants

Simon Todd of Simon Todd Consulting

Client : Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd

Report Status

: Split Environmental Impact Assessment Report in

support of an Application for Amendment (Splitting) of

the Environmental Authorisation for public review

Review Period : 29 August 2018 to 1 October 2018

Report Date : August 2018

When used as a reference this report should be cited as: Savannah Environmental (2018) Environmental

Impact Assessment Report: Proposed Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility, Northern Cape

COPYRIGHT RESERVED

This technical report has been produced for Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd. The intellectual property contained in this report remains vested in Savannah Environmental. No part of the report may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Savannah

Environmental (Pty) Ltd or Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd.



Purpose of the EIA report Page ii

PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT

Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd (formerly known as, Cyralex (Pty) Ltd) is proposing the development of the Sol

Invictus 6 PV facility and associated infrastructure on Portion 5 of the Farm Ou Taaisbosmond 66 which is

earmarked as the project area for the proposed development. The project area is situated approximately

30 km south-west of Aggeneys in the Northern Cape Province and is located within the Nama Khoi Local

Municipality and borders the Khai-Ma Local Municipality. Both municipalities fall under the jurisdiction of

the Namakwa District Municipality.

Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd undertook an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process on behalf

of the project applicant, in terms of the EIA Regulations of 2014 GN R. 993 of the National Environmental

Management Act (No. 107 of 1998). The Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report was

submitted to the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), as the competent authority, in June

2016. On the basis of the outcomes of the EIA process, Environmental Authorisation (EA) for the project

was issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in September 2016.

The PV facility has been authorised for a contracted capacity of up to 150 MW, and will be connected to

the national grid via the Aggeneis-Nama 220 kV overhead line that connects to the Eskom’s Aggeneis

Substation, located 17 km east of the project area. On the basis of the outcomes of the EIA process, the

following project components have been authorised:

» Arrays of PV panels with a contracted capacity of up to 150 MW;

» Mounting structures to support the PV panels;

» Cabling between the project components;

» On-site inverters to convert the power from direct current to an alternating current;

» On-site substation;

» Battery storage mechanism with a storage capacity of 300 MWh;

» 33/220kV transformer;

» 220kV double circuit powerline;

» Temporary laydown areas;

» Batching plant;

» Internal access roads and fencing around the development site;

» Site offices; and

» Workshop areas for maintenance and storage.

The proposed project development site is considered suitable and favourable by the developer for the

construction of a solar PV facility from a technical perspective due to the following site characteristics:

» Climatic conditions: Climatic conditions determine the economic viability of a solar energy facility as

it is directly dependent on the annual direct solar irradiation values for a particular area.

» Topographic conditions: The local site conditions are optimum for a development of this nature. A

level surface area (i.e. with a minimal gradient in the region of 1%) is preferred for the installation of

PV panels. The site slope and aspect of the proposed development area is predominantly flat.

» Extent of the site: Significant land area is required for the proposed development. The site is larger

than the area required for development which allows for the avoidance of any identified

environmental and/or technical constraints.



Purpose of the EIA report Page iii

» Proximity: This site is located in close proximity to an existing Eskom substation, which minimises the

need for a long power line connection. This is preferred from an environmental and technical

perspective.

1. Application to Split the Environmental Authorisation

The project is intended to be bid into future rounds of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Renewable

Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement (REIPPP) Programme which is expected to be in

November 2018. in terms of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) competitive bidding process for procuring

renewable energy from Independent Power Producers in South Africa, a threshold has been set for the

maximum amount of megawatts per project entered into the bid. The threshold for a single solar energy

project for submission into the bid has been set at 75 MW. In terms of the DoE’s requirements, a separate

authorisation is required for each 75 MW facility. Therefore, the applicant is requesting that the authorised

facility of 150 MW in capacity be split into two (2) separate projects of no more than 75 MW each. These

projects are to be known as Sol Invictus 4 PV Solar Facility and Sol Invictus 6 PV Solar Facility. Each of these

EAs should include authorisation for the relevant associated infrastructure. The requested amendment for

the split of the EA into two (2) separate EAs (i.e. each of 75 MW total output capacity) will fall within the

originally authorised footprint of the facility and does not trigger any new listed activities.

Information in the report which has been updated has been underlined for ease of reference. Otherwise

the information presented here is identical to that presented in the original EIA report. No substantive

changes to the EIA Report submitted in support of the original application for authorisation have been

made, although changes have been made where corrections or updates to factual information is

required. The EMPr has also been amended to separately consider each aspect.

This is Split Report 2 for the Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility.

Apart from the splitting of the Environmental Authorisation, the following amendments to the Authorisation

are also requested:

Project title: Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility and associated infrastructure, South West of Aggeneys, Northern Cape

Co-Ordinates of corner points of the site and associated infrastructure:

Infrastructure Dimensions/ Details

Corner points for the Sol Invictus 6

development site

NW Corner

NE Corner

SW Corner

SE Corner

29° 17' 57.39" S 18° 36' 53.92" E

29° 17' 58.63" S 18° 38' 05.47" E

29° 18' 32.21" S 18° 36' 53.16" E

29° 18' 33.57" S 18° 38' 04.65" E

Corner points for the Sol Invictus 6

Infrastructure

NW Corner

NE Corner

SW Corner

SE Corner

29° 18' 23.79" S 18° 36' 53.47" E

29° 18' 24.37" S 18° 37' 28.97" E

29° 18' 32.06" S 18° 36' 53.33" E

29° 18' 32.79" S 18° 37' 28.78" E



Purpose of the EIA report Page iv

Project details: The following project components comprise the Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility:

» Arrays of PV panels with a contracted capacity of up to 75 MW;


» Cabling between the project components;

» On-site inverters to convert the power from direct current to an alternating current;

» On-site substation;

» Battery storage mechanism with a storage capacity of 300 MWh;

» 33/220kV transformer;

» 220kV double circuit power line;


» Batching plant;

» Internal access roads and fencing around the development site;

» Site offices; and

» Workshop areas for maintenance and storage.

In terms of Condition 6 of the Environmental Authorisation and Chapter 5 of the EIA Regulations of

December 2014 (as amended on 07 April 2017), it is possible for an applicant to apply, in writing, to the

competent authority for a change or deviation from the project description to be approved. Savannah

Environmental has therefore prepared this split EIA report in support of the amendment application

submitted on behalf of Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd. An amendment application for the split has been submitted

to the DEA. The DEA has advised that this application is considered to be a Part 2 amendment as

contemplated in terms of Regulation 31 of the EIA Regulations (2014), as amended.

