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Solar Power Project Phase 1 (SPP1): Upper West Regional Project Sites

October 2014

Preliminary Environmental Assessment Report: Non-Technical Summary

A STAND - ALONE REPORT

Solar Power Project Phase 1: Upper West Regional Project Sites

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VRA / Preliminary Environmental Assessment Report: Non-Technical Summary October 2014


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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Meaning

CDM - Clean Development Mechanism CDP - Community Development Programme EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMMP - Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan EPA - Environmental Protection Agency FSD - Forest Services Division GoG - Government of Ghana kfW - Kreditanstalt Für Wiederaufbau LI - Lahmeyer International MOU - Memorandum of Understanding MW - Megawatts (MW), NEDCo - Northern Electricity Distribution Company NTS - Non-Technical Summary OSHEM - Occupational, Safety & Health Management PEA - Preliminary Environmental Assessment PER - Preliminary Environmental Report PV - Photovoltaic (PV) RE - Renewable Energy REDP1 - RE Development Programme Phase 1 SPP1-UWR - Solar Power Project Phase 1: Upper West Regional Project Sites VRA - Volta River Authority


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SUMMARY

In line with the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832), the Volta River Authority (VRA) of Ghana has set a 5-10 year Renewable Energy (RE) generation capacity target taking cognizance of the local and export demand and the power system constraints. The Phase 1 of VRA’s RE Development Programme (REDP1) aims at developing about 164 MW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2015. The first of the PV components of the renewable energy plants, a 2.6 MW photovoltaic plant near Navrongo in the Upper East Region of the country was commissioned in May 2013 and this is the first large utility scale solar power plant project to be introduced in Ghana. The next PV plant is the development of an 8MW Kaleo and 4MW Lawra PV Plants, both to be located in the Upper West Region and this project is known as the “Solar Power Project Phase 1: Upper West Regional Project Sites” (SPP1-UWR). The land areas in the Kaleo and Lawra communities were selected after an evaluation of radiation conditions, infrastructure and network access as well as preliminary network load centre appraisal. Introduction and demonstration of modern, environmentally friendly power production techniques are an explicit objective of the project. In line with the national environmental requirement, VRA has undertaken an Environmental Assessment of the SPP1-UWR and prepared a Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PER) Report for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has subsequently issued an Environmental Permit, dated September 16, 2014, to allow for the physical construction of the project. This Non-Technical Summary (NTS) Report is a stand-alone document that draws upon the Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) Report, dated June 2014, for the SPP1-UWR and is intended to provide a briefing for decision makers and to allow the general reader an appreciation of the key environmental issues of the project and the manner in which they have been addressed to satisfy the requirements of the Ghana EPA and project financiers. The PV projects have the prospects of contributing in a large measure to the global effort at reducing carbon reduction. They were therefore being developed using Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as a co-financing option. VRA, with assistance of Lahmeyer International (Project Consultants) has registered SPP1-UWR under the CDM. However, with Ghana being off the list of Least Developed Countries according to UN criteria, VRA is considering the option of utilizing the “Gold Standard Requirements” as preferred certificate for Green House Gas emission reductions which represents, at present, the applicable standard to achieve project co-financing. The project being among the first of its kind in terms of scale in the country will serve as a training site for students, staff of VRA and other companies both in the country and the sub-region that could also go there to be trained in new technologies. At the same time, the project would allow VRA to diversify its energy generation portfolio to include solar power. The local environmental benefits would include reduced fossil fuel-fired emissions (sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particles), reduced thermal plant impacts (heat, noise, effluent release, etc.), reduced adverse fossil fuel transport (on and off-shore spillages, gas leakages through transportation, compression, liquefaction and gasification) hence an improved air quality and in the overall quality of the environment. This renewable energy plant will


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feed the national electricity grid with a more environmentally friendly power and result in increased national economic productivity as well as reduction of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. Despite its enormous economic and social benefit, the construction and development of the SPP1-UWR Project cannot be carried out without any impacts on the environment. As part of the environmental impact assessment of the SPP1-UWR a number of impacts during the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the project were identified. Indeed, some of the impacts are unavoidable. However, the mitigative measures put forward are expected, as far as possible, to be able to minimize the impacts so as to make them pose no threats to the continued sustainability of the environment. A review of the identified impacts shows that there will be some significant adverse irreversible impacts on the environment (e.g. land ownership and land-use characteristics). Other impacts will be minimal and temporary (traffic, noise, public Safety, flora and fauna). The benefits to be derived from the implementation of the project are immense, especially considering the problems of electricity generation experienced in Ghana. VRA has put forward mitigation measures aimed at reducing, and if possible elimination of the impacts afore-mentioned to ensure that the end use of the land after the expiry for the project’s life span is not compromised. VRA will also compensate all persons whose properties may be affected. A Valuation Report outlining the associated costs for the affected lands have been prepared to document and guide this process and compensation has already been paid out to the land owners. An Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan has been prepared which identifies all mitigation measures relevant to the project, including those required to ensure that all environmental regulations are met and those that have been agreed following extensive consultations with a wide range of interested parties. The EMMP also identifies the periods during which mitigation measures must be implemented, who is responsible for implementation and the longer term monitoring requirements of the project. In order to ensure compliance of the project with the PER, through the framework of the EMMP, VRA will designate a project Environmental Officer who will be responsible for ensuring that the contractors are fulfilling their obligations under their contracts. The implementation of the SPP1-UWR will be carried out in environmentally sustainable manner so as to minimise or completely eliminate impact on the environment and human health, lifestyle and sustenance. VRA commits to collaborate with EPA to jointly manage the environmental and social concerns related to the PV Plant and shall submit environmental reports to the EPA as required. In conclusion, it is affirmed that VRA is committed to ensuring continuous improvement of environmental performance to minimize the impacts of all its operations on the environment, in line with the principles of sustainable development, in addition to complying with national and international environmental protection regulations. This is an undertaking VRA is firmly committed to and shall adhere to it.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................ii SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................................ v

1.0 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 THE NEED FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................. 3

3.0 KEY PROJECT FEATURES ....................................................................................................... 6

3.1 Project Overview .............................................................................................................. 6

3.2 Kaleo Solar Power Project ................................................................................................ 6

3.3 Lawra Solar Power Plant .................................................................................................. 7

3.4 Network Connection ........................................................................................................ 8

3.5 General Development Activities ...................................................................................... 8

3.6 Conceptual Decommissioning & Closure Plan ...................................................................... 9

3.7 Consideration of Alternatives .......................................................................................... 9

4.0 THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................... 10

4.1 Physical Environment ..................................................................................................... 10

4.1.1 Climate .................................................................................................................... 10

4.1.2 Ambient Noise ........................................................................................................ 10

4.1.3 Air Quality ............................................................................................................... 10

4.1.4 Topography & Drainage ......................................................................................... 11

4.1.5 Geology & Soils ....................................................................................................... 11

4.2 Biological Environment .................................................................................................. 12

4.2.1 Flora ........................................................................................................................ 12

4.2.2 Fauna ....................................................................................................................... 12

4.2.3 Environmental Sensitive Areas ............................................................................... 12

4.3 Socio-economic and Cultural Environment ................................................................... 12

4.3.1. Kaleo Community in Nadowli District .................................................................... 12

4.3.2 Lawra Community in Lawra District ........................................................................ 13

5.0 IDENTIFICATION, ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF IMPACTS ............................................ 14

6.0 MITIGATION MEASURES .................................................................................................... 16

7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & MONITORING PLAN ................................................ 18

8.0 CONSULTATIONS ................................................................................................................ 21

8.1 Consultations with Landowners ..................................................................................... 21

8.2 Consultations with Elected Community Representatives .............................................. 21

8.3 Consultations with Forest Services Division................................................................... 21

8.4 Consultations with Relevant Stakeholder State Agencies ............................................. 22

8.5 Local Stakeholder Hearing for the Clean Development Mechanism ............................. 22

8.6 Disclosure Programme ................................................................................................... 22

