The Energy Supply and Purchase Agreement (ESPA) was signed between Solar Energy Ltd and the Central Electricity Board on 28 November 2014.

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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY E1 Introduction The proponent is SOLAR FIELD LTD, a consortium between 1. Dhamma Energy, a company based in Spain, specialised in photovoltaic projects 2. Harel Mallac & Co. Ltd, a company based in Mauritius and operating since Solar Field Ltd proposes 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 MWp to be located at Chemin 20 Pieds, Mont Choisy. This solar photovoltaic farm proposal is in reply of the Request for Proposal launched by the Central Electricity Board in 2012 with aim to: i. Promote the development of solar photovoltaic energy generation on the island; ii. 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 Energy Supply and Purchase Agreement (ESPA) was signed between Solar Energy Ltd and the Central Electricity Board on 28 November In accordance with the project milestone, Solar Field Ltd has up to 28 June 2015 to obtain all necessary permits for the construction, operation and maintenance of the solar photovoltaic farm. E2 Environmental Framework The primary environmental legislation in Mauritius is the Environment Protection Act (EPA2002). The Environment Protection (amendment of Schedule) Regulations 2006, lists in Part B, Undertakings Requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment, and includes inter alia Power generating plants. Section 18 of the EPA2002 sets out procedures for Application for an EIA licence. 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 The Maurice Ile Durable (MID) Policy, Strategy and Action Plan (MID-PSAP 2013) sets the Renewable Energy Targets: To help the Republic meet its energy needs in locally sustainable and compatible ways and to reduce our 1

2 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 This proposed solar photovoltaic farm is strictly in line with the MID PSAP. E3 Technical Considerations The solar photovoltaic farm shall consist of a photovoltaic generator with silicon polycrystalline modules installed on one-axis tracking systems, and two central inverter units each having a capacity of 920 kva. The Maximum DC Installed Capacity of the Solar Facility shall be MWp. The main components forming part of the solar photovoltaic power generating plant and their expected characteristics are as follows: A/ Foundation (mounting structure): one-axis horizontal tracker B/ Modules: of type silicon-polycrystalline with seventy two photovoltaic cells of high energy yield C/ Strings: Each string shall be composed by up to twenty modules D/ Tracker: one-axis tracking system (East-West orientation) E/ Arrays: eleven strings shall be connected in parallel to an array F/ Inverter: The inverters shall have a high efficiency ratio of more than 98 % and the inverter power shall be 920 kva per unit G/ Step-up Transformer: One transformer of capacity 1850 kva shall be used to step-up the voltage to 22 kv H/ Medium Voltage System: The internal medium voltage cable (within the solar power plant) shall be laid in trenches and be connected to the 22kV switchgears of the solar plant I/ Substation. The substation is made up of five interconnection switchgear panels A new overhead 22 kv line having a length of approximately 600m will be built to connect the Solar Facility s Delivery Point to the Point of Interconnection on the existing CEB network. E4 Baseline Environment The site earmarked for the proposed photovoltaic power generating plant is located in Mont Choisy in the district of Pamplemousses. The site is of an extent of 38,000m 2 freehold land belonging to Compagnie Sucriere de Mont Choisy Limitee by virtue of title deed transcribed in TV 429 No 177 and leased to Solar Field Ltd for the purposes of setting up the solar photovoltaic power generating plant. The site was used for sugar cane cultivation. The site and its surroundings do not encompass any protected fauna or flora. The Land Reservation Commitment letter signed between the land owner and the consortium was issued to the Central Electricity Board in September 2012 together with the owner s permission for the installation on his land of a solar photovoltaic farm; both documents are appended to and form part of the present EIA report. The project site is surrounded by the following features: The municipal wastewater treatment plant at some 150m to the south east Nearest residential development at some 390m to the north (along B13) Second nearest residential development at some 480m to the south (along A4) Trou aux Biches village at some 630m to the north west (inland of B36) 2

3 Desk review of available data and supplementary specialist surveys commissioned show that the site is suitable for the setting up of a Medium Scale photovoltaic power generating plant. E4 Identification of Impacts and Mitigation Measures The impacts to be assessed with regard to environmental and social considerations typically include impacts on human health and safety, as well as on the natural environment, that are transmitted through air, water, soil, waste, accidents, water usage, climate change, ecosystems, fauna and flora, including trans-boundary or global scale impacts. These also include social impacts, including migration of population and involuntary resettlement, local economy such as employment and livelihood, utilization of land and local resources, social institutions such as social capital and local decision-making institutions, existing social infrastructures and services, vulnerable social groups such as poor and indigenous peoples, equality of benefits and losses and equality in the development process, gender, children s rights, cultural heritage, local conflicts of interest, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and working conditions including occupational safety. For typical solar photovoltaic power generating plants, the potential impacts are significantly reduced from the above and typically include 1 1. Effluent emissions, on-site contamination, hazardous materials issues a. Toxic and hazardous materials used for production of PV cells (beyond the scope of the present EIA, as the manufacturing is not located in Mauritius) 2. Biodiversity protection issues a. No items 3. Worker health and safety issues a. Occupational health hazards during manufacturing of PV cells b. Occupational health hazards during operation of PV system c. Public health hazards during manufacturing of PV cells 4. Environmental issues sensitive to public opinion a. Soil and/or groundwater contamination due to improper disposal of Batteries (if any) b. Land use c. Visual impact d. Soil and/or groundwater contamination due to decommissioning of PV systems Potential impacts relating to the production of PV cells (1.a, 3.a and 3.c) are beyond the scope of the environmental management system and present environmental impact assessment. It is however important to note that the manufacturer located in China is certified ISO14001, ISO9001 and OHSAS UNEP recognises through its checklist that there is no biodiversity protection issue with the installation of a solar photovoltaic plant. A site survey revealed that the land having been for years under sugar cane cultivation, it does not host any biodiversity. The potential soil and/or groundwater contamination due to improper disposal of batteries does not arise since there are no batteries in the proposed power generating plant; electricity generated during the day is directly sent to the grid. Potential impacts relating to the decommissioning of the PV cells (1.b and 4.d) are assessed in the light of the current best practices which call for the recycling of the cells as these have economic value in as much as they contain valuable raw material. The agreement being valid for a period of 20 years, the decommissioning shall 1 UNEP checklist for environmental and social risk assessment of a PV system 3

