The proponent is ALTEO ASTONFIELD SOLAR LTD, a company incorporated on 26 th June 2014 as a private company limited by shares (Refer Appendix A).

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1 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 THE PROMOTER The proponent is ALTEO ASTONFIELD SOLAR LTD, a company incorporated on 26 th June 2014 as a private company limited by shares (Refer Appendix A). ALTEO ASTONFIELD SOLAR LTD is registered with the Board of Investment (BOI) as INVESTOR under Part III of the Investment Promotion Act 2000, as amended by the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous) Provision Act for its business activity of manufacture of electricity, distribution and control apparatus (2MW solar power plant). BOI certificate dated 19 June 2015 is attached at Appendix A. ALTEO ASTONFIELD SOLAR LTD is a consortium between 2. ASTONFIELD, a company with widespread operations in various geographic locations like India, Middle East, East Africa, and Mauritius, specialised in photovoltaic projects 3. ALTEO Group, a company based in Mauritius and born in 2012 from the merger of Deep River Beau Champ (DRBC) Ltd and Flacq United Estate Limited (FUEL) ASTONFIELD at a Glance Astonfield: Leading Solar Developer in Emerging Markets Photovoltaic solar energy is the core business of Dhamma 1. India based MNC with the largest executable portfolio of solar assets in India: 19.3 MWs operational 77 MWs under construction 240 MWs in the pipeline professional staff; headquarters in India and US with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, New York & Nairobi MW Power Purchase Agreement signed with PTC India. Agreement allows PTC to bundle solar electricity with thermal capacity for sale to State DISCOMs 4. Top global solar IPP, Grupo T Solar of Spain, 50% JV partner for two projects cumulating to 17 MW 5. Astonfield is the only solar power project developer in India with an A /Stable rating awarded by CRISIL, India s leading credit rating agency Previous projects carried out by Astonfield include 5 MW Solar Power Plant, Osiyan, Jodhpur, India (2011) 11.5 MW Solar Power Plant, Nayaka, Patan, India (2012) 2 MW Solar Power Plant, Jhansi, India (2012) 307 kw Project, Al Mazyunah, Oman (2015) 129 kw Project, Kaysalt, Kenya (2015) Astonfield has received Awards and Recognition from US and Indian Government for Ground Breaking Work in Solar Sector ALTEO at a Glance Born in 2012 from the merger of Deep River Beau Champ (DRBC) Ltd and Flacq United Estate Limited (FUEL), based on the common goal of both companies to remain competitive and strengthen their existing investments, ALTEO is today in a strong position to take advantage of the new opportunities for local and international expansion, with the support of the expertise and combined resources of the two companies. 1 1

2 ALTEO has been listed on the official market of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius the 31 st July 2012 as an Investment company. The group operates in various activities such as sugar cane growing, sugar milling, energy production, property development and hospitality, and can count on 4400 employees in companies operating in Mauritius and Africa: ALTEO MAURITIUS 2200 employees o ALTEO AGRI ALTEO SUGARS (ALTEO MILLING & ALTEO REFINERY) & ALTEO ENERGY Ha of cane fields tonnes of sugar cane 160,000 tons of sugar from 1.5 million tons of cane Capacity: 62 MW of electricity produced from bagasse and coal Poultry o PROPERTY & HOSPITALITY: Anahita: Anahita Estates Limited; Anahita Golf Limited; Four Seasons Resort Mauritius; Anahita The Resort Domaine de L'Etoile Other development projects ALTEO INTERNATIONAL: 1900 permanent employees and 1000 seasonal employees o TANZANIA (TPC) Cane production (8,000 Ha, tons) Sugar production (95,000 tons for domestic market) Energy production from bagasse 1.2 PROJECT TEAM The promoters have appointed the following experienced team for the project: EPC contractor : Corexsolar Civil & Structural Engineers : Consultec Ltd Land Surveyors : ALTEO Ltd & Gibb (Mauritius) Ltd Geotechnical Engineers : Geocrust Ltd Environmental Engineers : Enviro Consult Ltd 1.3 CONTEXT & PROJECT JUSTIFICATION The context The Central Electivity Board launched a Request for Proposal (RFP CPR 3386) on 01 March 2012 with aim to: iii. Promote the development of solar photovoltaic energy generation on the island; iv. Endorse the Maurice Ile Durable national vision towards the preservation of the environment through the use of renewable source of energy by new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of the Government of Mauritius, as set in the Long Term Energy Strategy , is to increase the share of the renewable energy to at least 35% of total energy generation by Currently, the share of renewable energy in the energy mix is about 20 %.The target is to achieve 2% of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy generation in that mix by this horizon. 1 2