Regulation 32 of the EIA Regulations (2014), as amended, deals with the process and consideration of Part

2 amendment applications as follows:

32(1) The applicant must within 90 days of receipt by

the competent authority of the application made in

terms of regulation 31, submit to the competent

authority -

(a) a report, reflecting –

(i) an assessment of all impacts related to the

proposed change;

(i) No environmental impacts will result. The report is

effectively a “repackage” of the original final EIA

report dated June 2016, submitted to DEA, and

which was authorised 22 September 2016. This

report considers the Sol Invictus 6 PV facility and

associated infrastructure and provides an

assessment of the impacts in this regard, as

originally presented in the original final EIA report

(dated June 2016). No new information has been

provided for the requested amendment of the split

of the EA.

(ii) advantages and disadvantages associated

with the proposed change; and

(ii) The need for the split is presented above, in the

“PURPOSE OF THE SPLIT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT” section. There are no

environmental advantages or disadvantages per se

associated with the requested split amendment.

However, should the amendment not be granted,

the applicant will not be able to meet the

requirements of the DoE or the lenders. The project

may then not proceed which would result in a lost

opportunity in terms of the provision of renewable

energy to the grid and local socio-economic

benefits.



Purpose of the EIA report Page v

(iii) measures to ensure avoidance,

management and mitigation of impacts

associated with such proposed change;

and

(iii) No additional mitigation measures are proposed as

a result of the requested split amendment since no

additional environmental impacts are associated

with this requested amendment.

(iv) any changes to the EMPr; (iv) The EMPr has been amended to only include those

measures applicable to the relevant project under

consideration and is included in Appendix I. The

mitigation measures presented in this split EIA report

are relevant to the Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility and

associated infrastructure only as presented in the

original EIA report (dated June 2016). No additional

mitigation measures are proposed since no new

impacts will occur as a result of the split

amendment.

2. Other Amendments being Applied for

Apart from the splitting of the EA, the following amendments are also requested for each EA:

1. Increase in height of the authorised PV panels from 3m to 5m:

Following developments in technology after the issuing of the original EA and due to economic efficiency

considerations, Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd (applicant) is proposing to install a PV technology on the site which is

best suited to the conditions on the site (and will increase the efficiency of the facility). The applicant is

therefore requesting to amend the height of authorised PV panels from 3m to 5m. This amendment is

being proposed in order to increase the efficiency of the facility and consequently, the economic

competitiveness thereof.

2. Change in company name and postal address details, as well as addition of the cell phone number

details of the holder of the Environmental Authorisation:

The company name and postal address details for Cyralex (Pty) Ltd (now called Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd)

have changed. In addition, the cell phone details of the relevant contact person are available and are to

be added to the EA. Therefore, the relevant details of the holder of the environmental authorisation need

to be amended.

A separate amendment motivation report has been prepared by Savannah Environmental for the above

two amendments.

3. Layout of the Split EIA Report

The nature and extent of the Solar Facility, as well as the potential environmental impacts associated with

the construction, operation and decommissioning phases are explored in more detail in this Split EIA

Report. The Split EIA Report consists of nine chapters, which include:

» Chapter 1 provides background to the project and the environmental impact assessment, and an

introduction to the rationale behind the selected development site and technology proposed.

» Chapter 2 provides the project description, need and desirability, rationale of the development site

selection and identified project alternatives.



Purpose of the EIA report Page vi

» Chapter 3 outlines the strategic legal context for the energy planning in South Africa, and specifically

for the project.

» Chapter 4 outlines the approach to undertaking the environmental impact assessment process.

» Chapter 5 describes the existing biophysical and socio-economic environment within and surrounding

the project area.

» Chapter 6 provides an assessment of the potential issues and impacts associated with the project and

presents recommendations for mitigation of significant impacts.

» Chapter 7 provides an assessment of the potential for cumulative impacts.

» Chapter 8 presents the conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of the EIA.

» Chapter 9 provides a list of reference material used to compile the EIA Report.

The Scoping Phase of the EIA process identified potential issues associated with the proposed project, and

defined the extent of the studies required within the EIA Phase. The EIA Phase addresses those identified

potential environmental impacts and benefits associated with all phases of the project including design,

construction and operation, and recommends appropriate mitigation measures for potentially significant

environmental impacts. The Split EIA report aims to provide the environmental authorities with sufficient

information to make an informed decision regarding the proposed project.

The release of a Split EIA Report provided stakeholders with an opportunity to verify that the issues they

have raised to date have been captured and adequately considered within the study. The Split EIA

Report will incorporate all issues and responses prior to submission to the National Department of

Environmental Affairs (DEA), the decision-making authority for the project. The Split EIA report

demonstrates that the conditions of the Acceptance of the Scoping Report, and the comments received

during the review period of the EIA report (including those received from the Competent Authority) have

been considered and addressed as required.



Purpose of the EIA report Page vii

DEA REQUIREMENT FOR THE SPLIT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

REPORT

Savannah Environmental has compiled a table (refer to Table 1 below) which outlines the DEA

requirements as outlined in the acceptance of the scoping report dated 17 February 2016, and where in

the Split EIA report the requirements have been addressed within this report for ease of reference.

TABLE 1: Information Requested By DEA

No. Information Requirements Cross Reference in this

Split EIA Report

i This Department advises that the applied listed activities and their relevant issues

be addressed and assessed in the EIAr.

Chapter 4

ii Please ensure that all relevant listing notice activities applied for, are specific

and that it can be linked to the development activity or infrastructure described

in the project description.

Chapter 4

Chapter 6-7

iii Should there be a need to amend the application form, please note that the

Departments application form template has been amended and can be

downloaded from the following link

https://www.environment.gov.za/documents/forms.

Appendix L

iv It is imperative that the relevant authorities are continuously involved throughout

the EIAr process.

Appendix B

Appendix C

v The EIAr must provide an assessment of the impacts and mitigation measures for

each of the listed activities applied for.

Chapter 6-7

vi All specialist studies submitted with the Scoping Report must form part of the EIAr

and must be current, consider cumulative impacts, be relevant to the

development and comply with Appendix 6 of the EIA Regulation 2014.

Appendix D-H

Chapter 5-7

vii An avifaunal impact assessment must be conducted and submitted to the

Department with the EIAr.

Appendix E

viii You are further reminded to provide a description of any identified alternatives

for the proposed activity that are feasible and reasonable, including the

advantages and disadvantages that the proposed activity or alternatives will

have on the environment and on the community that may be affected by the

activity. Alternatively, submit written proof of an investigation and motivation if

no reasonable or feasible alternatives exist.

Chapter 2

ix The EIAr must provide the technical details for the proposed facility in a table

format as well as their description and/or dimensions. A sample of the minimum

information required is listed under point 2 of the EIA information required for SEF

below.

Table 2.1 and 2.2 in

Chapter 2

x The EIAr must provide the four corners coordinates for the proposed

development site (note that if the site have numerous bend points, each and

every bend point coordinates must be provided) as well as the start, middle and

end point of all linear activities.

