Class Application (Basic Assessments) for the proposed Eskom Holdings SOC Limited Pongola-Candover
second 132 kV power line and the Golela 132 kV power line tee line and Golela substation and upgrade
of associated infrastructure
BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT
NEAS Ref: DEA/EIA/0000892/2011 and DEA Ref: 12/12/20/2623
February 2012
Purpose of this document
This document provides
background information on the
proposed project, the
environment, affected
properties and details of the
environmental processes that
are required.
The purpose of the document is
to assist people to:
 Determine if they have an
interest in the project and/or if
they could potentially be
affected;
 Make initial comments on and
contributions to the proposed
project; and
 Register as interested and
affected parties (I&APs) to be
kept informed about future
opportunities to participate.
Comments may be submitted at
any time during the Basic
Assessment process.
You are urged to submit
comments to ensure that your
issues and concerns are
considered and addressed
appropriately. Complete and
return the enclosed response
sheet, write a letter, send a fax
or email, or call the public
participation office.
Public Participation Office
Andre Joubert and
Patiswa Mnqokoyi
PO Box 6002, Halfway House,
1685
Tel: 011 207 2077 / 2074
Fax: 086 676 9950
Email: andrej@zitholele.co.za or
patiswam@zitholele.co.za
Environmental Assessment
Practitioner
Warren Kok
PO Box 6002, Halfway House,
1685
Tel: 011 207 2073
Fax: 086 676 9950
Email: warrenk@zitholele.co.za
BACKGROUND
Eskom Holdings State Owned Company Limited (Eskom) is the South African utility that
generates, transmits and distributes electricity. Eskom supplies about 95% of the country's
electricity and about 60% of the total electricity consumed in Africa. Eskom plays a major
role in accelerating growth in the South African economy by providing a high-quality supply
of electricity.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
With the construction of three proposed
new 132 kV substations (Ndumo, Gezisa and
Mbazwana) for the supply of the greater
Makhathini area in northern KwaZulu-Natal,
the existing Pongola-Candover 132kV line
will be overloaded by 2013.
Should this line be out of service for
whatever reason, then the Makhathini,
Gezisa, Ndumo and Nondabuya loads will be
shed resulting in an inevitable loss of power
supply in the greater Makhatini area and an
unacceptable service to customers.
A second 132kV line from Pongola to
Candover therefore needs to be constructed
to enhance security of supply for the
Makhatini substations of Ndumo, Gezisa and
Mbazwana in northern KwaZulu-Natal. In
order to accommodate a second PongolaCandover 132kV line, modifications to the
existing Pongola 132/22kV substation and
the end point, the existing Candover
switching station, will have to be
undertaken.
A second 132kV power line and substation
is also required to tee-off the existing
Mkuze-Pongola 132kV power line (also
called Mkuze-Pongola line 1). This
proposed substation will be constructed
close to the turn-off from the N2 to the
road leading to Golela and Swaziland. This
substation will accommodate the electrical
load for developments within the vicinity
of the border post.
As the two projects are in close proximity
their environmental impact assessment is
being dealt with simultaneously.
The area is very hilly and mountainous with
bushveld which imposes access constraints
and difficulties associated with identifying
alternative power line corridors. Game
farms, a game reserve and some sugar
cane are the predominant land uses.
DETAILS OF THE PROJECT
A class application basic assessment process
will be followed. This means that one
integral basic assessment will be done for
both projects and two separate reports will
be submitted to the competent authority,
the Department of Environmental Affairs.
The first assessment is for the proposed
second Pongola-Candover 132kv power line
and associated modifications to the existing
Pongola substation and Candover switching
station.
A 36 metre wide power line corridor for this
second 132kV power line from the existing
Pongola substation to the existing Candover
Switching Station must be located. The
estimated length of the power line will be
approximately 50km long.
Eskom has a vacant power line servitude
parallel to the existing 132kV power line
between Candover Switching Station and
Pongola Substation which will constitute one
of the corridor alternatives for assessment.
Modifications to the existing Pongola
Substation and Candover Switching Station
must be done to accommodate the second
Pongola-Candover 132kV line.
The second assessment is for the loop-in
and loop-out 132kv power lines from the
existing Pongola-Candover 132kv (also
called Mkuze-Pongola line 1) power line to
the proposed Golela substation and
finding the best location for this
substation.
This proposed new 132/22kV substation
will be located about 1 km north-east of
the intersection of the N2 and the
secondary road to the Golela border post.
Corridors of about 500 metre wide will be
investigated in which to locate the 36m
wide servitudes for the two approximately
15 km long loop-in and loop-out lines to
run from the existing Mkuze-Pongola
132kV line (Mkuze-Pongola Line 1) at two
points to the proposed Golela Substation.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
The proposed Golela 132/22kV stepdown substation will
have a footprint of roughly 100 x 100m. The associated
infrastructure to be constructed will include:
• Perimeter Fence: The perimeter of the site will be fenced
to ensure the safety of the site and the surrounding
people and animals.
• Terracing and foundations: The site will be terraced if
needed and foundations will be constructed in line with
substation foundation requirements.
• Circuit breakers: For disconnection under no-load
condition for safety, isolation and maintenance.
 5 feeder bays for a potential 5 X 22kV woodpole power
lines to exit the substation will be constructed
The proposed 132kV power line will have self-supporting and
guyed suspension and strain towers which require a 36m
wide servitude - 18 metres either side of the centre line. The
towers will be on average 20m high.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS - NEMA
The proposed projects require a Basic Assessment (BA) in terms
of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), No
107 of 1998 and the new EIA regulations (Government Notice
R.543 to 546, published in June 2010). The Department of
Environmental Affairs (DEA) is the Competent Authority.
A full Environmental Impact Assessment is applicable to all
projects likely to have significant environmental impacts due to
their nature or extent, activities associated with potentially high
levels of environmental degradation, or activities for which the
impacts cannot be easily predicted. In comparison a BA is
required for projects with less significant impacts or impacts
that can easily be mitigated. The difference between the
processes relates to the nature of the proposed development in
terms of its potential impact on the environment, and this is
reflected in the level of detail that information is collected in as
well as the level of interaction with Interested and Affected
Parties (I&APs).

