| dc.description.abstract | Large-scale development of wind energy in South Africa requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for environmental authorisation by the government. An EIA is one of the last steps in the development process before realization and can have a big impact on a project. For this reason G7 Renewable Energies developed the Environmental Pre-feasibility Assessment Tool (EPAT) with the goal to resemble the outcome of a South African EIA in an early stage of wind project development. This study aims to extend EPAT with the categories Birds and Ecology, both important subjects in EIA processes. The tool is partly based on a Geographical Information System Tool (GIST) for detailed barriers and project layouts. South African avifaunal and ecological spatial data is collected and implemented in this part of EPAT. To complete EPAT, the Microsoft Excel based Detailed Site Evaluation Tool (DSET) is designed for the impact assessment of different impact categories via impact features. Legislation and guidelines applied in EIA reports were the basis for the design of impact features in DSET. The bird category is strong in observations of bird species vulnerable for wind energy development. Ecology shows a strong point in indicating drainage lines as sensitive areas despite the limited data available. Comparison of EPAT with existing EIA reports of five proposed South African wind energy development projects points out that EPAT categories Birds and Ecology are reliable in resembling EIA reports. Even though the results are good, it is recommended to apply EPAT only in combination with a site visit by an expert to check and compare the outcomes with the on-site situation as an independent validation. The quality of EPAT would benefit with the availability of more avifaunal and ecological data. With the extension of the categories Birds and Ecology EPAT becomes a complete tool covering all major subjects considered in EIAs that assists in strategic decisions on prioritizing wind energy projects. | |
