Public comment - bonnievale solar energy facility

Stakeholders are hereby notified in accordance to Section 24(O) as well as Regulation 41 of GNR No. 326 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (Act 107 of 1998) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2014 (as amended, 2017) respectively for the project: 211204 - Bonnievale PVSEF - Public Participation for an EMPr Amendment Process - Stakeholder Notification - 17 June 2022 to 19 July 2022.

Please take note of the following important information, for your consideration.

Project Description: An Environmental Authorisation (EA) for the construction of a 75MW Photovoltaic Solar Energy Facility (PVSEF) was received from the National Department of Environmental Affairs on 02 August 2017 (DEA Ref:14/12/16/3/3/2/950). The Applicant Bonnievale Solar Farm (Pty) Ltd wishes to amend the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) in accordance with the conditions of the EA.

Please take note of the following important information, for your consideration.

Project Description: An Environmental Authorisation (EA) for the construction of a 75MW Photovoltaic Solar Energy Facility (PVSEF) was received from the National Department of Environmental Affairs on 02 August 2017 (DEA Ref:14/12/16/3/3/2/950). The Applicant Bonnievale Solar Farm (Pty) Ltd wishes to amend the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) in accordance with the conditions of the EA.

Bonnievale Solar Farm (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary company of IPD Power (Pty) Ltd, have embarked on a joint agricultural and renewable energy Project with the Ashton Small Scale Farmers Trust (referred to as the “ASSFT” and also interchangeably referred to as the “Landowner”). The Bonnievale Solar Farm is situated in specific areas (as determined through this environmental permitting process) across three agricultural land parcels, all owned by the Landowner and totalling 1080 hectares.

Property Location: The PVSEF site is located on Portion 06 and Remainder of Farm Swellendam 232 and Portion 19 of Farm Robertson 170, situated southwest of the town of Bonnievale within the Langeberg Local Municipality.

GPS Location: 34o 01’ 46.48” S and 20o 02’ 15.86” E

Notice of a 30-day Public Participation Process is hereby given in terms of the 2014 EIA Regulations (as amended, 2017) published in terms of NEMA.

Project Progress: Notice of a 30-day Public Participation Process is hereby given in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations (2014 and, as amended).

Terramanzi Group (Pty) Ltd has been appointed as the Independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (“EAP”) to undertake the necessary environmental permitting for the above-mentioned Project.

Opportunity to Participate: Interested and affected parties (“I&APs”) are hereby invited to register for this EMPr amendment application process. I&APs should please use 211204 as the reference number when commenting and provide their comments together with their name, contact details, and preferred method of notification (e.g., e-mail address or fax number) to the contact persons provided below. A disclosure of any direct business, financial, personal or other interest which that party may have in the approval or refusal of the application, must be submitted to the contact persons indicated below, within 30 calendar days of the commencement of the public consultation process (i.e., the deadline for comments is 19 July 2022) from the date of this notice (17 June 2022), in accordance with statutory requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: The EMPr Amendment Application and Draft EMPr Amendment can be accessed electronically at the following website link from 17 June 2022 for comment:

https://bit.ly/3mcMR76

Please note the following:

Should you wish to receive a digital copy of the above-mentioned document, please contact the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) at the contact details below, accordingly. Should you require any assistance with interpreting this notice, please contact the EAP at the contact details below, accordingly. Should you require any assistance with interpreting the documentation noted above, including the language used, the terminology used, the outcomes and recommendations, please contact the EAP at the contact details below, accordingly.