3 Regarding the development potential of such energies, the challenge is to ensure good integration of variable renewable energy into the national grid. This challenge is of critical importance for islands such as Mauritius which has an insular grid, relatively small in size and limited sources of power generation. To meet the above objectives, the Ministry of Energy &Public Utilities and the CEB had established the technical, institutional, regulatory framework and Feed in tariff system to promote Small Scale Distributed Generation (SSDG) projects of capacity not exceeding 50 kw. In the same context the Medium Scale Distributed Generation (MSDG) project has been initiated for projects of capacity exceeding 50 kw. Hence, this Request for Proposal (RFP) caters for the installation of grid connected Solar PV of total capacity of 10 MW, to be composed of individual projects ranging between 1MW and 2MW inclusive The Main Project Justification The project finds it justification in the above mentioned request for proposal issued by the Central Electricity Board in order to increase the share of the renewable energy with a target of 2% of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy generation in that mix by horizon ALTEO ASTONFIELD SOLAR Ltd expressed interest to develop, finance, design, construct, commission, own, operate and maintain a solar photovoltaic farm, in accordance with the CEB Medium Scale Distributed Generation (MSDG) Grid Code, which shall have an installed nameplate capacity of MW p to be located at Union Flacq, Flacq. The Energy Supply and Purchase Agreement (ESPA) was signed between Alteo Astonfield Solar Ltd (AASL) and the Central Electricity Board (CEB) on 28 July The CEB has thereafter granted AASL the necessary extension to meet the Conditions Precedent as required under the ESPA. The term of the ESPA shall start from the commercial operation date and remain valid for a period of 20 years. Geographical Location PV Installation Siting As per the Request for Proposal, the proposed PV installations should mandatorily be connected on feeders outgoing from the following substations: Zone 1: Ebene, Wooton, Ferney Zone 2: St Louis, Nicolay, Fort George Zone 3: Sottise, Belle Vue, Amaury, FUEL, Zone 4: Anahita, Combo, Union Vale Zone 5: Henrietta, Combo Zone 6: Henrietta, La Chaumière ALTEO ASTONFIELD SOLAR Ltd proposed a solar farm located in the North (zone 3) and connected to FUEL substation. This project is in line with Maurice Ile Durable Policy Strategy and Action Plan released by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in May Policy A4, Strategy and Action relating to Renewable Energy are provided in Table 1 1 below. 1 3

4 ENERGY Policy Code A4 Policy Renewable Energy Targets: To help the Republic meet its energy needs in locally sustainable and compatible ways and to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel sources of energy without putting prohibitive economic burdens on the nation. Our goal is to increase the share of sustainable renewable sources in electricity production of 35% by Proposed Strategy To develop and maintain a proactive energy supply plan in order to meet future energy demand. To explore opportunities for providing additional economic incentives to promote renewable energy. Action Table 1 1: Extract of MID Energy Policies, strategies and Actions/Projects To commission an innovative energy supply plan for future proofing energy supply to the year To undertake renewables feasibility study with a focus on solar, wind and hydro power but also including potential for lesser explored renewable sources such as geothermal and wave energy. Finalisation of the Renewable Energy Master Plan To increase the diversification of power generation by focusing investment on the expansion of feasible renewable assets and infrastructure (including solar, wind and small hydro power). Responses should be tailored to unique opportunities within different sectors i.e. transportation, electricity generation etc Other Justifications of the Location Over and above the main project justification mentioned above and requirement to be in one of the six identified Geographical Location PV Installation Siting, there are other justifications of the chosen location. The chosen site offers multiple favourable parameters, namely: Land area availability; Relatively flat landscape requiring less earthwork and hence less impact on the environment; Meteorological data available showing a favourable energy production; Proximity of the MV network (less than 50 m), hence around 30 m MV trench for the connexions with the CEB 22 kv Substation; Residential zones are quite far from the site hence noise and dust nuisances will be under control; The site has good road connections in order to ensure safe access during the construction phase 1.4 PROJECT MILESTONES The following technical and administrative items of the Project Milestones I to IV are set in the ESPA Project Completion Schedule, as extended; to these have been added the EIA process milestones. Project Milestone I. Seller shall fulfil the Conditions Precedent specified set forth in Section 3.1. on or before the date falling on 8 (eight) months from the date of execution of this Agreement. Project Milestone I was thereafter extended, inter alia (b) procured all the Applicable Permits, (c) procured the Site, obtained all relevant easements or rights in real estate reasonably necessary for construction, operation and maintenance of the Solar Facility, Seller Transmission Assets and Seller Interconnection Facilities The EIA Licence, the Land Conversion Permit (LCP) and the Building and Land Use Permit (BLUP) are the three key permits to be obtained 1 4

5 The LCP was granted on 03 November 2015 The EIA Application is submitted in March 2016 The BLUP application shall follow receipt of EIA licence Project Milestone II. Seller shall achieve the Financial Close on or before the date falling on 8 (eight) months from the date of execution of this Agreement, as extended. Project Milestone III. Seller shall commence Construction Works on or before 30 days from the Effective Date. (i.e. the date on which each and every Condition Precedent shall have been satisfied or waived) Project Milestone IV. Seller shall achieve Commercial Operation Date on or before the date falling on 24 (twenty four) months from the date of execution of this Agreement 1.5 SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is carried out in accordance with the Mauritian Environment Protection Act 2002 and Regulations. The methodology adopted in this EIA Report has been designed to fulfil the legislative requirements for EIA, as set out in the said Act. The aim of the EIA is to identify and address environmental issues in the early part of the project, so that environmental impacts may be identified and efforts focused on the issues of main importance. It is widely recognised that not all impacts should be studied in equal depth; key impacts have to be identified and the main investigations centred on these. The methodology adopted for the impact assessment is based on the following: Baseline data o Desk based review of available environmental information o Site surveys and data collection of the environmental baseline data Project assessment o Desk based review of available technical information o Selection of a checklist for environmental and social risk assessment of PV systems o Risks assessment and proposal for mitigation measures Reporting of the results Recommendation for Monitoring of the project 1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE EIA REPORT The report is prefaced by an Executive Summary, which outlines the key aspects of this report. The report is then structured as follows: Chapter 1: provides a general introduction to the Promoter; on the context of the project and its justification Chapter 2: describes the environmental legal framework, main policies and planning criteria under which the project will be developed Chapter 3: describes the technicalities of the project Chapter 4: describes the baseline environment in the area of environmental influence Chapter 5: reports on the scoping exercise that identifies potential significant direct or indirect impacts on the environment and proposes an environmental management plan Chapter 6: describes the environmental monitoring plan which is proposed for the construction and operational stages of the project Chapter 7: presents the conclusions of this study 1 5