9.0 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 23


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1.0 BACKGROUND The Volta River Authority (VRA) was established under the Volta River Development Act, 1961 (Act 46) as a public-owned corporate utility with the primary function of generating electric power, first by the development of the hydroelectric potential of the Volta River and the construction and operation of a transmission system for the supply of electrical energy for industrial, commercial and domestic use in Ghana. Currently, the main functions of VRA are the generation of electric power for industrial and domestic needs of Ghana, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso and also the distribution of electricity in the Northern Sectors of Ghana by its subsidiary company, the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo). As at September 2014, the total installed electricity generation capacity of VRA was 2,104 Megawatts (MW), representing 75% of the total generation in Ghana. The VRA currently is focused on a number of generation expansion projects designed to ensure electricity availability and accessibility, expected to add 500 MW in new capacity in the short-to-medium term. As part of renewable energy component, VRA intends to develop photovoltaic (PV) power plants to be located in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The project which is known as the “Solar Power Project Phase 1: Upper West Regional Project Sites” (SPP1-UWR) was originally intended to comprise of an 8 MW PV power plants at three different locations, namely, 2MW at Lawra, 2MW at Jirrapa and 4MW at Kaleo. These 3 sites, with land areas comprising of 8.08 ha at Jirapa, 6.22 ha at Kaleo, 6.13 ha at Lawra, were selected after an evaluation of radiation conditions, infrastructure and network access as well as preliminary network load centre appraisal. Under the provisions of the Ghana Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999 (LI 1652), power generation and transmission projects are categorized under environmentally critical projects for which an Environmental Permit is required from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Section 2.2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidelines for the Energy Sector, Volume 1, dated August 2010, indicates that ground mounted PV power plant/system, either stand-alone, hybrid or grid-tied with total surface area of array exceeding one (1) hectare but below 20 hectares requires the undertaken of an environmental assessment and the preparation of a Preliminary Environmental Report (PER). It is therefore a legal requirement in Ghana that development projects such as SPP1-UWR should be subjected to a Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA). The environmental assessment processes have been further outlined in the Volume 2 of the EIA Guidelines for the Energy Sector. In line with this legal requirement, VRA prepared a PER covering the three (3) sites and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an Environmental Permit, dated January 4, 2013 for the project. Due to land rights issues, VRA has suspended work for the proposed 2MW PV plant at the Jirrapa site. Following this, VRA and Kreditanstalt Für Wiederaufbau (kfW or German Development Bank), in the course of negotiations for financing of the projects jointly decided to increase the capacity to be installed on the two remaining sites to 12 MWp, i.e. 8MW at Kaleo and 4MW at Lawra.


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The Environmental Permit mandated the VRA to notify the EPA of any major changes in the planned development contrary to the information provided in the PEA Report. To adhere to the permitting requirement, VRA advised the EPA of the change in the scope of work at the proposed Kaleo and Lawra Solar PV Plants. In response to this notification, the EPA in August 2013 advised that VRA should prepare and submit an updated version of the PEA Report. VRA has since finalised the updated PER, dated June 2014, and the EPA has subsequently issued a revised Environmental Permit, dated September 16 2014, to allow for the physical construction of the project at Kaleo and Lawra communities.1 Following the Environmental and Social Due Diligence Review of the Updated PER, kfW has developed an "Environmental and Social Action Plan" to compliment measures outlined in the PER2. One of the key recommendations was the preparation of a Non-technical explanation of the Project to be presented to the general public. This Non-Technical Summary (NTS) is therefore a stand-alone document that draws upon the Updated Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) Report, dated June 2014, for the 12MW “Solar Power Project Phase 1: Upper West Regional Project Sites” (SPP1-UWR), slated to be implemented by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in the communities of Kaleo and Lawra in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The NTS is intended to provide a briefing for decision makers and to allow the general reader an appreciation of the key environmental issues of the project and the manner in which they have been addressed to satisfy the requirements of the Ghana EPA and kfW.

1 See Appendix 1 for the revised Environmental Permit for the SPP1-UWR, dated September 16, 2014.

2 See Appendix 2 for ESAP


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2.0 THE NEED FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT The Government of Ghana (GoG) has passed the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832) to provide the necessary legal and regulatory framework to promote the provision of energy including electricity from renewable sources. The law seeks to promote the sustainable development and utilization of Renewable Energy (RE) resources for electricity and heat generation. The law provides for a feed-in tariff mechanism to encourage the adoption and use of renewable energy as well as creates a platform for the trading of renewable energy. The law also provides for a renewable energy purchase obligation for the utility services and bulk customers as well as the integration of biofuel into petroleum so that those who produce biodiesel can have a market. The Ghana Renewable Energy Fund is to be created under the law to support renewable energy promotion, research and other activities. Besides, the fund will supply seed money for renewable energy companies, depending on how much will be demanded by the companies. In line with the RE Law, VRA has in-turn set a 5-10 year RE generation capacity targets taking cognizance of the local and export demand and the system constraints. VRA’s RE Development Programme Phase 1 (REDP1) aims at developing about 164 MW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2015. The REDP1 consists of three components, specifically (a) 150 MW Wind Power Phase 1 (b) 14.6 MW Solar Power Phase 1, and (c) Renewable Energy Planning & Development Integration. The first of the PV components of the renewable energy plants, a 2.6 MW photovoltaic plant near Navrongo in the Upper East Region of Ghana was commissioned in May 2013 and this is the first large utility scale solar power plant project to be introduced in Ghana. The next PV plant is the development of an 8MW Kaleo and 4MW Lawra PV Plants. The objectives for VRA developing the PV Plants are: a) To utilize solar as an additional source of generation to supply the increasing domestic and export

demand. b) To align VRA’s generation capacity development with GoG Policy on Renewable Energy that seeks

that 10 % of all electricity generation to come from renewable sources. c) To meet any future renewable energy purchase obligations to be placed on with VRA’s owned RE

plants. d) Develop the requisite skills required in solar plant development, design and operation to position

the VRA to provide leadership technical expertise for deployment of renewable based electricity generation in African.

e) Improve VRA’s power supply security by diversifying it sources of power generation. f) Increase VRA power generation capacity without increasing the organisation’s exposure to fuel

supply risks and price escalations. g) Increase VRA’s power generation capacity whilst reducing the carbon foot print of the electricity

generated. The project has the prospect of contributing in a large measure to the global effort at reducing carbon reduction. The PV plants were therefore being developed using Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)


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as a co-financing option. VRA, with assistance of Lahmeyer International (project Consultants) has registered SPP1-UWR under the CDM. The objectives for registering SPP1-UWR with the CDM are: To help mitigate climate change To assist Ghana in achieving (i) sustainable development and (ii) transfer of technology know-

how To assist Ghana achieve their internationally binding emission reduction commitments As climate change affect all nations of the world with the most affected being developing countries, GoG has made a commitment to contribute to mitigating the effects of global warming. However, with Ghana being off the list of Least Developed Countries according to UN criteria, VRA is considering the option of utilizing the “Gold Standard Requirements” as preferred certificate for Green House Gas emission reductions which represents, at present, the applicable standard to achieve project co-financing. Thus, the project will demonstrate that emissions reductions from renewable energy can earn additional income and the introduction of “CDM” as well as the “Gold Standard Requirements” know-how is expected to raise environmental awareness and generate interest in low carbon energy technologies. Introduction and demonstration of modern, environmentally friendly power production techniques are an explicit objective of the project. The project being among the first of its kind in terms of scale in the country will serve as a training site for students, staff of VRA and other companies both in the country and the sub-region that could also go there to be trained in new technologies. Some basic training will also be given to personnel to enable them properly handle equipment on site. At the same time, the project would allow VRA to diversify its energy generation portfolio to include solar power. The local environmental benefits would include reduced fossil fuel-fired emissions (sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particles), reduced thermal plant impacts (heat, noise), reduced adverse fossil fuel transport (on and off-shore spillages, gas leakages through transportation, compression, liquefaction and gasification) hence an improved air quality and in the overall quality of the environment. This renewable energy plant will feed the national electricity grid with a more environmentally friendly power and result in increased national economic productivity. This will result in the reduction of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. Jobs will be created during construction stages for local folks and it is expected that the full operational facility will require a labour force of 10-20 people depending on the size of the plant. Thus the communities in which the project is located shall benefit from new jobs (mostly higher income skilled) hence employment generation for locals, increased income and contribute to national poverty reduction efforts as well as investment in areas which would otherwise have difficulty attracting new investment. The project will also result in a less polluted environment and life longevity and an emission reduction. Project implementation will also lead to the establishment of local markets and provide small scale business opportunities for women. The presence of higher skilled workforce in


