Heritage Cases

Great Karoo Wind Farm (Pty) Ltd, proposes the development of specific grid connection infrastructure required to connect and evacuate the generated power of the authorised Great Karoo Wind Farm (DEA Ref No. 12/12/20/2370/3) to the national electricity grid. Following consultation with Eskom, it has been confirmed that the Great Karoo Wind Farm must connect to the Hidden Valley substation located at the ACED Renewables Hidden Valley (Karusa) Wind Farm, which is currently under construction, to the west of Great Karoo Wind Farm. The project is located ~44km south of Sutherland and ~50km north of Matjiesfontein within the Northern Cape Province and falls within the Namakwa District Municipality and the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality. The grid connection infrastructure required includes a switching station (up to 100m x 100m which is 2ha) to be developed adjacent to the authorised Great Karoo Wind Farm on-site substation. A 132kV double- or single-circuit overhead powerline, with a length of up to 14km, will connect the proposed switching station to the Eskom Hidden Valley substation. The pylon structures of the power line will be up to 32m high and the power line will be developed within the servitude of up to 40m wide. A grid connection corridor of 300m has been identified for the power line, which widens to ~740m wide for the eastern section of the powerline to allow for consideration of alternatives. A 500m assessment area around the wind farm substation has been considered for the placement of the switching station. Collectively, these assessment areas are referred to as the “development envelope”. The proposed infrastructure will be appropriately placed within the development envelope, outside of identified environmental sensitive areas. Where possible, the switching station will be accessed via the authorised access road to the Great Karoo Wind Farm substation. However, where this is not feasible during construction a service track along the length of the power line servitude, of up to 4m wide, will be required to allow for large crane movement. This track will be rehabilitated following construction to a typical ‘jeep’ track (i.e. off-road track) for use during operation. Other associated infrastructure includes drainage line crossing infrastructure (culverts) and temporary laydown area/s that will be rehabilitated upon completion of the construction phase. Two power line alternatives are being considered for the project which are near the starting point of the power line at the proposed switching station. Both alternatives are assessed equally as part of the Basic Assessment process. The alternative that will be developed will depend on the final placement of turbines at the Great Karoo Wind Farm, since the powerline will need to be routed between the turbines (the final turbine positions will only be confirmed closer to the time of wind farm construction in which Eskom setback requirements will also need to be catered for). It is therefore requested that both alternatives be approved, on condition that only one of the alternatives will be developed. The grid connection infrastructure will be located within three affected properties: » Farm Kentucky No. 206; » Portion 1 of the Farm Orange Fontein No. 203; and » Remaining Extent of the Farm De Hoop No. 202.