Wind Energy Facility Situated On The Eastern Plateau (North) Near De Aar, Northern Cape Province

WIND ENERGY FACILITY SITUATED ON THE EASTERN PLATEAU (NORTH) NEAR DE AAR, NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE: NOTIFICATION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AND LAYOUT PLAN & OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT

(DEA REFERENCE No.: 12/12/20/2463/2; DENC REference no.: NC/BA/12/PIX/EMT/DEA4/2014)

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North (RF) (Pty) Ltd propose to amend the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) and Layout Plan for the Wind Energy Facility (WEF) on the eastern plateau (north) near De Aar, in the Northern Cape Province, in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations (2014).

Environmental Authorisation for the WEF was granted by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in terms of the NEMA EIA Regulations (2010) on 1 March 2013. Furthermore, the Northern Cape Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC) granted authorisation for additional EIA listed activities for the WEF on 31 July 2014. The WEF has been authorised for 144 Wind Turbine Generators (WTG’s) with a potential generation capacity of 216MW – 360MW, however only 96 WTG with a generation capacity of 1.5MW each have been constructed, thereby resulting in a potential total generation capacity of 140MW. Construction of the WEF commenced in August 2015 and was completed in 31 October 2017. The WEF has been operational since November 2017.

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North (RF) (Pty) Ltd wishes to update the approved EMPr and Final Layout Plan, to address refinements to the Final Layout Plan made during the construction phase, to remove discrepancies between the approved EMPr and approved Layout Plan, to update the EMPr in terms of the requirements of Appendix 4 of the EIA Regulations 2014, amongst others.

The draft amended EMPr and “As Built” Layout Plan are available for I&AP comment in terms of Regulation 37 of the EIA Regulations, 2014, as amended. In this regard, the draft amended EMPr and “As Built” Layout Plan are available for a 30-day comment period, i.e. from 28 February 2020 – 30 March 2020. A copy of the draft amended EMPr, which includes the “As Built” Layout Plan, is downloadable via the link below.

Should you have any comments regarding the proposed amendments, please submit your comments to the holder of the Environmental Authorisation (i.e. Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North (Pty) Ltd.) c/o Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants within 30 days of the invitation to comment in terms of Regulation 37 of the EIA Regulations, 2014, as amended, i.e. by 30 March 2020. Comments are to be submitted in writing via post, e-mail or fax to:

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North (Pty) Ltd.

c/o Holland & Associates Environmental Consultants

For attention: Mrs Nicole Holland

Post: P.O. Box 31108, Tokai, 7966;

Fax: 086 762 6126, or

email: nicole@hollandandassociates.net

Once the 30 day I&AP comment period closes, issues raised and comments received from I&APs will be addressed where applicable in the final amended EMPr and will be included in the submission of the final amended EMPr and “As Built” Layout Plan to DEA.