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these communities will create demand for a certain standard of housing facilities. This will require putting up of new buildings or upgrading of existing once to give the community a face lift. Electricity available in Northern Ghana has to be transmitted over long distances from the south where all generation plants are located. This is capital intensive and also result in transmission loses. The siting of the project in the north will minimize the cost of transmission and transmission loses as well. Therefore, the presence of these power plants will improve electrification. This will attract businesses and services that otherwise would have been difficult to bring to these communities. The relevant policies and regulatory framework that must be considered for the successful implementation of the PV solar plants have been gathered and discussed as part of the environmental assessment report. Brief discussions on these are provided under Section 1.5 of the PER. Key sectors of relevance to the project implementation are in the areas of electric power developments, environmental management, and occupational health and safety as well as land acquisitions. Corporate policies and frameworks of relevance here includes the “Environmental Policy Statement”, “Environmental & Social Management Framework”, “Land Acquisition & Resettlement Policy Framework”, “Community Development Programme”, “Local Content Policy”, “Health & Safety Policy and the “Workplace HIV/AIDS Policy”. All relevant national laws, policies, regulations, guidelines and standards that may apply to the construction of the project will be applied as required.


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3.0 KEY PROJECT FEATURES 3.1 Project Overview The 12 MW “Solar Power Project Phase 1: Upper West Regional Project Sites”, comprises of an 8MW and 4MW Solar plants to be located respectively at Kaleo and Lawra communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The project will install ground mounted grid tie PV panels on single axis tracking systems and fixed systems depending on the location. These PV panels with the help of semi-conductor material convert sunlight into direct current electricity. Inverters then transform the DC electricity produced by the PV modules into the alternating current electricity which will then be stepped up and fed into the distribution grid. The power generated by the solar power generation units shall be boosted to 34.5kV after merged together, then connected to the indoor high-voltage switch gear cabinet and finally access to the power grid through a 34.5kV overhead transmission line. Subsequently, all the PV Plants will be connected to the 34.5 MV network operated by the VRA subsidiary company, NEDCo. The source of the network is the main feeder at Sawla. 3.2 Kaleo Solar Power Project The site for the PV development is located 0.85 km South-East from the Kaleo town in the Nadowli District, on the Kaleo – Zaa Road, and has total suitable area for installation of 10.22 (25.25 acres) hectares and the coordinates are 10.1721790N, 2.5336340W. This allows for building the foreseen PV plant capacity of 8 MWp. The terrain is mostly flat with a slight slope towards South3. It has a rectangular shape which is regarded as suitable for PV installation. However, it needs to be adequately prepared for some part. Specifically, some tall trees, shrub vegetation and rocks at few spot-like locations will have to be removed. Kaleo is an attractive site for PV development due to its direct access to the distribution grid and the flat terrain surface. Initially, the land consisted of 6.22 ha. In 2013, an additional land 4 Ha of land was acquired and added. This part is directly adjutant to the existing lot and shares the Northern boundary of the initial part4. Parts of the area were previously used as farm land but have turn into fallow land already a while ago. This indicates that ramming the foundations of the support structure will be possible. The only significant constraint which needs to be considered for the future operation is the anticipation of the growing of the town and farms towards the PV area. Consequently, safety margins close to property borders are essential not only for safety reasons but also to avoid any energy production losses from shadows (small houses, pylons etc.). It is further recommended to re-establish the existing footpath at the North of the site. This path is used by dwellers from the town to arrive at their farms. Keeping those paths would certainly prevent any conflicts5.

3 See Appendix 3 4 See Appendix 4 5 See Appendix 5


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The district road Kaleo-Ombo runs in approximately 125 m parallel to the Northern site boundary6. From that road, the site access could be built adjutant or even within the line route corridor of 10 m (at each side of the MV lines) where NEDCo owns the right of way. This would reduce the need for additional road construction and further easement rights significantly. The plan layout of the whole PV power plant contains four PV arrays 987.53 kWp each, 36 sub-distribution cabinets that each one includes seven string inverters and a LV sub-board, four transformer kiosks, technical area, internal roads etc.. Technical area is at the North West side of the terrain where the MV overhead line is located. The civil layout targets at high energy yield, robust construction and low operational & maintenance costs. A 3m bushfire buffer, 10 -15 m towards East accounting for town growing shall be established. On each fixed tilted mounting system, the two PV modules are arranged in portrait position. A distance of approximately 1.80 m is considered; hence it is convenient for one or even two persons to execute any repair or Operation & Maintenance activities. This distance corresponds to -1.3% annual losses. 3.3 Lawra Solar Power Plant The SPP site at Lawra is located 3.96 km Northwest of Lawra village on the road Lawra-Hamile, near Bikpe community in the Lawra District, and has an area for installation of 6.13 hectares. The geographic coordinates of the PV Site at Lawra is 10.6624010 N, 2.8992180 W. A PV Plant capacity of 4 MWp is planned for the installation at this stage of the project. The property has a trapezoid shape with its longer side long the road and a triangular edge to the South. The terrain is not completely flat showing small bumps and slight slope descending towards North with 2.5-3% in average. The slope needs to be considered in the design by adjustment of the row to row spacing. For the construction of the PV collector field, ground levelling will need to be conducted and tall trees as well as smaller vegetation will have to be removed in the terrain here as well. The plan layout of the whole PV power plant at Lawra mainly contains two PV arrays of rectangular size and 987.53 kWp each, 18 sub-distribution cabinets of which each one includes seven string inverters and a LV sub-board, two transformer kiosks, technical area, internal roads etc. The technical area is located at the South-East of the terrain in order to facilitate access for maintenance and service vehicles. Unlike Kaleo the terrain in Lawra is not flat; therefore the row to row distance will not be similar. Based on the recorded GPS logs, the difference along the longer side of the property next to the road was estimated with 3 m. On each row of the mounting structure two PV modules are fixed in portrait position. Consequently, the distance between the front and back row is set to a minimum value of approximately 2.1 m in order to maintain the annual row to row shading losses to -1.8%. A 3 m bushfire buffer, 8-10 m towards road Wa-Lawra-Hamile is to be established.