Table 2.3 in Chapter 2

xi The EIAr must provide the following:

• Clear indication of the envisioned area for the proposed solar facility;

i.e. placing of photovoltaic (PV) arrays and all associated infrastructure

should be mapped at an appropriate scale.

• Clear description of all associated infrastructure. This description must

include, but not limited to the following:

I. Power lines;

Appendix K: Maps



Purpose of the EIA report Page viii


Split EIA Report

II. Internal roads infrastructure; and;

III. All supporting onsite infrastructure such as laydown area, guard

house and control room etc.

xii The EIAr must provide an indication of the solar facility in respect to the location

of other energy facilities and its associated infrastructure.

Chapter 7

xiii The EIAr must provide detailed need and desirability as to why there is a need

for the development and why the specific location is desirable.

Chapter 1-2

xiv The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) must be consulted during the

course of the process. Proof of consultation must be provided for in the EIAr.

Appendix C

xv The EIAr must provide an indication of the internal access roads and the impact

associated with them must be adequately assessed in the EIAr and the EMPr.

Chapter 6

xvi The inclusion of all received comments and response thereto in the comments

and response report.

Appendix C

xvii Information on services required on the site, e.g. sewage, refuse removal, water

and electricity. Who will supply these services and has an agreement and

confirmation of capacity been obtained? Proof of these agreements must be

provided.

Chapter 2

xviii The EIAr must provide a layout which depicts the entire facility, i.e. the solar and

grid connection infrastructure.

Appendix K

Chapter 8 (Figure 8.2)

xix The assessment of impacts and the Environmental Impact Assessment process;

and, the requirements of the Public Participation Process (PPP) must be in

accordance with the Regulation 39 to 44 of the GN R982 of EIA Regulations

2014.

Appendix C

xx A copy of the final site layout map. All available biodiversity information must be

used in the finalisation of the layout map. Existing infrastructure must be used as

far as possible e.g. roads. The layout map must indicate the following:

• Positions of PV arrays and its associated infrastructure;

• Permanent laydown area footprint;

• Internal roads indicating width (construction period width and

operation period width) and with numbered sections between the

other site elements which they serve (to make commenting on sections

possible);

• Wetlands, drainage lines, rivers, stream and water crossing of roads and

cables indicating the type of bridging infrastructures that will be used.

• The location of sensitive environmental features on site e.g. CBAs,

heritage sites, wetlands, drainage lines etc. that will be affected by the

facility and its associated infrastructure;

• Substation(s) and/or transformer(s) sites including their entire footprint;

• Connection routes (including pylon positions) to the distribution/

transmission network;

• All existing infrastructure on the site, especially roads;

• Buffer areas;

• Buildings, including accommodation; and,

• All “no-go” areas.

Appendix K


xxi An environmental sensitivity map indicating environmental sensitive areas and

features identified during the EIA process.

Appendix K


xxii A map combining the final layout map superimposed (overlain) on the

environmental sensitivity map.

Appendix K




Purpose of the EIA report Page ix


Split EIA Report

xxiii A Shapefile of the preferred development layout/ footprint must be submitted

to this Department. The Shapefile must be created using the Hartebeesthoek 94

Datum and the data should be in Decimal Degree Format using the WGS 84

Spheroid. The Shapefile must include at a minimum the following extensions i.e.

.shp; .shx; .dbf; .prj; and, .xml (Metadata file). If specific symbology was assigned

to the file, then the .avl and/or the .lyr file must be included. Data must be

mapped at a scale of 1: 10 000 (please specify if an alternative scale was used).

The metadata must include a description of the base data used for digitising.

Submitted with the final

EIAr as a separate CD.

Environmental Management Programme

i All recommendations and mitigation measures recorded in the EIAr and the

specialist studies conducted.

Appendix I

ii The final site layout map Appendix I

Figure 1.1

iii Measures as dictated by the final site layout map and micro-siting. Appendix I

Figure 1.1

iv An environmental sensitivity map indicating environmental sensitive areas and

features identified during the EIA process.

Appendix I

Figure 1.2

v A map combining the final layout map superimposed (overlain) on the

environmental sensitivity map.

Appendix I

Figure 1.2

vi An alien invasive management plan to be implemented during construction

and operation of the facility. The plan must include mitigation measures to

reduce the invasion of alien species and ensure that the continuous monitoring

and removal of alien species is undertaken.

Appendix E of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

vii A plant rescue and protection plan which allows for the maximum transplant of

conservation important species from areas to be transformed. This plan must be

compiled by a vegetation specialist familiar with the site and be implemented

prior to commencement of the construction phase.

Appendix G of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

viii A re-vegetation and habitat rehabilitation plan to be implemented during the

construction and operation of the facility. Restoration must be undertaken as

soon as possible after completion of construction activities to reduce the

amount of habitat converted at any one time and to speed up the recovery to

natural habitats.

Appendix F of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

ix An open space management plan to be implemented during the construction

and operation facility.

Appendix E of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

x A traffic management plan for the site access roads to ensure that no hazards

would results from the increased truck traffic and that traffic flow would not be

adversely impacted. This plan must include measures to minimise impacts on

local commuters e.g. limiting construction vehicles travelling on public roadways

during the morning and late afternoon commute time and avoid using roads

through densely populated built-up areas so as not to disturb existing retail and

commercial operations.

Appendix H of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

xi A transportation plan for the transport of components and other large pieces of

equipment.

Appendix H of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

xii A storm water management plan to be implemented during the construction

and operation of the facility. The plan must ensure compliance with applicable

regulations and prevent off-site migration of contaminated storm water or

increased soil erosion. The plan must include the construction of appropriate

Appendix I of the EMPr

(Appendix I)



Purpose of the EIA report Page x


Split EIA Report

design measures that allow surface and subsurface movement of water along

drainage lines so as not to impede natural surface and subsurface flows.

Drainage measures must promote the dissipation of storm water run-off.

xiii A fire management plan to be implemented during the construction and

operation of the facility.

Appendix K of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

xiv An erosion management plan for monitoring and rehabilitating erosion events

associated with the facility. Appropriate erosion mitigation must form part of this

plan to prevent and reduce the risk of any potential erosion.

Appendix J of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

xv An effective monitoring system to detect any leakage or spillage of all

hazardous substances during their transportation, handling, use and storage. This

must include precautionary measures to limit the possibility of oil and other toxic

liquids from entering the soil or storm water systems.

Section 6.5 of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

xvi Measures to protect hydrological features such as streams, rivers, pans,

wetlands, dams and their catchments, and other environmental sensitive areas

from construction impacts including the direct or indirect spillage of pollutants.

Appendix I of the EMPr

(Appendix I)

Savannah Environmental has compiled a table (refer to Table 2 below) which addresses the comments

raised by the DEA in the letter dated 3 June 2016 based on the on the EIAr dated May 2016, and clearly

indicates where in the Final EIR the requirements have been addressed within this report for ease of

reference.

