Heritage Cases

The Project Developer, VOLTA PV (PTY) Ltd (hereinafter referred to as VOLTA PV), is proposing to design, construct and operate a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) power generation facility and associated infrastructure, approximately 4km west of the town of Dealesville, in the Free State Province. The proposed projects are located within the Tokologo Local Municipality and Lejweleputswa District Municipality. The PV facility will have a capacity of up to 290 MW. The associated infrastructure includes various structures, buildings and electrical grid infrastructure (EGI) such as, but not limited to, two 132 kV power lines, two on-site substations132kV/33kV collector, and one Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) associated with each on-site substation, therefor two independent BESS sites or options. The proposed Solar PV facility will make use of PV solar technology to generate electricity from energy derived from the sun; and will connect to the national grid at the planned Artemis Main Transmission Substation (MTS) also referred to as Dealesville MTS. The locality of the proposed project is depicted in Figure A below. A combined BA Report for the VOLTA PV and BESS and EGI projects is submitted to DFFE for decision making. The BA Report addresses the Solar PV facility, BESS, Substations and the associated 132 kV powerlines, as discussed below. The proposed projects are located entirely within the Renewable Energy Development Zone 5 (i.e., Kimberley REDZ), one of the eleven REDZs formally gazetted in South Africa for the purpose of developing solar PV and wind energy generation facilities (Government Gazette 41445, Government Notice (GN) 114; 16 February 2018 and (GN) 144; 26 February 2021). In line with the gazetted process for projects located within a REDZ, the proposed project is subject to a Basic Assessment (BA) process instead of a full Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and a reduced decision making period of 57 days, in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998, as amended) (NEMA) and the 2014 NEMA EIA Regulations (as amended) promulgated in Government Gazette 40772; in GN R326, R327, R325 and R324 on 7 April 2017. A BA Process in terms of Appendix 1 of the 2014 NEMA EIA Regulations (as amended) has therefore been undertaken for the proposed projects. The Competent Authority for the proposed projects is the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).