6 See Appendix 3


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3.4 Network Connection Relevant aspects for the grid connection at 34.5 kV level of the 2 PV Power Plants with a nominal power feed capacity of 4 MW and 8 MW each have been analysed. The envisaged connection of the two utility scale PV power plants, based on decentralised inverter configuration concept is stated to be at the 34.5 kV level. Its geographical position will be the sites close to the towns of Kaleo and Lawra in the upper north-western part of the region. Due to the size of the Kaleo PV plant with 8 MW (and operational output of 6.6 MW), the recommended topology for grid connection is through the implementation of a direct single overhead line system outgoing from Kaleo PV substation to the 34.5 kV busbar of the Wa GRIDCo Substation. The connection point is stated to be approximately at a distance of 11.5 km (line air). The new line connection shall be parallel routed to the existing MV transmission line which is located at the western side of the PV plant and quite close to the PV plant area. The Lawra plant is planned to be integrated into the existing 34.5 kV main corridors’ line as a Tee-off connection. The envisaged point of connection is located close the senior secondary school east of Lawra town where other localities are integrated into the system as TC_17 (T-Connection Nr. 17). The connection point is stated to be approximately at a distance of 4.5 km (line air) from the site. The Schematic diagram for PV-Plants connection at Upper West Region is shown7. Depending on the type of lines and their electrical characteristics to be applied for the grid connection of the PV Plants, the expected peak values for electrical losses range between 1.8% (AAAC 100 mm²) and 1.4% (AAAC 150 mm²). In comparison with the line Type AAAC 100 mm², the implementation of the network’s connection with the overhead line type AAAC 150 mm² can reduce the electrical losses for the transmission of power from the PV plants by approx. 20% (peak value of losses), therefore the interconnection lines of the envisaged PV Plants, are recommended to be realized with the overhead line Type AAAC-150 mm². 3.5 General Development Activities Initial site works will comprise site clearance. The main works would follow a straightforward sequence beginning with excavation for structural foundations and structural development. Key activities under the project are as follows: a) Design, installation and site testing of PV array , support structure, connection boxes, DC & AC

disconnects, fuses, inverters, grounding, surge protection, etc. and a control structure / building to house inverters, meters and control & communication devices.

b) Installation, erection, site testing and commissioning of 1No. 2.5MVA, 34.5 kV step-up transformers.

c) Supply, installation, site testing and commissioning of outdoor 34.5kV circuit breakers, 34.5kV disconnect switches, 34.5kV busworks, 34.5kV feeder equipment complete, grounding, control panel, metering, etc.

7 See Appendix 6


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d) Bringing into service PV power plants and organizing the works in order to minimize the power supply interruptions to the 34.5 kV network in the area.

e) Fencing and gravelling of the PV plant enclaves. f) Supply and installation of 34.5 kV tubular steel pole sub-transmission line to interconnect with

the nearest point on the existing distribution network. g) Civil works associated with the above works including equipment plinths and foundations, etc. The final stages would be the installation of the PV equipment followed by landscaping, commissioning activities and the handover period. As at now, the Commercial Operation Date (COD) is yet to be fixed, however, the total period from the notice to proceed / advance payment to the commissioning phase for each PV site is estimated to be about nine (9) months, further, the issuances of Provisional Acceptance of Certificate for the PV Plants are also expected to be completed by close of the fifteenth (15) month. 3.6 Conceptual Decommissioning & Closure Plan A Decommissioning and Site Closure Plan is required to guard against the remote possibility that the project ceases to operate and the facilities are abandoned by VRA. Should such a circumstance arise, the potential would exist for impacts from abandonment of the PV plants such as aesthetic impacts and potential trespassing and safety concerns. The decommissioning processes would be undertaken in accordance with environmental laws and standards in place at the time of decommissioning. Prior to any decommissioning of the PV Project, the Ghana EPA will be notified and an assessment will be carried out to identify any potential environmental impacts that need to be addressed and mitigated in the decommissioning process. At the end of the decommissioning exercise, the EPA will be invited to carry out a post-decommissioning assessment to establish compliance with all regulatory requirements and issue a certificate to that effect. 3.7 Consideration of Alternatives Feasibility studies regarding the project basic design, network connection assessment and field surveys were done which has helped the Environmental Assessment to present alternatives in comparative form, defining the differences between each alternative and providing a clear basis for choice among options by the decision maker and the public. Some of the information used to compare the alternatives is based upon the design of the alternative and some based upon the environmental, social, and economic effects of implementing each alternative. The “No Development Scenario” is analysed followed by the Geographical situation and meteorological conditions which formed the basis for selecting the sites in Northern Ghana. In addition, the section evaluates the technological options for the PV generator including module technology, inverter concept and mounting system and selected components suitable for the project conditions. A basic design is presented indicating the necessary conditions for implementation and arrangement under the given conditions promising a commercial successful operation of three PV power plants. Details of the analysis consideration can be found under Section 3.4 of the Updated PER.


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4.0 THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT The Solar Power Projects in the Upper West Region are to be located within Kaleo and Lawra communities, located within the Nadowli and Lawra District Assemblies respectively8. In line with the environmental assessment requirements, a baseline survey was undertaken to establish the existing ecological and socio-economic situation in the project area. In this regard, research work on the existing biophysical and social environment was done by the environmental and social research team from June 2011 – March 2012 and updated in December 2013. The compilation of project area data was done through site visits, use of survey instruments, extensive literature review and consultations with community elders. A detailed report covering all aspects of the existing bio-physical and socio-economic environment has been included in Section 3.0 of the PER. A brief of this is outlined here. 4.1 Physical Environment 4.1.1 Climate The climate of the tropical continental type with the mean annual temperature ranging between 27°C to 36°C which offers the opportunity for the development of solar energy. The temperature of the region is between a low of 150C at night time during the harmattan season and a high of 400C in the day during the hot season. There are two seasons, the dry and the wet seasons. The wet season commences from early April and ends in October. The dry season, characterized by the cold and hazy harmattan weather, starts from early November and ends in the latter part of March when the hot weather begins, with intensity and ends only with the onset of the early rainfall in April. In order to properly represent the climate spanning the project sites, data on relative humidity, temperature, rainfall, mean sea level pressure, mean visibility and wind speed covering the period 2010-2012 was obtained from the Wa Weather Station: 654040 (DGLW), located on Latitude: 10.05, Longitude: -2.5 and Altitude: 323. Monthly Radiation and temperature profile for the 2 PV plant based on Solar GUS Information is also provided outlined.

4.1.2 Ambient Noise

Pre-construction or background sound surveys of day-time and night time noise levels were carried out within the environs of the project site and the selected areas in the project communities where noise was likely to be an impact during the constructional and operational phases of the project cycle. Recorded noise levels during the survey are 33.5 - 69.3 Db (A) and the levels were all largely within the permissible EPA values of 65 dB(A). 4.1.3 Air Quality Measurement of suspended particulate matter concentrations within the selected communities for noise monitoring was established at various times of the day for monitoring purposes. The values recorded have been averaged for each of the site and the time weighted average were 132 - 296 µg/m3, some largely above the permissible EPA value of 150 µg/m3. The high PM levels were observed basically due to the dusty nature of the access roads near the sampling points. Upgrade of access

8 See Appendix 4 for Location Map of the Lawra and Kaleo PV Plant Showing Neighbouring Features


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roads, especially those leading to the project sites, is therefore critical for the maintenance of the PV Modules.

4.1.4 Topography & Drainage

For the designated site for the Kaleo Solar Power plant, the terrain is generally flat and has a rectangular shape which is regarded as suitable for PV application. The area is mainly low lying and undulating at altitudes ranging between 150m-300m above sea level though some parts average 600m. There is no water body close to the designated site at Kaleo. For the designated site for the Lawra Solar Power Plant, the terrain is not completely flat showing small bumps and slight slope descending towards the North with 2.5-3% in average. The slope shall be considered in the design by adjustment of the row to row spacing. The site has trapezoid shape with its longer side long the road and a triangular edge to the South. The Lawra District is gently rolling with a few hills ranging between 180 and 300M above sea level. The designated Solar Power Plant site at Lawra is about 3km from the main river in the district, the Black Volta, to the west which forms the boundary between the District and the Republic of Burkina Faso.