Table 2: Response to comments raised by the DEA in the letter dated 3 June 2016 based on the on the EIAr

dated May 2016

DEA Ref Comments from DEA on the draft EIAr Report Reference and Response

from EAP

i It is noted that the exact thresholds related to the applied listed

activities are not specified in the application form. For instance,

the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) mentioned that

“the facility will require the construction of new internal access

roads within which will be wider than 8 metres”. Please ensure that

all required thresholds have been correctly specified in both the

application form and the final EIAr.

The activities applied for in the

application form are the same as

those mentioned in the Split EIAr.

All relevant listed activities applied

for, are specific and can be linked

to the development activity or

infrastructure as described in the

project description. Please refer to

Table 4.1 and Chapter 4 of the Split

EIA report.

ii Should there be a need to amend the application form, please

note that the Department’s application form template has been

amended and can be downloaded from the following link

https://www.environment.gov.za/documents/forms.

An amended application has been

submitted to update the

applicant’s details (refer to

Appendix L).

iii Coordinates for the proposed site as well as substation and power

line must be provided with the final EIAr. Coordinates must be

provided in the format DDMMSS.

Coordinates for the proposed site

as well as substation and power

line are provided in Table 2.3

Chapter 2 of the Split EIAr.

Coordinates are provided in the

format DDMMSS.

iv In terms of Appendix 3 of the EIA Regulations, 2014, the report must

include an undertaking under oath or affirmation from the EAP in

relation to:

An EAP affirmation is provided in

Appendix J



Purpose of the EIA report Page xi


from EAP

• The correctness of the information provided in the reports;

• The inclusion of comments and inputs from stakeholders and

interested and affected parties (I&APs);

• The inclusion of inputs and recommendations from the

specialist reports where relevant;

• Any information provided by the EAP to interested and

affected parties; and

• Responses by the EAP to comments or inputs made by

interested or affected parties.

v In terms of Appendix 4 of the EIA Regulations, 2014, the

environmental management programme (EMPr) must include an

environmental awareness plan describing the manner in which-

• The applicant intends to inform his or her employees of any

environmental risk;

• Which may result from their work; and

• Risks must be dealt with in order to avoid pollution or the

degradation of the environment.

An environmental awareness plan

is provided in section 6.4 of the

EMPr (refer to Appendix I)

vi Please ensure that all issues raised and comments received during

the circulation of the EIAr from registered I&APs and organs of state

which have jurisdiction (including this Department’s Biodiversity

Section) in respect of the proposed activity are adequately

addressed and included in the final EIAr.

All issues raised and comments

received during the circulation of

the Split EIAr from registered I&APs

and organs of state which have

jurisdiction in respect of the

proposed activity have been

adequately addressed and

included in the Split EIAr.

vii Proof of correspondence with the various stakeholders must be

included in the final EIAr. Should you be unable to obtain

comments, proof should be submitted to the Department of

attempts that were made to obtain comments.

Proof of correspondence with the

various stakeholders has been

included in Appendix C of this

report.

viii The Public Participation Process must be conducted in terms of

Regulation 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 of the EIA Regulations 2014.

The Public Participation Process

was conducted in terms of

Regulation 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 &44 of

the EIA Regulations 2014.

ix Proof that the notice of Environmental Impact Assessment process

was advertised in print media must be included in the final EIAr.

Alternatively, motivation as to why this was not done must be

provided.

Proof that the notice of

Environmental Impact Assessment

process was advertised in print

media and is included in the Split

EIAr Appendix C of this report.

x Recommendations provided by specialist reports must be

considered and used to inform the layout plan and EMPr.

Recommendations provided by all

specialists have been considered

and in response to the identified

need to adequately manage

impacts within sensitive areas

identified on the site development

footprint.

xi All specialist reports that were done in-house must be externally

peer reviewed before submission of the final EIA report.

The SIA is the only study that was

undertaken internally. This study

was externally reviewed by Dr.

Bews. A letter of proof is attached



Purpose of the EIA report Page xii


from EAP

to the SIA report (refer to Appendix

H).

xii The EIAr must provide the technical details for the proposed facility

in a table format as well as their description and/or dimensions. A

sample of the minimum information required is listed under point 2

of the EIA information required for solar energy facility as requested

in the acceptance of the final Scoping Report (SR).

The technical details for the

proposed facility have been

provided in a table format together

with descriptions and/ or

dimensions have been included in

this EIAr (refer to Chapter 2, of the

report).

xiii The final EIAr must provide the final EMPr and final layout plan with

the information as requested in the acceptance of the final SR.

A final EMPr is provided in Appendix

I of the Split EIAr. A map combining

the final layout map superimposed

(overlain) on the environmental

sensitivity map has been included

in the Split EIAr – (refer to Chapter 8

and Appendix of the Split EIAr).

xiv You are further reminded that the final EIAr to be submitted to this

Department must comply with all the requirements in terms of the

scope of assessment and content of the EIAr in accordance with

Appendix 3 of the EIA Regulations, 2014.

This Split EIAr complies with all the

requirements in terms of the scope

of assessment and content of the

EIAr in accordance with Appendix

3 of the EIA Regulations, 2014.

xv Further note that in terms of Regulation 45 of the EIA Regulations

2014, this application will lapse if the applicant fails to meet any of

the timeframes prescribed in terms of these Regulations, unless an

extension has been granted in terms of Regulation 3(7).

The application meets the

timeframes prescribed in terms of

Regulation 45 of the EIA

Regulations 2014.

You are hereby reminded of Section 24F of the National

Environmental Management Act, Act No 107 of 1998, as

amended, that no activity may commence prior to an

environmental authorisation being granted by the Department.

The EAP acknowledges this

condition.



Invitation to Comment on Split EIA Report Page xiii

PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE SPLIT EIA REPORT

Savannah Environmental (Pty) Ltd has prepared a “split” Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report

(FEIR) as a motivation in support of the application for amendment to the EA, on behalf of Sol Invictus 6

(Pty) Ltd. This is split Report 1, which assesses the impacts of the Sol Invictus 6 PV Solar facility and

associated infrastructure. This split report is therefore effectively a “repackage” of the final EIA report

submitted to DEA in June 2016 in order to provide relevant and applicable information (i.e. the relevant

activities, properties, impact assessment, and mitigation for the facility). No new information to that

provided within the final EIA report is presented in this split report.

This draft Split Environmental Impact Assessment Report has been made available for review and

comment by Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) and stakeholders at www.savannahSA.com from 29

August 2018 – 1 October 2018. CD copies were available on request.

