Heritage Cases

The purpose of this statutory process is to conduct a Part 2 EA amendment according to the NEMA EIA Regulations (2014), as amended for the proposed changes in technical and layout design of the proposed activity. This Part 2 amendment where the change in scope occurs is conducted in terms of sections 32(1) and 32(2) of the NEMA EIA Regulations, 2014 as amended. This Part II amendment does not trigger any new NEMA Listed activities in terms of the EIA Regulations, 2014 as amended. Number of turbines and output generation capacity: The EA authorised the construction of seventy (70) wind turbines with an output of between 2 MW – 3 MW per turbine, with a total energy generation capacity for the facility of up to 210 MW. The revised project description now reduces the total number of turbines to thirty two (32), with an output of approximately 5 MW – 7 MW per turbine. The change in the total number of turbines provides a potential generation capacity of 224 MW. Hub height of turbines: The Hub Height of the new thirty two (32) proposed wind turbines will increase from the approved 100m to a proposed 130m. Rotor diameter of turbines: The rotor diameter from tip of blade to tip of blade of the approved wind turbines is 117m in extent and is increased to a rotor diameter from tip of blade to tip of blade of 175m in extent. Vertical disturbance area: It is anticipated that there will be an imperceptible increase in the vertical bat/bird collision area because of the reduced number of turbines but having an increased diameter of the rotor blades. The expansion of the vertical disturbance area is calculated to be approximately 2.29%. Wind turbine and laydown area disturbance footprint: The approved seventy (70) wind turbine total disturbance footprint is approximately: 70 x 400 m² = 28,000 m² (for wind turbine foundations) and 70 x 2,500 m² = 175 000 m² for the laydown area footprint, thus totalling 203,000 m², equalling approximately 20,30ha. The proposed disturbance footprint for the thirty two (32) wind turbines is: 32 x 362 m² = 11,584 m² (for wind turbine foundations) and 32 x 3,300 m² = 105,600 m² for the laydown area footprint, thus totalling 117,184 m² in extent, equalling approximately 11.7ha. Change in the layout plan: With modifications to turbine numbers the layout plan has also been modified and sensitivities identified in the original EIR have been avoided as far as possible. Furthermore, the original identified ecological site sensitivities have been confirmed by specialist updates to the project area. Access road: A new access road from the west to the east between points C and D in the vicinity of turbine #WT11. The road reserve would have a width of approximately 5-12m. Internal roads are assumed to be up to 12 m wide during construction and reduced to 4-6m during operations. The total road length of all internal roads and access road is 19.25km. Addition of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): The proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will consist of multiple battery units (with an approximate capacity of 125 MW) housed in containers which will be delivered pre-assembled to the project site. These containers are usually raised slightly of the ground and can be stacked if necessary. The BESS will consist of Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries as these batteries are the most common stationary batteries in the market today.