4.1.5 Geology & Soils

Currently, there has not been any detailed soil investigations at any of the two sites. The EPC contractor is expected to carryout detailed investigation of the soil conditions for each of the sites to cover all the requirements for design of all relevant works as well as the borrow pits (for verification of the suitability and adequacy) where materials for embankment formation will be obtained and submit a report to the VRA for approval. The soil investigation shall be carried out in accordance with BS 5930:1999 or other approved standard. A copy of the soil investigation report shall be submitted to the VRA, and the report shall be further submitted to the EPA for informational purposes, if so required. Information therefore provided in the PER under Section 3.2.5 thus subsequently pertains to the general geological information in the affected districts. In the Lawra District, the rock formation is essentially birimian with dotted outcrops of granite. Some reconnaissance work indicates the presence of minor occurrences of manganese, traces of gold and diamond, Iron ore and clay. Borehole drilling activities in the early 1980s confirmed the presence of the granite and birimian rocks in the District. The soils in the District consist mostly of laterite soils. These are developed from the birimian and granite rocks which underlie the area. There are also strips of alluvial soils along the flood plains of the Black Volta as well as sandy loams along some of its tributaries. In the Nadowli District where the Kaleo community is situated, three main types of underlying rocks are found. These are Birimian and granite to the west and some parts of the east and basement complex to the east. Current studies have revealed a large mineral deposit which is a potential for mining activities. The soil types are laterite, sandy and sandy loam (savanna ochrosols). They are generally poor in organic matter and nutrients as a result of the absence of serious vegetative cover


12


due to bush burning, overgrazing, over cultivation and protracted erosion. Consequently the soils are heavily leached. 4.2 Biological Environment 4.2.1 Flora The vegetation of the project areas are generally the Guinea Savanna Zone with light undergrowth and scattered medium sized trees. It is also characterized by short grasses. The major trees which are also economic ones are shea, dawadawa, baoba and neem, mango, kapok, are resistant to both fire and drought. Indeed, these trees are abundant on all the two PV project sites. Fire is a common feature here, and the more successful tree species have adapted to the annual fires by having thick barks. It is also characterized by several species of grasses which survive the fires by way of their rhizomes and fibrous roots that remain buried in the soil during the sweeping fires.

4.2.2 Fauna

The fauna of the project area has been extensively affected by overexploitation, alteration and fragmentation of habitat resulting from especially bushfire, human settlements, and agricultural activities. Livestock were common and this included goats, sheep, chicken, pigs, cattle, guinea-fowl, etc. Some faunal species that occur in the project area is outlined in Error! Reference source not found. of the PER.

4.2.3 Environmental Sensitive Areas

All areas declared by law as national parks, watershed reserves, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries including sacred groves are categorized as environmentally sensitive areas. A 0.5km of a new sub-transmission line is to be constructed to interconnect the PV Site at Lawra to the existing 34.5 kV Domwini – Lawra Line. It is noted that about 0.5Km section of this new line shall traverse through the Lawra Station Forest Reserve. Within the context of the definitions outlined, the Lawra Station Forest Reserve can be categorized as an environmental sensitive area in project area of influence. The Lawra Station Forest Reserve has only been harvested once and that was in the early 1980s. The natural reserve scores a condition class of 2, i.e. “Good” and the plantation is on the average considered to be 3, i.e. “Fairly Good”. There is considerable potential for regeneration. Except some few ha of the lower ground where the trees naturally thin out and bare ground appears, the rest is developed through natural regeneration. Details of flora and fauna existing in the reserve as well as the benefits to the local people are provided in Section 3.2.3 of the PER. 4.3 Socio-economic and Cultural Environment 4.3.1. Kaleo Community in Nadowli District

Traditionally the Kaleo Community is under the Kaleo-Naah in the person of Sandu Banauwimi II, who is also the Paramount Chief of the area. The 2010 estimated population of Nadowli district is comprise of 39,375 males and 43,341 females giving a male / female ratio of 80:100 as compared with the national male / female ratio of 97.9:100. The Kaleo community is made up of over 99% Dagaabas. With respect to religion, about 80% of the community members in Kaleo community are Christians, with 18% being Moslems and 2% Traditional religion. There are a total of 1 pre-school establishment, 2


13


primaries/Junior High Schools, and 2 Technical/Vocational institutions and 1 Senior High School in the Kaleo community. There are 2 health centres in Kaleo community, and these are the Kaleo catholic Clinic and the Ahmmadia Moslem Hospital. The major illness include; malaria, hypertension, pneumonia, anaemia and acute respiration infection. Malaria continued to top the list of the ten (10) top diseases at all levels. HIV/AIDS remains a disease of concern in the district. Majority cases fell within the age group of 15-39 who form the potential labour force in the district. The Kaleo Community just like other parts of the Nadowli District depicts a typical rural economy dominated by the agriculture sector with the commerce and industrial sectors least developed. About 70% of the estimated population in Kaleo are farmers whilst about 20 % are traders with the remaining being in the formal sector. In the nadowli District in general, agriculture alone accounts for about 85% of the labour force while commerce/service and industry account for 14% and 1% respectively. On key historical resources in Kaleo is the burial ground of the Late Hon. Jatoe Kaleo, who died on June 6, 1998. This site is about 500 m to the Kaleo SPP site. The Late Hon. Jatoe Kaleo was one of the leading Ghanaian politicians who led Ghana into independence. He is known to be among the political gurus who stood on the same platform with the Late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the 1st President of Ghana, during the formal announcement of the independence of Ghana on March 6, 1957. 4.3.2 Lawra Community in Lawra District The Lawra Community is within the Lawra District. Naa Puowelle E. Karbo II is the Paramount Chief of Lawra whilst Kori T. Kofi is the Lawra Community Chief. The 2000 National Population and Housing Census results put the Lawra Community at 5,763, made up of 2,618 males and 3,145 females. The provisional figure for the community during the 2010 PHC is 6,805, indicating an 18% increase over the 2000 figure. With respect to religious composition, Christians dominate with a figure of 57%, Muslims constitute a meagre figure of 4.19% whiles Traditional African Religion follows the Christian religion with a figure of 36.46%. Malaria has been the main cause of OPD attendance followed by URTI, skin diseases, eye infection and pneumonia. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has now become a developmental issue due to the alarming trend of spread in the district. In the Lawra District it has been reported that since 1995 to 2013, a total of 642 cases were recorded. This is attributed to many entry points to the district from Burkina Faso. Out of the 642 cases, 507 cases are between 15-44 years (106 male and 401 female). It is estimated that 83% of the population are engaged in subsistence agriculture. Food production is low due to the poor nature of the soil and unfavourable weather condition. It has become prudent for the introduction of new sources of livelihood such as irrigation, commerce etc., with the deterioration nature of soils and whether. An estimated percentage of households with access to electricity currently stand at 24.3% for the entire Lawra District


14


5.0 IDENTIFICATION, ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF IMPACTS The impact assessment methodology used for this project consists of five major steps:

Step 1: Identification and description of project activities and their interaction with environmental

media; Step 2: Comprehensive preliminary identification of potential impacts; Step 3: Screening or comparative assessment of impact importance; identification of impacts that

are likely to be significant (i.e., identification of focus areas for further study) through application of a basic set of impact significance criteria to the preliminary information available about each impact;

Step 4: Detailed assessment of the identified focus area impacts characterization techniques; quantification of impacts to the extent possible and rigorous qualitative characterization of impacts that cannot be quantified; and

Step 5: Final assessment of the severity levels of impacts through application of the results of the rigorous quantitative and qualitative characterization of impacts developed in Step 4 to a set of objective impact severity criteria; identification of impacts warranting mitigation.

Table 1 shows the expanded impact identification matrix for the various phases and project activities of the project cycle which identify the focus areas by project phase and activity as well as affected media. Each of the key issues, and other potential impacts, are addressed in the Environmental Assessment Report, if required. Focus areas are indicated by 0, -1, -2 or 2+ as well as colour coded as provided in the key below. By the key, if the row associated with a particular activity is 0 or without any colour shade, the impacts from that activity are considered to be negligible, or of lower significance and screened out of further consideration. With a red shade or 2, a potential significant adverse impact is envisaged and this is a serious impact which, if not mitigated, is potentially sufficient by itself to prevent the implementation of the project. A pink shade or -1 shows a Potential effect, expected to be insignificant. This is an acceptable impact for which mitigation is desirable but not essential; the impact by itself is insufficient even in combination with other low impacts to prevent construction. A green shade 0r 2+ is a potential significant beneficial impact and this is an impact that provides direct socio-economic benefit.