Comments must be submitted by the latest on 1 October 2018, in writing to the contact details below:

PO Box 148, Sunninghill, 2157

Phone: 011 656 3237

Fax: 086 680 0547

E-mail: [email protected]



Executive summary Page xiv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd is proposing the

development of the Sol Invictus 6 PV facility and

associated infrastructure on Portion 5 of the Farm

Ou Taaisbosmond 66 which is earmarked as the

project area for the proposed development. The

project area is situated approximately 30 km

south-west of Aggeneys in the Northern Cape

Province and is located within the Nama Khoi

Local Municipality and borders the Khai-Ma Local

Municipality. (refer to Figure 1).

The project area is approximately 5000 ha in

extent comprising of privately owned land. The

proposed the PV Facility will have a facility

development footprint of ~210ha (within which

the solar field and other associated infrastructure

is included) within a designated development

site of approximately 700ha. The PV facility is

proposed to have a contracted capacity of up

to 75 MW.

The full extent of the 5 000 ha project area was

considered in the Scoping Study. However,

based on the specialist findings and sensitivities

identified during the scoping phase, it was

recommended at the end of the scoping phase

that the development site for the PV facility

(~700ha in extent) should appropriately located

in the north east corner of the project area.

The Sol Invictus 6 PV facility project will comprise

the following infrastructure typical of a PV

installation, and required associated

infrastructure, which is included in the scope of

this EIA:

» Arrays of PV panels with a contracted

capacity of up to 75 MW;


» Cabling between the project components,

to be laid underground where practical;

» On-site inverters to convert the power from a

direct current (DC) to an alternating current

(AC) and a on-site substation to facilitate the

connection between the solar energy facility

and the Eskom electricity grid;

» Battery storage mechanism with a storage

capacity of 300 MWh;

» Grid connection infrastructure including

33/220kV transformer and a new 220kV

double circuit power line from the PV facility

substation to loop in and loop out of the

Aggeneis-Nama 220kV power line, which runs

along the southern boundary of the project

area to the Aggeneis Substation;


» Batching plant;

» Internal access roads and fencing around

the development site and; and

» Site offices and workshop areas for

maintenance and storage.

In terms of sections 24 and 24D of NEMA, as read

with Government Notices R982, R983, R984, R985,

a Scoping and EIA process is required for the

proposed Sol Invictus 6 PV facility project.

EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

The chapters contained of this report together

with the specialist studies contained within

Appendices D – H provide a detailed assessment

of the environmental impacts on the social and

biophysical environment as a result of the Sol

Invictus 6 PV facility. The assessment of potential

environmental impacts presented in this report is

based on a layout of the PV facility and

associated infrastructure provided by Sol Invictus

6 (Pty) Ltd. The nature and extent of this facility,

as well as potential environmental impacts

associated with the construction and operation

of a facility of this nature are explored in more

detail in this Environmental Impact Assessment

(EIA) Report. In summary, the following

conclusions have been drawn from the specialist

studies undertaken (refer to Appendix D-H and

Figure 2 for the sensitivity map).



Executive summary Page xv

OVERALL CONCLUSION (IMPACT STATEMENT)

The technical viability of establishing a PV facility

with a capacity of up to 75 MW on a site located

on Portion 5 of the Farm Ou Taaisbosmond 66 has

been established by Sol Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd. The

positive implications of establishing the Solar

Facility on the identified site include the following:

» The potential to harness and utilise solar

energy resources within the Northern

Province

» The project will assist the South African

government in reaching their set targets for

renewable energy.

» The project will assist the South African

government in the implementation of its

green growth strategy and job creation

targets.

» The project will assist the district and local

municipalities in reducing level of

unemployment through the creation of jobs

and supporting local business

» The National electricity grid in the Northern

Cape Province will benefit from the

additional generated power.

» Promotion of clean, renewable energy in

South Africa

» Creation of local employment, business

opportunities and skills development for the

area.

The findings of the specialist studies undertaken

within this EIA to assess both the benefits and

potential negative impacts anticipated as a

result of the proposed project conclude that

there are no environmental fatal flaws that should

prevent the proposed project from proceeding,

provided that the recommended mitigation and

management measures are implemented. The

significance levels of the majority of identified

negative impacts have been reduced by

implementing the mitigation measures

recommended by the specialist team during the

EIA process, and this specifically included the

consideration of the facility layout in relation to

sensitivities identified. The avoidance of areas of

sensitivity is illustrated by the facility layout

drawing included as Figure 8.1. The project has

considered constraints, and is considered to

meet the requirements of sustainable

development. Environmental specifications for

the management of potential impacts are

detailed within the Environmental Management

Programme (EMPr) for the PV facility included

within Appendix I.

With reference to the information available at this

planning approval stage in the project cycle, the

confidence in the environmental assessment

undertaken is regarded as acceptable provided

all measures are taken to protect and preserve

surrounding environment.

OVERALL RECOMMENDATION

Global climate change is widely recognised as

being one of the greatest environmental

challenges facing the world today. How a

country sources its energy plays a big part in

tackling climate change. As a net off-setter of

carbon, renewable energy technologies can

assist in reducing carbon emissions, and can play

a big part in ensuring security of energy supply, as

other sources of energy are depleted or become

less accessible. South Africa currently relies on

coal-powered energy to meet more than 90% of

its energy needs. As a result, South Africa is one

of the highest per capita producers of carbon

emissions in the world and Eskom, as an energy

utility, has been identified as the world’s second

largest producer of carbon emissions. With the

aim of reducing South Africa’s dependency on

coal generated energy, and to address climate

change concerns, the South African Government

has set a target, through the Integrated Resource

Plan (IRP) for electricity to develop 17.8 GW of

renewables (including 8,4GW solar) within the

period 2010 – 2030.

Based on the nature and extent of the proposed

project, the local level of disturbance predicted

as a result of the construction and operation of

the facility and associated infrastructure, the



Executive summary Page xvi

findings of the EIA, and the understanding of the

significance level of potential environmental

impacts, it is the opinion of the EIA project team

that the impacts associated with the

development of the PV Facility project can be

mitigated to an acceptable level. In terms of this

conclusion, the EIA project team support the

decision for environmental authorisation.

The layout shown in Figure 8.2 is acceptable and

the following conditions would be required to be

included within an authorisation issued for the

project:

» All mitigation measures detailed within this

report and the specialist reports contained

within Appendices D to H must be

implemented.

» The Environmental Management Programme

(EMPr) as contained within Appendix I of this

report should form part of the contract with

the Contractors appointed to construct and

maintain the proposed PV facility, and will be

used to ensure compliance with

environmental specifications and

management measures. The

implementation of this EMPr for all life cycle

phases of the proposed project is considered

to be key in achieving the appropriate

environmental management standards as

detailed for this project.

» The final location of the PV facility and

associated infrastructure within identified

sensitive areas (if any) must be informed by

pre-construction surveys undertaken by

ecological, heritage and avifaunal

specialists. The findings of these surveys must

be included in the site-specific EMPr to be

compiled for the project.

» Following the final design of the facility, must

be submitted to DEA for review and

approval prior to commencing with

construction.

