PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE LICHTENBURG 3 PV FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE

The authorised ABO Wind Lichtenburg 3 PV solar energy facility (‘the project’) is located 10km north of Lichtenburg and 7km south-east of Bakerville in the North West Province. The project is located within Ward 16 of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality and the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West Province. The development footprint of the solar energy facility is located on the Remaining Extent of Portion 2 of Farm Zamenkomst No. 04. It is within this property that the project will be constructed and operated.
The following infrastructure was authorised for the project by DFFE, as fully assessed within the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process:
Photovoltaic modules with a net generation (contracted) capacity of 100MW;
On-site 88/132kV substation;
Mounting structures (fixed tilt/static, single-axis or double-axis tracking systems) for the PV arrays and related foundations;
DC/AC Inverters, LV/MV power transformers and internal electrical reticulation (underground cabling);
A new 88/132kV overhead power line from the on-site substation to the Mmabatho / Watershed DS 1 88kV Power Line;
Access and internal road network;
Temporary laydown area;
Auxiliary buildings (gate-house and security, control centre, office, two warehouses, canteen & visitors centre, rainwater tanks, etc);
Perimeter fencing; and
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), with a capacity of up to 500MW/500MWh, an extent of no more than 5ha, and a maximum height of 3.5m1.
The amendment being applied for through this process relates to the following:
consideration of Grid Connection Corridor Alternative 2 as the preferred grid connection corridor. Furthermore, it is requested that the DFFE considers an extension to this corridor such that the proposed collector substation complex on Lichtenburg 3 PV is located within the corridor;
a change in the location of the step-up/on-site substation;
change in the capacity of the step-up/on-site substation from 88/132kV to 33/132kV; and
a substitution of the wording, ‘a new 132kV overhead power line from the on-site substation to the Mmabatho/Watershed DS 1 88kV power line’, with ‘a 132kV power line from the collector substation complex to the Eskom Watershed Substation’.
Considering the above, the amendments are proposed within the authorised footprint of Lichtenburg 3 PV. In addition, the proposed location of the collector (step-up/on-site) substation and extension to the grid connection corridor Alternative 2 for Lichtenburg 3 PV are proposed within an area that was assessed by Specialists during the EIA process. The reason for the extension to this corridor is on the basis that the location of the step-up/on-site substation for Lichtenburg 3 PV is being moved from its authorised location to a new location within the authorised footprint of the project as part of the proposed collector substation complex for all 3 projects. The change in the location of the substation is to collect the electricity from each of the three projects at one location (with a combined footprint of up to 6.92ha), the collector substation complex from which electricity will be transmitted to the Eskom Watershed Substation via a 132kV power line.