15


Table 1: Impact Identification Matrix

Activities

Bio-physical Environment Health & Safety Socio-cultural Environment

Geo

logy

,

Soils

Clim

ate,

ai

r

qu

alit

y

No

ise

Wat

er

Res

ou

rces

Flo

ra

Fau

na

Eco

logi

cal

sen

siti

ve

site

s

Pu

blic

Saf

ety

Occ

up

atio

na

l Saf

ety

& H

ealt

h

His

tori

cal

reso

urc

es

Vis

ual

Intr

usi

on

Infr

astr

uct

ur

e Cu

ltu

ral

Her

itag

e

Lan

d t

enu

re,

Ow

ner

ship

Lan

d u

se

Emp

loym

ent

Agr

icu

ltu

re

Po

pu

lati

on

Pre-constructional phase

Project Feasibility Study 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Survey Exercise 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 2+ 1 0

EIA Study 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Acquisition of Land 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 -2 2+ -2 0

Constructional / Demobilisation Phase

Site Clearing & Land Preparation

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -2 -2 -1

-1 0 -1 -2 -2 2+ -2 0

Transportation of equipment -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

-1 -2 -2 0 -1

0 0 0 -1 2+ -2 0

Civil works to prepare site 0 0 -1 0 -1 0 -1 -2 -2 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 2+ -2 0

Installation of facilities 0 0 -1 0 -1 0 0 -2 -2 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 2+ -2 0

Demobilisation

0

0

-1 0

0

0 0 -2 -2 0 -1 0 0 0 0 2+ 0 0

Testing & Commissioning

0 0 -1 0 -1 -1 0 -2 -2 -11 -1 0 0 -1 -1 0 0 0

Operational phase

Landscaping 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0/1 0 0

Routine Maintenance 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 0 -1 0 0 -2 -2 2+ -2 2+

Key -2 Potential significant adverse impact. 2+ Potential significant beneficial impact -1 Potential effect, expected to be insignificant. 0 No potential impact or insignificant impact.


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6.0 MITIGATION MEASURES Recommended mitigations that have been made in the PER for the prevention and mitigation of adverse impacts are as follows: - 1. VRA is to continue consulting with all relevant individuals, communities, state agencies,

institutions at each stage of the project to ensure effective collaboration and smooth project implementation.

2. Overall, the mitigation of the socio-economic impacts will be implemented by VRA under its Community Development Programme (CDP) which was launched in 2012 as well as “Land Acquisition & Resettlement Policy Framework”.

3. VRA shall provide a sound description of the alternative analysis for the transmission line routing to verify the routing through a forest reserve and outline this in an Alternative Assessment Report.

4. VRA shall conduct a baseline survey of directly impacted flora and fauna prior to construction start to outline a clear listing and quantification of fauna and flora identified. In particular, flora which is source of livelihood shall be quantified as well as current productive use of the sites. Identified fauna and flora species are to be listed in a table with indication on frequency, environmental relevance and level of endangerment.

5. The contractor must prepare an Occupational, Safety & Health Management (OSHEM) Plan in order to spell out how the firm will achieve environmental targets and objectives specified in this EIS. All construction materials and especially sand, gravel, hardcore and wood must be sourced/procured from legalized dealers. The Contractor must have workmen’s compensation cover and is required to comply with workmen’s compensation Act as well as other relevant ordinance, regulations and Labour Agreement.

6. Construction activities must be undertaken only during the day i.e. between 0700 hours to 1900 hours. This will minimize disturbance to the general public within the proximity of the site/project especially the residential estates. The Contractor must provide adequate security during the construction period and especially during the night when there are no constructional activities. It is important that warning/informative signs (bill boards) be erected at the site. These should indicate the operation hours and when works are likely to be started and completed.

7. The Contractor must dispose of all solid waste materials and debris resulting from project activities at approved dumpsites. All wastes, including should be properly segregated and separated to encourage recycling of some useful waste materials; i.e. some excavated stone materials can be used as backfills.

8. The Contractor should undertake proper and regular maintenance of machinery and equipment to reduce emission of hazardous fumes and noise resulting from friction of rubbing metal bodies. Used and new oils must be handled and stored appropriately to avoid oil leaks and spills on the site.

9. Workers should be provided with complete personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety gear. They should have working boots, complete overalls, helmets, gloves, earmuffs, nose masks, goggles etc. A fully equipped first aid kit must be provided within the site.


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10. The Contractor should clearly identify transportation routes as well as the communities affected on the way as part of the Road & Transportation Study.

11. Traffic on the access road to the site should be controlled and informed during construction and especially when heavy trucks are turning in and out of the site. This will ensure that no accidents are caused by the site’s activities.

12. Drains should be properly designed, installed and regularly maintained to prevent storm water (run-off) from accumulating within the site spreading to the neighbourhood. These must effectively drain the storm water from the premise into the existing public drainage system to be developed along the access road.

13. Work in the Lawra Station Forest Reserve shall be done in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between VRA and the Forest Services Division All dangerous and potentially dangerous trees will have to be enumerated and documented by VRA prior to felling. This should provide a clear identification and quantification of impact of the transmission line through the forest reserve

14. Sewerage system must be properly designed within the site/office and effectively connected to the public sewer system. Design specifications must be followed during installation. Standard cleanliness and waste disposal facilities at construction site and during occupation must be maintained.

15. Once earthworks have been done, restoration of the worked areas should be carried out immediately by backfilling, professional landscaping/levelling and planting of low grass in open areas, flowers and suitable tree species.

16. A complete firefighting system must be provided for the facilities after completion of the project.

17. A fence wall shall be constructed around the entire PV plants. Further, a fire buffer zone comprising of forest trees is to be developed within the fence wall and around the power plant. Trees native to the area shall be planted at the frontage of the plant to act as windbreaks, noise buffer and to reduce the visual effect of having a power plant located at the site.

18. Systems must subsequently be put in place to ensure efficient and prudent water supply and management as well as energy use at the facility.

19. From pre-construction to operation/maintenance phases, VRA will carry the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that environmental reporting procedures are undertaken. VRA will document within the quarterly project status of progress of the Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan, any compliance or non-compliance with relevant Ghanaian environmental and social laws, regulations and permits as well as engagement activities in the communities and a grievance summary.

20. A Decommissioning and Site Closure Plan is required to guard against the remote possibility that the project ceases to operate and the facilities are abandoned by VRA. During decommissioning activities, the Upper West Regional Town & Country Planning Department and the EPA office shall have access to the site, pursuant to reasonable notice, to inspect the results of complete decommissioning.


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7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & MONITORING PLAN

An Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan (EMMP) has been prepared for the SPP1-UWR. The EMMP incorporates all mitigation measures required to ensure that all environmental regulations are met. It also incorporates mitigation measures that have been agreed following extensive consultations with a wide range of interested parties. The EMMP follows international standards. The EMMP includes the specific mitigation measures identified in the EIS and details the organisation/body responsible for the action, the period for which the action should be taken, and the need for short, medium or long term monitoring. The full EMMP is provided in Chapter 6 of the PER and the key features is shown.

Requirements of the Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan

Environmental Management & Monitoring

Plan (EMMP)

Volta River Authority (VRA) Contractor Responsibility

Consultation Plan Construction Environmental M a n a g e m e n t Plan

Compensation Methodology

Waste management procedures

Operation Health and Safety Plan

Operation Emergency Contingency Plan Noise management procedures

Corporate Environmental Management Plan Water quality and resource management procedures

Flora and fauna management procedures

Site Environmental Management Plan

Air quality management procedure

Traffic Method Statement

Construction Health and Safety Plan

Emergency Pr epar ednes s & R espons e P la n

Soil management procedures

Accommodation procedures

Employment of local people statement of intention


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The objectives in the preparation of the EMMP: • Establish and provide basic guidelines, policies, and procedures which shall be used in establishing,

administrating, and maintaining the environmental program as may be required by EPA and the other relevant parties.