» Disturbed areas should be kept to a

minimum and rehabilitated as quickly as

possible and an on-going monitoring

programme should be established to detect

and quantify any alien species.

» A comprehensive search for threatened and

near-threatened plant and animal

populations must be undertaken within the

development site of the proposed

infrastructure prior to construction, once the

final position of infrastructure if known. For

plants, this must ideally take place during an

appropriate season to maximise the likelihood

of detecting plants of conservation concern.

A permit may be required to be obtained in

terms of Chapter 7 of the National

Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act

to carry out a restricted activity involving a

specimen of a listed threatened or protected

species.

» Implement an operation phase monitoring

programme to record the impact on bird

species using the site.

» Establish an on-going monitoring programme

to detect, quantify and remove any alien

plant species that may become established.

» Adequate stormwater management

measures to be put in place as the soils on

parts of the site may be prone to erosion.

» Implement site specific erosion and water

control measures to prevent excessive

surface runoff from the site.

» Plan the road and site layout in such a way as

to make maximum use of existing roads and

fence/border areas to minimise impacts and

to keep grazing and natural units as intact as

possible.

» Where feasible, training and skills

development programmes for locals should

be initiated at the initiation of the

construction phase.

» Use of fire prevention and fire management

strategies for the PV facility, to reduce risks to

landowners.

» Construction managers/foremen should be

informed before construction starts on the

possible types of heritage sites and cultural

material they may encounter and the

procedures to follow when they find sites (as

detailed in the EMPr).



Executive summary Page xvii

» Applications for all other relevant and

required permits to be obtained by Sol

Invictus 6 (Pty) Ltd or the construction

contractor must be submitted to the relevant

regulating authorities. This includes permits for

the transporting of all components (abnormal

loads) to site.



Summary Page xviii

Figure 1: Environmental sensitivity map for the project study area illustrating sensitive areas in relation to the development footprint of the

Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility



Table of Contents Page xix

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT ....................................................................... II

DEA REQUIMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT ...................................................... VII

INVITATION TO COMMENT ON THE EIA REPORT ................................................................................................. XIII

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... XIV

APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................................... XXIII

DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY .................................................................................................................... XXIV

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. XXVII

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT ..................................................................................................................... 1

1.2. CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SCOPING PHASE ...................................................................................................... 4

1.3. REQUIREMENT FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS................................................................ 7

1.4. DETAILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER AND EXPERTISE TO CONDUCT THE SCOPING AND EIA ........... 8

CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ............................................................................................. 10

2.1. NEED AND DESIRABILITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AT THE PREFERRED SITE LOCATION .................................................. 10

2.1.1 Site Selection and Pre-Feasibility Analysis.................................................................................... 11

2.1.2 Receptiveness of the site to development of the solar energy facility ..................................... 11

2.1.3 Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZ) ......................................................................... 13

2.1.4 Benefits of Renewable Energy ..................................................................................................... 16

2.2. PROJECT AND SITE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................. 17

2.3. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE PV FACILITY ................................................................ 18

2.3.1 Site-specific or Layout Design Alternatives ................................................................................. 18

2.3.2 Technology Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 23

2.3.4 Site Access Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 23

2.3.5 Grid connection and Substation Alternatives............................................................................. 23

2.3.6 The ‘do-nothing’ Alternative ........................................................................................................ 24

2.4. TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERED FOR THE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) FACILITY AND THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY .... 25

2.4.1 Description of the Photovoltaic Technology .............................................................................. 25

2.4.2 Description of the Infrastructure associated with the Facility .................................................... 26

2.5. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES DURING THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STAGES .................................................................. 27

2.5.1. Design and Pre-Construction Phase ............................................................................................ 27

2.5.2. Construction Phase ...................................................................................................................... 28

2.6. PROJECT OPERATION PHASE ....................................................................................................................... 30

2.7. PROJECT DECOMMISSIONING PHASE ............................................................................................................ 31

CHAPTER 3 REGULATORY AND PLANNING CONTEXT ........................................................................................... 32

3.1. STRATEGIC ELECTRICITY PLANNING IN SOUTH AFRICA ...................................................................................... 32

3.2. NATIONAL POLICY ..................................................................................................................................... 33

3.2.1 The Kyoto Protocol, 1997 .............................................................................................................. 34

3.2.2. White Paper on the Energy Policy of the Republic of South Africa, 1998 ................................. 34

3.2.3. The National Energy Act (2008) ................................................................................................... 35

3.2.4. The Electricity Regulation Act, 2006 (Act No. 4 of 2006), as amended ..................................... 35

3.2.5. Renewable Energy Policy in South Africa ................................................................................... 35

3.2.6 National Development Plan ........................................................................................................ 36

3.2.7 Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) ............................................................................................. 37

3.2.8. Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) ........................................................................................................ 37

3.2.9. Final Integrated Resource Plan 2010 - 2030 ................................................................................ 38



Table of Contents Page xx

3.2.10. Department of Energy process for Independent Power Producers (IPP).................................. 38

3.3. PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL LEVEL DEVELOPMENTAL POLICY ................................................................................ 39

3.3.1 Northern Cape Province Provincial Growth and Development Strategy ................................ 39

3.3.2. Northern Cape Province Spatial Development Framework (NCPSDF) ..................................... 40

3.4 LOCAL AUTHORITY LEVEL DEVELOPMENTAL POLICY ......................................................................................... 41

3.4.1 Namakwa District Municipality Integrated Development Plan ................................................. 41

3.4.2 Nama Khoi Local Municipality Integrated Development Plan (IDP) (2012-2017) .................... 42

3.5 LEGISLATION AND GUIDELINES ..................................................................................................................... 43

CHAPTER 4 APPROACH TO UNDERTAKING THE EIA PHASE ................................................................................... 57

4.1. RELEVANT LISTED ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................................................ 57

4.2. SCOPING PHASE ....................................................................................................................................... 59

4.3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PHASE ................................................................................................ 60

4.3.1. Tasks completed during the EIA Phase ....................................................................................... 60

4.3.2 Authority Consultation .................................................................................................................. 60

4.3.3. Public Involvement and Consultation ......................................................................................... 61

4.3.4. Identification and Recording of Issues and Concerns ............................................................... 65

4.3.5. Assessment of Issues Identified through the Scoping Process .................................................... 65

4.3.6 Assumptions and Limitations ........................................................................................................ 67

CHAPTER 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................. 68

5.1. REGIONAL SETTING .................................................................................................................................... 68

5.2. LAND USE OF THE STUDY AREA..................................................................................................................... 70

5.3. TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, SOILS AND LAND CAPABILITY ................................................................................. 70

5.4 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS .............................................................................................................................. 71

5.5. AREAS OF CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE ...................................................................................................... 72

5.5.1 Critical Biodiversity Areas and Broader Scale Processes ............................................................ 72

