Ummbila Emoyeni Renewable Energy

NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESSES FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF THE UMMBILA EMOYENI RENEWABLE ENERGY WIND AND SOLAR PV FACILITIES, AND GRID CONNECTION INFRASTRUCTURE, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE

  Applicant: Emoyeni Renewable Energy Farm (Pty) Ltd

 Proposed Activity: The development of the Ummbilla Emoyeni Renewable Energy Farm with a contracted capacity of up to 666MW of wind energy, 150MW of solar energy, and a 400/132kV grid   connection solution to connect the renewable energy facilities to the grid. Infrastructure associated with each project includes:

Ummbila Emoyeni Solar Energy Facility	Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility	Ummbila Emoyeni Electrical Grid Infrastructure
»    PV modules in the range of 330Wp to 450Wp mounted on either a fixed tilt or single axis tracker structure, dependent on optimisation, technology available and cost. »    Inverters and transformers. »    33kV cabling to connect to the onsite collector substation, to be laid underground where practical. »    33kV/132kV onsite collector substation (IPP Portion). »    Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). »    Cabling between project components. »    Laydown and O&M hub (approximately 300m x 300m): o  Construction compound (temporary). o  Maintenance office. »    Access roads (up to 12m wide) and internal distribution roads (up to 12m wide).	»    Up to 111 wind turbines with a maximum hub height of up to 200m.  The tip height of the turbines will be up to 300m. »    33kV cabling to connect the wind turbines to the onsite collector substations, to be laid underground where practical. »    3 x 33kV/132kV onsite collector substation (IPP Portion), each being 5ha. »    Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). »    Cabling between turbines, to be laid underground where practical. »    Construction compounds including site office (approximately 300m x 300m in total but split into 3ha each of 150m x 200m): o  Batching plant of up to 4ha to 7ha. o  3 x O&M office of approximately 1.5ha each adjacent to each collector SS. o  3 x construction compound / laydown area, including site office of 3ha each (150m x 200m each). »    Laydown and crane hardstand areas (approximately 75m x 120m). »    Access roads of 12 -13m wide, with 12m at turning circles.	»    A new 400/132kV MTS) to be located between Camden and SOL Substations. »    Two 400kV loop-in loop-out power lines to the existing Camden-Sol 400kV transmission line. »    On-site switching stations (Eskom Portion) (132kV in capacity) at each renewable energy facility. »    Collector substation with 2 x 132kV bus bars and 4 x 132kV IPP feeder bays to onsite IPP S/Ss. »    132kV power lines from the switching stations to a new MTS. »    Access roads up to 8m wide.

Project Location: Approximately 6km southeast of the town of Bethal in the Mpumalanga Province.  The project site is located across the Govan Mbeki, Lekwa, and Msukaligwa Local Municipalities within the Gert Sibande District Municipality. The project site comprises the following farm portions:

Parent Farm Number Farm Portions Farm 261 – Naudesfontein 15, 21 Farm 264 – Geluksplaats 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 10, 12 Farm 268 – Brak Fontein Settlement 6,7,10,11,12 Farm 420 – Rietfontein 8,9,10,11,12,15,16,18,19,22,32 Farm 421 – Sukkelaar 2, 2, 7, 9, 9 10, 10 11, 11 12, 12, 22 ,25, 34, 35, 36, 37, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 42 Farm 422 – Klipfontein 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 Farm 423 – Bekkerust 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 Farm 454 – Oshoek 4, 13, 18 Farm 455 – Ebenhaezer 0, 1, 2, 3 Farm 456 – Vaalbank 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 Farm 457 – Roodekrans 0, 1, 4, 7, 22, 23, 23 Farm 458 – Goedgedacht 0, 2, 4, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 39 Farm 467 – Twee Fontein 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 Farm 469 – Klipkraal 5, 6, 7, 8 Farm 548 – Durabel 0

Savannah Environmental website: https://savannahsa.com/public-documents/energy-generation/ummbila-emoyeni-renewable-energy/ (Wind and Solar Energy Facilities) and https://savannahsa.com/public-documents/grid-infrastructure/ummbila-emoyeni-renewable-energy/ (Grid Connection Solution)

Scoping & Environmental Impact Assessment (S&EIA) Processes:  In terms of Sections 24 & 24D of the National Environmental Management Act (No 107 of 1998), as read with Government Notice R324 – R327, as amended, a S&EIA process is required for each renewable energy facility and the grid connection infrastructure. Savannah Environmental is undertaking the required S&EIA and public participation processes for these projects.

EIA Reports Available for Review & Comment: The EIA Reports for the Ummbila Emoyeni Solar Energy Facility and the Electrical Grid Infrastructure are available for review and comment and can be download from Savannah Environmental website (see applicable link in table above).  The 30-day review and comment period of the EIA Reports is from Friday, 14 October 2022 to Monday, 14 November 2022.

To obtain further information & register on the project database, please submit your name, contact information & interest in the project to the contact person below.

Nicolene Venter of Savannah Environmental
P.O. Box 148, Sunninghill, 2157
Tel: 011 656 3237
Mobile: 060 978 8396
Fax: 086 684 0547
Email: publicprocess@savannahsa.com
Website: www.savannahsa.com

Documents for public review are available for download.

Please click on the “Register Interest” button to obtain the Registration Code to access the project’s documents under the “View Download Page.”