Heritage Cases

Emoyeni Wind Farm Renewable Energy (Pty) Ltd received and Environmental Authorisation (EA) (DFFE Ref:12/12/20/1754/4) dated (28/08/2012 ) and further amendments to the EA dated, 02 July 2015, 18 May 2016, 04 October 2016, 15 November 2018 and the latest 02 June 2021 for the development of a 84MW Iziduli Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility and associated infrastructure between the towns of Cookhouse and Bedford and located within the Cookhouse REDZ in the Eastern Cape Province. The project will include:  Up to 10 turbines to the capacity of up to 84MW with a hub height of up to 135m and rotor diameter (including nacelle) of up to 160m (i.e. each blade up to 80m in length);  Underground cables (where practical) between the turbines;  Foundations (of up to 20 x 20 x 2 m) to support the turbine towers  Internal access roads to each turbine (4 - 6m wide during construction, reduced to 3 – 4m wide during operation). The following properties have been identified for the 140MW Msenge Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility and associated infrastructure  Remainder of Farm 220 (Brak Fontein)  The Farm No. 219  Portion 1 of Farm No. 218  Portion 2 of Farm No. 218  Remainder of No. 218 The adjacent Msenge Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility has been selected as preferred bidder via a private offtaker and it is the intention of the developer to construction the Iziduli Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility together with the Msenge Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility. Therefore, in order to meet financial close requirements and comply with the requirements of the Environmental Authorisation (as amended) i.e “The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) submitted as part of the application for environmental authorisation must be amended and submitted to the Department for written approval prior to commencement of the activity. The recommendations and mitigation measures recorded in the EIR dated November 2010 must be incorporated as part of the EMPR. Once approved, the EMP must be implemented and adhered to.“ and “ Condition 6.4. The applicant must submit a final layout plan for the entire wind energy facility for approval to the department. The Layout should indicate the following: • Turbine positions; • Foundation footprint • Permanent laydown areas footprint • Construction period laydown footprint; • Internal roads indicating width (construction width and operation 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 crossings of roads and cables indicating the type of bridging structures that will be used; • Heritage sites that will be affected by the turbines and associated infrastructure; • Substation (s) and/or transformer(s) sites including their entire footprint; • Cable routes and trench dimensions (where they are not along internal roads)” In this regard, Emoyeni Wind Farm Renewable Energy (Pty) Ltd has prepared the Final Environmental Management Programme report and Final Layout for review and comment. Comments received from the competent authority, public and organs of states will be incorporated, addressed and responded to in the EMPr and Site Layout. Nala Environmental was appointed as the independent environmental consultant to undertake the finalisation of the original EMPr and Final Layout for the Iziduli Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility. As per the requirements of the Environmental Authorisation and specialist recommendations made during subsequent amendment process the following specialist pre-construction walkthrough assessments were undertaken by suitably qualified and registered specialist to inform the final layout and EMPr: » Terrestrial Pre-construction Walkthrough (Scherman Environmental Aquatic and Environmental Management Consulting); » Aquatic Pre-construction Walkthrough (Scherman Environmental Aquatic and Environmental Management Consulting); » Avifauna Pre-construction Walkthrough (Chris van Rooyen Consulting); » Bat Pre-construction Walkthrough (Inkululeko Wildlife Services); » Heritage and Palaeontological Pre-construction Walkthrough (Cedar Towers Heritage