Heritage Cases

Environmental Authorisation was issued on 10 November 2020 for the Merensky-Uchoba 132kV Powerline Project. This project involved an approximately 18km powerline from the existing Merensky Substation to connect to the Merensky-Jane Furse-Uchoba Powerline T-Off. Eskom requires now to deviate a section of the authorised route to accommodate site-specific problems encountered. This deviation is now called the ‘Merensky-Uchoba 132kV Power Line Second Route Deviation’. The project components are the following: o An approximately 10,6km route is applicable o A 100m corridor width was investigated and assessed. The servitude width required for the purpose of the powerline within this corridor will be 31m. o The 132kv Overhead Power Line will have a capacity of 132kV and monopole steel pylons will be used. o Existing access roads to the powerline will be used. A new approximately 6m wide access road will be developed for construction, maintenance and inspection purposes within the servitude area along the powerline, but outside the identified High and Very High Sensitive Areas. It is requested that the corridor be approved and registered and not the servitude only. This will enable reasonable adjustments within the corridor during the final design phase of this project. Note that only the required 31m wide servitude will eventually be registered within the route corridor and not the entire corridor.