• Detail work programs to prevent or reduce adverse environmental effects; and • Confirm financial commitment to environmental management through budget estimates,

schedules, staffing and training requirements and other necessary support services to implement the mitigation measures.

The following principles were adopted in the preparation of the EMMP: • Compliance with relevant legislation, standards, codes, and practices in the application of safe

technologies; • Minimisation of impacts on the environment and human beings; • Performance of all activities in a safe and effective manner and maintenance of all equipment in

good operating condition for the protection of the health and safety of all persons and to conserve the environment and property;

• Focus on environment risk prevention; • Focus on occupational and public health, safety, and; • The undertaking of all necessary precautions to control, remove or otherwise correct any leaks

and/or spills of hazardous materials, or other health and safety hazards. VRA shall include environmental, health and safety management requirements in the bid documents as part of the contractual clauses for the project. In addition, the PER should form one of the Contract documents to be provided to the Contractor. Subsequently, the contractor will be required to implement the measures proposed in the PER and this will be agreed as part of their contracts. The contractor will be responsible for implementing the day-to-day construction related environmental management and mitigation measures specified in the PER. The contractor will be required to have their own environmental management procedures, but will be required by their contracts to take into account the actions set out in the EMMP. The Contractors Environmental Management Plan will detail procedures, in the form of method statements, for the management and mitigation, of the following: • Worksite/camp site Waste Management • Material Excavation • Material Deposit • Rehabilitation and soil erosion prevention • Water resources management • Traffic management • Blasting • Disposal of Relocated Elements • Health and Safety • Repair of Private Property


20


• Accommodation procedures (if required); • Statement of intention on employment of local people; • Noise management procedures; • Air quality management procedures; • Soil management procedures; • Water quality and resource management procedures; • Procedures to manage impacts on flora and fauna.

In addition, the Contractor will prepare the following: • Traffic Method Statement: A strategy for delivering workforce and materials adopting the measures

to reduce accidents, set out in the PER, and a HGV delivery schedule. • Construction Emergency Oil Spill Plan: Information on the proper handling of pollutant spills and the

procedures to be taken in the event of a pollutant spill, together with specific proposals for training construction personnel in accordance with the PER.

• Construction Health and Safety Plan: A Health and Safety Plan in accordance with the PER. Prior to the start of the relevant activity, the contractor will undertake all measures necessary to ensure that his staff and sub-contractors comply with the measures set out in the EMMP, including the required environmental monitoring and reporting to VRA. The contractor will also be required to identify an appropriately qualified Site Environmental Officer (SEO), acceptable to VRA, who will be responsible for implementation of the measures set out in EMMP. The SEO will be identified in the Environmental Plan. In order to ensure compliance of the project with the PER, through the framework of the EMM, VRA will designate a project Environmental Officer who will be responsible for ensuring that the contractor is fulfilling its obligations under their contract. VRA will ensure that the project Environmental Officer is appropriately trained to discharge the requirements of the EMMP, and that operational staff are conversant with the requirements and have adequate training to undertake their environmental responsibilities. The Environmental Officer will have the authority to stop the work of the contractor or any of their sub- consultants, if they fail to comply with the EMMP. VRA is the project sponsor and will ultimately have responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the SPP1-UWR. VRA will prepare a site Environmental Management Plan for operation of the project; this will take into account the requirements set out in the EMMP. VRA recognises that environmental and social issues covered by the EMMP during operation will change as time advances. VRA accepts the responsibility of managing these changes in a pro-active manner on an ongoing basis. The Project Environmental Officer shall facilitate the environmental component of the change management responsibility. In addition to an Environmental Management Plan in force at the site, VRA will prepare a Health and Safety Plan in accordance with corporate policy. Overall responsibility for this will rest with the Safety Section of VRA. VRA does recognize the need to strengthen its internal capabilities in order to develop and discharge its environmental responsibilities. To this end, VRA is currently developing an Environmental and Social Management System for the business as a whole.


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8.0 CONSULTATIONS 8.1 Consultations with Landowners This process involved identification of landowners for the project site. Referencing of affected land has been completed and valuation assessment report has been prepared by VRA Estate Surveyors from VRA/NEDCO. This was followed by a series of negotiations with the family heads. It must be noted that the cost of the compensation and rehabilitation measures is being borne by VRA and forms part of the project cost. Following an agreement of the cost of the land, VRA has paid in full, the entire cost of the land and land acquisition is now complete. Subsequently, the land has been acquired from the various land owners, namely Nana Bayau Family of Kaleo and the Debuo Family of Lawra. Separate Memorandum of Understandings’ between VRA and the families in question have been executed signalling ownership transfer. 8.2 Consultations with Elected Community Representatives VRA undertook consultations with the elected representatives of the affected communities, specifically the Assembly persons and the Unit committee members with a view of collating social information as well as informing them about the project and its impacts on the community members and to request them to represent as Grievance Committee members for the community. The Honourable Anwelbal Ernest Yendema of Kaleo West as well as Honourable Dege S. Simon and Honourable Gertrude Karbo both of Lawra were assigned as Members of the Grievance Committee and are expected to assist VRA in various ways, including serving as a liaison between the community members and VRA, addressing misleading issues/problems if any, bear witness to any damages and compensations to be paid and identify and testify rightful owners of properties. 8.3 Consultations with Forest Services Division Consultations were held with officers at the FSD Head-office in Accra, Upper West Regional office in Wa as well as the District office in Lawra to discuss modalities of the work in the reserve in order to ensure adherence to the conditions of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between VRA and FSD regarding construction and operations of bulk power transmission lines within forest reserves. A joint field visit was undertaken in May 2012 by the VRA survey team and FSD (Lawra District) to the Lawra Station Forest Reserve to inspect the 0.5 km section where the sub-transmission line would traverse. The field visit was to enable the two (2) agencies have a better understanding of the impact of the project within the reserve. VRA in May 2012 formally notified FSD of the project in requirements of the MoU. VRA and FSD are expected to work together in the harvesting of the teak trees within the reserve to protect its integrity. VRA shall continue to consult with FSD with respect to project implementation within the Lawra Station Forest Reserve.


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8.4 Consultations with Relevant Stakeholder State Agencies Formal letters have been submitted to state agencies to solicit for relevant information for either the EA process or for smooth collaboration. These state agencies were Upper West Regional Offices of the Town & Country Planning Department, Department of Feeder Roads, Lands Commission, Ghana Fire Service as well as the District Chief Executives of the affected districts. The letter requested that if their outfit had any interest, concern, or special knowledge relating to potential environmental, health, occupational safety as well as social effects of the proposed undertaking, they may submit such concern to the Project Director, VRA. The letter requested that if their outfit had any interest, concern, or special knowledge relating to potential environmental, health, occupational safety as well as social effects of the proposed undertaking, they may submit such concern to the Project Director, VRA. 8.5 Local Stakeholder Hearing for the Clean Development Mechanism Under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a project-based mechanism for the greenhouse gas emission reduction under the Kyoto Protocol, local stakeholder hearing is an important procedure which shall ensure the sustainability and transparency of the project of concern. A local stakeholder hearing and public consultation for the project sites was held in January 2012 by VRA in collaboration with Lahmeyer International (LI), the project developer’s consulting engineering company. This hearing was open to the general public and advertisements for the hearing were carried by the national dailies, radio, public banners and posters. Identifiable stakeholder groups were invited by formal letters. Participants included representatives from institutions such as the Regional Ministry of Upper West Region, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Army, Ghana Prisons Service, University for Development Studies, Ghana Water Company Limited, Information Services Department, Ghana Education Service, Traditional Council, Community Representatives, NGOs, Media Houses and general public etc. The Regional Minister of the Upper West Region at the time, Honorable Issafu Salia chaired the event at Kaleo. Mr. David Adibi Yakubu Regional Coordinating Director, Upper West Region represented the Regional Minister at the Lawra LSH. Honorable Abu Samson, the District Chief Executive of Lawra District Assembly was also present at the Lawra event. 8.6 Disclosure Programme As part of the consultation processes, the VRA shall disclose at various times to the general public, relevant documentation and activities for their attention and relevant action. A disclosure of Stakeholder Hearing was done in the national dailies in January 2012. Again, following the submission of Draft PER to the Ghana EPA in June 2012, the document was disclosed in the national dailies on July 26, 2012 to solicit for comments from the general public. The VRA, upon the issuance of Environmental Permit, shall disclose it and the Final PER in the national dailies for informational purposes. Further, an international stakeholder consultation shall take place during validation at an advanced stage of the CDM Project Development Cycle or Gold Standard requirements, if the decision is taken.


