Part II Amendment of the Lerato Solar Power Plant, and its Associated Infrastructure, Environmental Authorisation, within the Ditsobotla Local Municipality and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, North-West Province

This report provides a motivation for the proposed amendments of the EA as part of the authorised 150 MW Lerato Solar Power Plant (SPP), North-West Province. Lerato SPP is proposed on Portion 4 of the Farm Houthaaldoorns 2, Registration Division IP, situated within the Ditsobotla Local Municipality area of jurisdiction. The town of Lichtenburg is located approximately 15 km south of the development.

Following a Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (S&EIA) process conducted by Environamics Environmental Consultants, December 2021, the Lerato SPP application received EA, issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) on the 20 April 2022 (i.e., (DFFE Reference 14/12/16/3/3/2/2084)). Since the EA was received, no amendments have been applied for / approved.

The Part II amendment application has been submitted due to substantive changes in the project scope being applied for by the Holder of the EA. The proposed amendments fall within the originally assessed area and the amendments are required to ensure that associated infrastructure is grouped to the east of the development area, which would be the shortest distance to connect the facility to the national grid. These changes include: These changes include: (1) change of ownership, (2) change in total generation capacity, (3) repositioning and / or the addition of the authorised laydown area, substation, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), roads, and temporary access and security infrastructure; (4) specification of the location of the internal roads, solar panels, and inverters; and (5) present a defined facility complex. The Applicant is also applying for the final approval of the site layout and EMPr in the amended EA.
Province(s): North West