5.4.2 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas............................................................................. 73

5.4.3 Nature Reserves ............................................................................................................................ 73

5.5.3 Riemvasmaak Community Conservancy ................................................................................... 74

5.5.4 Nature Reserves and Important Bird Areas (IBAs) ....................................................................... 75

5.6. ECOLOGICAL PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA INCLUDING FLORA AND FAUNA ........................................................ 77

5.6.1. Vegetation .................................................................................................................................... 77

5.6.2 Alien Vegetation .......................................................................................................................... 77

5.6.3 Listed and Protected Plant Species............................................................................................. 79

5.6.4 Terrestrial Fauna ............................................................................................................................ 80

5.7 AVIFAUNA ............................................................................................................................................... 81

5.7.1 Red Data species ......................................................................................................................... 81

5.7.2 Resident Avifauna ........................................................................................................................ 82

5.7.3 Waterbirds ..................................................................................................................................... 82

5.8. ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROFILE AND PALAEONTOLOGICAL POTENTIAL ................................................................... 83

5.8.1 Palaeontological profile ............................................................................................................... 83

5.8.2 Archaeological profile ................................................................................................................. 83

5.8.3 GRAVES .................................................................................................................................................. 84

5.8.4 BUILT ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................................... 85

5.9 SOCIAL PROFILE ........................................................................................................................................ 85

5.10 VISUAL RECEPTORS .................................................................................................................................... 87

5.10.1 Possible visual receptors and sensitivities ........................................................................................... 88

CHAPTER 6 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS PV FACILITY AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE:................................... 89



Table of Contents Page xxi

6.1 ALTERNATIVES ASSESSMENT ......................................................................................................................... 90

6.2. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON FLORA AND FAUNA ............................................................................ 92

6.2.1. Results of the Ecological Study .................................................................................................... 92

6.2.2. Description of Ecological Impacts............................................................................................... 94

6.2.3. Impact table summarising the significance of impacts on ecology during the construction

phase (with and without mitigation) ............................................................................................................ 95

6.2.4. Impact table summarising the significance of impacts on ecology during the operation

phase (with and without mitigation) ............................................................................................................ 96

6.2.5. Impact table summarising the significance of impacts on ecology during the

decommissioning phase (with and without mitigation ............................................................................. 100

6.2.6. Implications for Project Implementation ................................................................................... 101

6.3. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON AVIFAUNA ...................................................................................... 101

6.3.1. Results of the Avifaunal Study .................................................................................................... 101

6.3.2. Description of Impacts on Avifauna .......................................................................................... 104

6.3.3. Impact tables summarising the significance of impacts on avifauna (with and without

mitigation) .......................................................................................................................................................... 105

6.3.4. Implications for Project Implementation ........................................................................................... 107

6.4. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL VISUAL IMPACTS ................................................................................................ 108

6.4.1. Results of the Visual Study .......................................................................................................... 108

6.4.2 Description of the Visual Impacts .............................................................................................. 111

6.4.3 Impact table summarising the significance of visual impacts (with and without mitigation)111

6.4.4 Implications for Project Implementation ............................................................................................ 116

6.5. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON HERITAGE AND PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES .................................... 117

6.5.1. Results of the Archaeological Heritage survey ......................................................................... 117

6.5.2. Description of the Heritage Impacts ......................................................................................... 118

6.5.3 Impact tables summarising the significance of impacts on heritage resources during construction

(with and without mitigation) ...................................................................................................................... 118

6.5.5 Implications for Project Implementation ............................................................................................ 120

6.6. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL SOCIAL AND/ ECONOMIC IMPACTS ...................................................................... 121

6.6.1 Results of the Social Study................................................................................................................... 121

6.6.2. Description of the Socio-Economic Impacts ............................................................................ 122

6.6.3. Impact tables summarising the significance of social and economic impacts associated

with the construction phase (with and without mitigation measures) ..................................................... 124

6.6.4 Impact tables summarising the significance of social and economic impacts associated with the

operation phase (with and without mitigation measures) ........................................................................ 128

6.6.5 Impact tables summarising the significance of social and economic impacts associated with the

decommissioning phase (with and without mitigation measures) ........................................................... 130

6.6.6. Implications for Project Implementation ................................................................................... 130

6.7. THE ‘DO-NOTHING’ ALTERNATIVE ............................................................................................................... 130

CHAPTER 7 ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ........................................................................ 134

7.1 APPROACH TAKEN TO ASSESS CUMULATIVE IMPACTS..................................................................................... 134

7.2 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES .................................................................................... 139

7.3 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON AVIFAUNA ......................................................................................................... 140

7.4 CUMULATIVE VISUAL IMPACTS ................................................................................................................... 142

7.5 CUMULATIVE HERITAGE IMPACTS................................................................................................................ 146

7.6 CUMULATIVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS .................................................................................................. 147

7.7 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF UP TO FOUR PV PLANTS ON FARM PORTION 5 OF THE FARM OU TAAISBOSMOND 66 ....... 149



Table of Contents Page xxii

7.8 CONTRIBUTION OF THE PROJECT TO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION................................................................. 150

7.9. CONCLUSION REGARDING CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ........................................................................................ 151

CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................... 153

8.1. EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT .................................................................................................... 155

8.1.1. Impacts on Ecology ................................................................................................................... 156

8.1.2 Impacts on Avifauna .................................................................................................................. 156

8.1.3 Impacts on Heritage and Palaeontological Resources ........................................................... 157

8.1.4 Impacts on visual quality of the area ........................................................................................ 157

8.1.5 Socio Economic Impacts ........................................................................................................... 157

8.1.6 Assessment of Potential Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................... 158

8.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY MAPPING ....................................................................................................... 159

8.3. CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................. 161

8.4 ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF THE PROJECT VERSUS BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT ...................................................... 161

8.5 OVERALL CONCLUSION (IMPACT STATEMENT) .............................................................................................. 162

8.7. OVERALL RECOMMENDATION ................................................................................................................... 163

CHAPTER 9 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 166



Table of Contents Page xxiii

APPENDICES

Appendix A: EIA Project Consulting Team and Specialist CVs

Appendix B: Correspondence with Authorities

Appendix C: Public Participation Process

Appendix C1: I&AP Database

Appendix C2: Site Notices and Newspaper Advertisements

Appendix C3: Background Information Document

Appendix C4: Organs of State Correspondence

Appendix C5: Stakeholder Correspondence

Appendix C6: Comments Received

Appendix C7: Minutes of Meeting

Appendix C8: Comments and Response Report

Appendix D: Ecology Study

Appendix E: Avifauna Study

Appendix F: Visual Study

Appendix G: Heritage Study

Appendix H: Social Study

Appendix I: EMPr

Appendix J: EAP Affirmation and Specialist Declarations

Appendix K: Maps

Appendix L: Updated Application forms



Definitions and Terminology Page xxiv

DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

Alternatives: Alternatives are different means of meeting the general purpose and need of a proposed

activity. Alternatives may include location or site alternatives, activity alternatives, process or technology

alternatives, temporal alternatives or the ‘do nothing’ alternative.