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9.0 CONCLUSION

Despite its enormous economic and social benefit, the construction and development of the SPP1-UWR Project cannot be carried out without any impacts on the environment. Indeed, some of the impacts are unavoidable. However, the mitigative measures put forward are expected, as far as possible, to be able to minimize the impacts so as to make them pose no threats to the continued sustainability of the environment. A review of the identified impacts shows that there will be some significant adverse irreversible impacts on the environment (e.g. land ownership and land-use characteristics). Other impacts will be minimal and temporary. The benefits to be derived from the implementation of the project are immense, especially considering the problems of electricity generation experienced in Ghana. The construction, commissioning and operation of the SPP1-UWR will be carried out in environmentally sustainable manner so as to minimise or completely eliminate impact on the environment and human health, lifestyle and sustenance. VRA has put forward mitigation measures aimed at reducing, and if possible elimination of the impacts afore-mentioned to ensure that the end use of the land after the expiry for the project’s life span is not compromised. VRA will also compensate all persons whose properties may be affected. A Valuation Report outlining the associated costs for the affected lands have been prepared to document and guide this process and compensation has already been paid out to the land owners. An Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan has been prepared which identifies all mitigation measures relevant to the project, including those required to ensure that all environmental regulations are met and those that have been agreed following extensive consultations with a wide range of interested parties. The EMMP also identifies the periods during which mitigation measures must be implemented, who is responsible for implementation and the longer term monitoring requirements of the project. In order to ensure compliance of the project with the PER, through the framework of the EMMP, VRA will designate a project Environmental Officer who will be responsible for ensuring that the contractors are fulfilling their obligations under their contracts. VRA commits to collaborate with EPA to jointly manage the environmental and social concerns related to the PV Plant and shall submit environmental reports to the EPA as required. In conclusion, it is affirmed that VRA is committed to ensuring continuous improvement of environmental performance to minimize the impacts of all its operations on the environment, in line with the principles of sustainable development, in addition to complying with national and international environmental protection regulations. This is an undertaking VRA is firmly committed to and shall adhere to it.


24


APPENIDX Appendix 1: Revised Environmental Permit for the SPP1-UWR, Dated September 16, 2014 Appendix 2: kfW "Environmental and Social Action Plan" For SPP1-UWR Appendix 3: Site Pictures Appendix 4: Site Plans of PV Sites Appendix 5: Satellite View of PV Sites under SPPI-UWR Appendix 6: Schematic Diagram for PV-Plants Connection at Upper West Region



APPENDIX 1:

REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL PERMIT FOR THE SPP1-UWR, DATED

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014.



APPENDIX 2: kfW "ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ACTION PLAN" FOR SPP1-UWR



N° Issue Description of Action Responsibility Timing Indicator of completion

1 Env. & Soc.

Impact

Management

Implementation of the Environmental Management and Monitoring

Plan (chapter 6 of PER)

VRA & EPC Continuous Documentation

2 Regular

reporting

Document within the quarterly project status of progress of the

Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan, any compliance or

non-compliance with relevant host country environmental and social

laws, regulations and permits as well as engagement activities in the

communities and a grievance summary.

VRA Quarterly Quarterly Reports

3 Non-technical

explanation of

the Project to

be presented to

the public

Develop an Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the PER

(~20 pages):

• Brief description of nature, size, location of the project and its

importance to the country, region

• Location map showing nearby villages, access roads,

infrastructures, remarkable landmarks, rivers and water bodies,

natural reserves and other protected areas

• Areal or satellite view clearly identifying layout perimeter

• Main findings of the baseline survey

• Main impacts of the project and mitigation measures

• Main results of the process (such as the land acquisition, the choice

of alternatives, etc.)

VRA Prior to EPC

contract

signature

NTS Report

4 Missing

Alternative

assessment

Provide a sound description of the alternative analysis for the

transmission line routing to verify the routing through a forest reserve.

This shall be provided to KfW in the Alternative Assessment Report (5

pages max.)

VRA Prior to EPC

contract

signature

Alternative Assessment

Report

6 Lacking

information on

affected people

Provision of information on dwellings in the direct vicinity of the project

sites should be identified. Transportation routes should be clearly

identified as well as the communities affected on the way. People

affected by loss of livelihood as briefly described under Section 3.3.1 of

the PER should be clearly identified and compensated. To be included

VRA Prior to EPC

contract

signature

NTS Report



N° Issue Description of Action Responsibility Timing Indicator of completion

in the NTS.

It shall be ensured that these people are well informed about the

impact of the project and compensation measures shall be addressed

where applicable.

5 Last

consultation

conducted in

2012

The local communities must be notified about the changes in the

project which are the removal of one site and the extension of another

one. This notification can take place as a public hearing or at least

through an official notification and disclosure of the NTS.

VRA Prior to EPC

contract

signature

Minutes or evidence of

disclosure and public

comments register

8 Land

acquisition and

compensation

process

Please provide a clear statement if and how the VRA Land Acquisition

and Resettlement Policy Framework (Appendix 3 of the PER) was

applied in this Project.

VRA Prior to EPC

contract

signature

Written statement of

external expert

7 Weak

environmental

baseline for

directly

impacted Flora

and Fauna

Conduct a baseline survey of directly impacted flora and fauna prior to

construction start

• clear listing and quantification of fauna and flora identified. In

particular flora which is source of livelihood should be quantified

as well as current productive use of the sites, even if it is marginal.

Identified fauna and flora species to be listed in a table with

indication on frequency, environmental relevance and level of

endangerment

• clear identification and quantification of impact of the

transmission line through the forest reserve

VRA/EPC Prior to

construction

Impact Report



APPENDIX 3: SITE PICTURES



Plate 1: Site panorama in the centre of the terrain facing south at the Kaleo Site

Plate 2: 360°-panaorama at the district road looking south along the MV line

Plate 3: Schematic visualisation of the potential access road

Access Road

Boundary



Plate 4: Site for the Lawra PV Plant

Plate 5: Lawra – Hamile Road running parallel to the Lawra Site



APPENDIX 4: MAPS OF THE PV SITES



Figure 1: Overview of total land acquired for the Kaleo PV Plant



Figure 2: Site Map of Land acquired for the Lawra PV Plant



Figure 3: Location Map of Lawra PV Plant showing neighbouring Features



Figure 4: Location Map of Lawra PV Plant showing neighbouring Features



APPENDIX 5: SATELLITE VIEW OF PV SITES UNDER SPPI-UWR



Figure 5: Satellite View of Kaleo PV Site

Original Site Boundary

Extension Site Boundary

MV Line (Wa – Hamile)



Figure 6: Satellite View of Lawra PV Site



APPENDIX 6: SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM FOR PV-PLANTS CONNECTION AT UPPER WEST REGION



Figure 7: Schematic diagram for PV-Plants connection at Upper West Region

solar power project phase 1 (spp1): upper west regional ...vra.com/media/scoping_notices/2017/nts of...

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