Over the last few years, the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has published a suite of Norms and Standards and Regulations for excluding certain renewable energy-related developments from needing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
In the context of climate change impacts and energy insecurity in South Africa, these efforts to standardise, streamline and hasten environmental approvals for renewables projects are most welcome.
For solar PV developments, the Norm for the Exclusion of the Development and Expansion of Solar PV Facilities in Areas of Low or Medium Environmental Sensitivity (“Solar PV Exclusion Norm”) has just been gazetted: the Norm is available to download from our website: https://enviroprac.co.za/documents/
The Norm excludes developers from needing an EIA for the development or expansion of a solar PV plant, where the footprint of the plant falls entirely within an area identified as Low or Medium sensitivity by the DFFE’s online Screening Tool (https://screening.environment.gov.za/screeningtool/#/pages/welcome) in terms of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity; plant and animal species; and agricultural potential; and / or where the site sensitivity has been verified by suitably qualified specialists as Low or Medium.
he Norm applies to all EIA listed activities that could be triggered “for the realisation of such [solar PV] facilities”.
The process to follow in terms of the Norm, is a relatively quick and simple one, to be managed by a registered environmental scientist or a registered environmental assessment practitioner (which Lauren and I are).
The process includes specialist verification; limited consultation with identified stakeholders such as neighbours and conservation bodies; landowner consent; the compilation of an Environmental Management Programme to manage potentially significant impacts; and registration with the DFFE.
If you are considering developing a solar PV plant, whether for large-scale electricity generation for the grid or simply to provide secure power to your own facility, we can manage the registration process for you.