Archaeological material: Remains resulting from human activities which are in a state of disuse and are in

or on land and which are older than 100 years, including artefacts, human and hominid remains and

artificial features and structures.

Cumulative impacts: The impact of an activity that in itself may not be significant, but may become

significant when added to the existing and potential impacts eventuating from similar or diverse activities

or undertakings in the area.

Direct impacts: Impacts that are caused directly by the activity and generally occur at the same time and

at the place of the activity (e.g. noise generated by blasting operations on the site of the activity). These

impacts are usually associated with the construction, operation or maintenance of an activity and are

generally obvious and quantifiable

‘Do nothing’ alternative: The ‘do nothing’ alternative is the option of not undertaking the proposed activity

or any of its alternatives. The ‘do nothing’ alternative also provides the baseline against which the impacts

of other alternatives should be compared.

Drainage: A drainage line is a lower category or order of watercourse that does not have a clearly defined

bed or bank. It carries water only during or immediately after periods of heavy rainfall i.e. non-perennial,

and riparian vegetation may or may not be present

Endangered species: Taxa in danger of extinction and whose survival is unlikely if the causal factors

continue operating. Included here are taxa whose numbers of individuals have been reduced to a critical

level or whose habitats have been so drastically reduced that they are deemed to be in immediate

danger of extinction.

Endemic: An "endemic" is a species that grows in a particular area (is endemic to that region) and has a

restricted distribution. It is only found in a particular place. Whether something is endemic or not depends

on the geographical boundaries of the area in question and the area can be defined at different scales.

Environment: the surroundings within which humans exist and that are made up of:

i. The land, water and atmosphere of the earth;

ii. Micro-organisms, plant and animal life;

iii. Any part or combination of (i) and (ii) and the interrelationships among and between them;

and

iv. The physical, chemical, aesthetic and cultural properties and conditions of the foregoing that

influence human health and well-being.

Environmental impact: An action or series of actions that have an effect on the environment.



Definitions and Terminology Page xxv

Environmental impact assessment: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as defined in the NEMA EIA

Regulations and in relation to an application to which scoping must be applied, means the process of

collecting, organising, analysing, interpreting and communicating information that is relevant to the

consideration of that application.

Environmental management: Ensuring that environmental concerns are included in all stages of

development, so that development is sustainable and does not exceed the carrying capacity of the

environment.

Environmental management programme: An operational plan that organises and co-ordinates mitigation,

rehabilitation and monitoring measures in order to guide the implementation of a proposal and its on-

going maintenance after implementation.

Fossil: Mineralised bones of animals, shellfish, plants and marine animals. A trace fossil is the track or

footprint of a fossil animal that is preserved in stone or consolidated sediment.

Heritage: That which is inherited and forms part of the National Estate (Historical places, objects, fossils as

defined by the National Heritage Resources Act of 2000).

Indigenous: All biological organisms that occurred naturally within the study area prior to 1800

Indirect impacts: Indirect or induced changes that may occur as a result of the activity (e.g. the reduction

of water in a stream that supply water to a reservoir that supply water to the activity). These types of

impacts include all the potential impacts that do not manifest immediately when the activity is undertaken

or which occur at a different place as a result of the activity.

Interested and affected party: Individuals or groups concerned with or affected by an activity and its

consequences. These include the authorities, local communities, investors, work force, consumers,

environmental interest groups and the general public.

Perennial and non-perennial: Perennial systems contain flow or standing water for all or a large proportion

of any given year, while non-perennial systems are episodic or ephemeral and thus contains flows for short

periods, such as a few hours or days in the case of drainage lines.

Project development property: The project development areas considered through the EIA process in

defining the area for the PV facility project include, and are defined as follows:

» Project area: The project area refers to the total extent of Portion 5 of the Farm Ou Taaisbosmond 66

which is 5000 ha in extent. The entire 5000 ha of the project area was subjected to the scoping level

assessment in order to provide the option of identifying more suitable positions for development of the

PV facility, should any of the areas be found to be technically or environmentally constrained.

» Development site: The site of the proposed PV Project, is situated in the north east corner of Portion 5 of

Farm Ou Taaisbosmond 66 (project area), and is 700 ha in extent.

» Facility development footprint: The total development footprint on the development site for the PV

facility, including associated infrastructure is ~ 450 ha in extent.

Riparian: the area of land adjacent to a stream or river that is influenced by stream-induced or related

processes. Riparian areas which are saturated or flooded for prolonged periods would be considered



Definitions and Terminology Page xxvi

wetlands and could be described as riparian wetlands. However, some riparian areas are not wetlands

(e.g. an area where alluvium is periodically deposited by a stream during floods but which is well drained).

Photovoltaic effect: Electricity can be generated using photovoltaic solar panels which are comprised of

individual photovoltaic cells that absorb solar energy to directly produce electricity. The absorbed solar

radiation excites the electrons inside the cells and produces what is referred to as the Photovoltaic Effect.

Rare species: Taxa with small world populations that are not at present Endangered or Vulnerable, but are

at risk as some unexpected threat could easily cause a critical decline. These taxa are usually localised

within restricted geographical areas or habitats or are thinly scattered over a more extensive range. This

category was termed Critically Rare by Hall and Veldhuis (1985) to distinguish it from the more generally

used word "rare".

Red data species: Species listed in terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural

Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and/or in terms of the South African Red Data list. In

terms of the South African Red Data list, species are classified as being extinct, endangered, vulnerable,

rare, indeterminate, insufficiently known or not threatened (see other definitions within this glossary).

Significant impact: An impact that by its magnitude, duration, intensity, or probability of occurrence may

have a notable effect on one or more aspects of the environment.

Watercourse: as per the National Water Act means -

(a) a river or spring;

(b) a natural channel in which water flows regularly or intermittently;

(c) a wetland, lake or dam into which, or from which, water flows; and

(d) any collection of water which the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare to be a watercourse,

and a reference to a watercourse includes, where relevant, its bed and banks

Wetlands: land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is

usually at or near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which under

normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil

(Water Act 36 of 1998); land where an excess of water is the dominant factor determining the nature of

the soil development and the types of plants and animals living at the soil surface (Cowardin et al., 1979).



Abbreviations and Acronyms Page xxvii

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

BID Background Information Document

CO2 Carbon dioxide

DEA National Department of Environmental Affairs

DEADP Department of Environment Affairs and Development Planning

DoE

Documents

Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility - SAHRIS | SAHRA...Project title: Sol Invictus 6 PV Facility and associated infrastructure, South West of Aggeneys, Northern Cape Co-Ordinates of corner