Final EIAR - Aurecon AME Environmental | Environmental Projects

Proposed Wind and Solar (Photovoltaic) Energy Facilities on Kangnas Farm near Springbok in the Northern Cape: Final EIR 1
1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The purpose of this Chapter is to introduce the project and describe the relevant legal framework
within which the project takes place. Other applicable policies and guidelines are also discussed. The
Terms of Reference (ToR), scope of and approach to the Environmental Impact Assessment are
described and assumptions and limitations are stated.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
South Africa Mainstream Renewable Power Kangnas (Pty) Ltd (Mainstream) initially intended to
develop a 750 MW wind energy facility and a 250 MW solar Photovoltaic (PV) and /or Concentrated
Photovoltaic (CPV) energy facility on the farms near Springbok in the Northern Cape. Subsequent to
this initial proposal, both the turbine and solar layouts were revised in order to incorporate specialist
recommendations that buffers be implemented around sensitive features and areas. The revised
layouts for the wind component would now potentially consist of four phases of 140MW wind
projects with a potential total capacity of 560 MW and the solar component with three x 75 MW solar
arrays with a potential capacity of 225 MW. Two separate grid connections and substations would be
associated with the proposed projects.
The Department of Energy’s (DoE) current renewable energy procurement program has capped the
maximum size of wind and solar energy projects at 140 MW and 75 MW respectively. While there has
been no formal information about the project size cap being lifted various discussions within the
industry to increase or remove the cap all together are taking place. The main drivers for lifting the
cap would include:
• Achieving the targets set by the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2010 (11 400 MW of new
build renewable energy). After the first two rounds of the DoE’s procurement process Eskom’s
distribution grid is already getting congested and in locations where there is good wind and
solar resource the distribution grid capacity will be limited and only smaller projects will be able
to connect (< 30 MW). That will require larger projects to connect to Eskom’s transmission grid
which is much more expensive and time consuming. To ensure affordable projects connecting
to transmission grid, projects will need to be larger than the current caps to continue the
current pricing levels as seen in Round 2;
• To achieve the local economic development goals quicker and with larger impact;
• To get more energy onto the grid at a faster pace to aid in ensuring South Africa’s energy
security. South Africa will not be able to achieve the IRP targets with project sizes being
limited by grid capacity and financial viability;
• To ensure South Africa’s renewable energy becomes even more affordable.
The Kangnas wind and solar projects have been developed at a large scale with a longer term vision
that the project cap will be lifted. The wind and solar projects have been developed to allow for
phases of 75 MW (solar) and 140 MW (wind) to allow the developer flexibility in the future to suit the
future procurement requirements in terms of size.
As the only grid connection for the Kangnas site is the Nama/Aggeneys 220 kV transmission line, a
140 MW wind or 75 MW solar project will prove very difficult to be competitive or affordable.
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or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made.
P:\Projects\108495 Kangnas WEF & PV EIA's\3 Project Delivery\4 Reports\FEIR\FEIR 210213 Final.doc