4 take place in 20 years time at the minimum. The recycling options provided in the present environmental impact assessment will be reviewed as and when required. Mitigation measures in the form of Compliance with legal framework Good engineering practices Best site practices Have been proposed to avoid and/or reduce where applicable the impact significance. A summary of potential impacts after implementation of mitigation measures is presented in the Table below. ASPECT 1. Toxic and hazardous materials used for production of PV cells 2. Atmospheric emissions of toxic substances due to incineration during decommissioning of PV systems Biodiversity Protection Issues WITHOUT MITIGATION MEASURE WITH MITIGATION MEASURE EFFLUENT EMISSIONS, ON-SITE CONTAMINATION, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ISSUES CURRENT STATUS The potential impacts relating to the production of PV cells (aspects 1, 3 and 5) are beyond the scope of the environmental management system and present environmental impact assessment Exhaust emissions from open air incineration or combustion in facilities with chimneys that are not equipped with any pollution control device may have a major adverse impact on the environment. BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION ISSUES of mitigation measures, is considered as Mont Choisy site and surroundings has been used for sugar cane cultivation. Grand Bay municipal wastewater treatment plant adjoins the site. As it stands, the site and its surroundings do not encompass any protected fauna or flora. 3. Occupational health hazards during manufacturing of PV cells 4. Occupational health hazards during operation of PV system 5. Public health hazard during manufacturing of PV cells 6. Soil and/or groundwater contamination due to improper disposal of Hence, no mitigation measure is required in as much as biodiversity protection is concerned WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES The potential impacts relating to the production of PV cells (aspects 1, 3 and 5) are beyond the scope of the environmental management system and present environmental impact assessment The lack of health and safety consideration may have a moderate to major adverse impact on health and safety of employees at work both during construction and operation of the PV plant (a) The residual impact with the implementation of mitigation measures is considered as The potential impacts relating to the production of PV cells (aspects 1, 3 and 5) are beyond the scope of the environmental management system and present environmental impact assessment ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SENSITIVE TO PUBLIC OPINION CURRENT STATUS The proposed solar photovoltaic power generating plant does not have energy storage capacity (no batteries); it is a grid connected system. 4

5 ASPECT batteries WITHOUT MITIGATION MEASURE WITH MITIGATION MEASURE Hence, no mitigation measure is required in as much as Soil and/or groundwater contamination due to improper disposal of batteries is concerned 7. Land use Soil permeability The loss of soil permeability may have a moderate to major adverse impact depending on extent on impervious land Soil permeability Soil compaction The soil compaction primarily during construction of the solar PV plant due to vehicles/engines may have a temporary moderate adverse impact on the land Bulk earthworks (bulk earthworks, laying of cables, etc) Noise, vibration and temporary pollution (waste) during construction Any construction activity generates noise, dust, waste (solid and liquid) the construction of the present medium scale solar PV plant may have a temporary moderate to major adverse impact on the surrounding Soil compaction Bulk earthworks Noise, vibration and temporary pollution Change in drainage pattern and Erosion due to rain water falling off the side of the modules The installation of PV farms may have a moderate to major adverse impact on the drainage pattern Change in drainage pattern and Erosion Shade The installation of PV farms may have a moderate to major adverse impact on the direct site exposure to sun and its indirect impact on vegetation 8. Visual impact The installation of PV farms close to residential areas or main arteries may have a moderate to Shade 5

6 ASPECT WITHOUT MITIGATION MEASURE major adverse visual impact WITH MITIGATION MEASURE 9. Soil and/or groundwater contamination due decommissioning of PV systems CURRENT STATUS The modules will comply with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive that regulates the appropriate treatment of end-of-life products and requires that Producers (e.g. manufacturers and importers) of electronic and electrical equipment comply with national waste management obligations. E5 Environmental Monitoring Plan This section presents the Environmental Monitoring Plan to be implemented during construction and operation of the solar photovoltaic power generating plant. The main aspects during construction are: Compliance with all statutory and EIA licence requirements Traffic management Waste management (solid and liquid) Health and safety The main aspects during operation are: Compliance with all statutory and EIA licence requirements Land use/ land drainage Visual screening E6 Conclusion The Environmental Impact Assessment concludes that with the implementation of the mitigation measures and the adherence to strict environmental and quality norms during the construction and operation stages, the impact on the physical environment of solar photovoltaic power generating plant shall be i.e. the impact is not of concern. 6