Activity 26: Any process or activity identified in terms of
Section 53(1) of the National Environmental Management:
Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act 10 of 2004).
This activity will only apply if the area where the substation will
be located is within a sensitive area identified by the Act.
In terms of Regulation Government Notice R. 546, Listing Notice
3 of 2010, the following listed activities are applicable:

Activity 3: The construction of masts or towers of any
material or type used for telecommunication broadcasting
or radio transmission purposes where the mast:
(a) Is to be placed on a site previously not used for this
purpose and;
(b) Will exceed 15 metres in height but excluding
attachments to existing buildings and masts on
rooftops.
In terms of Regulation 543 - 546 gazetted in terms of Section 24
of the NEMA, 1998, Eskom requires a BA process to be
conducted for this proposed project.
This activity applies to towers for Eskom telecommunication
which may have to be constructed at the substation areas.
Towers will likely be in excess of 15 metres depending on the
location of the substation and surrounding areas.
In terms of Regulation Government Notice R. 544, Listing Notice
1 of 2010, the following listed activities are applicable:


This activity applies to the construction of access roads 6
metres or more wide for the construction and maintenance of
the proposed power line and substation within sensitive areas.
Activity 10: The construction of facilities or infrastructure
for the transmission and distribution of electricity:
(i) Outside urban areas or industrial complexes with a
capacity of more than 33 but less than 275 kilovolts.
Activity 4: The construction of a road wider than 4 metres
with a reserve less than 13,5 metres.
Several specialist
assessments will be
conducted as part of the Basic
Assessment. Amongst other
an Avifauna study will be
conducted to identify breeding
areas, foraging areas, and
sensitive habitats for bird
species sensitive to power line
construction and operation.
This activity applies to any construction work for the substation
or power lines.

Activity 11: The construction of:
(xi) Infrastructure or structures covering 50 square metres
or more which may occur in a watercourse or 32 metres of
a watercourse/wetland, where unavoidable.
This activity applies to construction of any infrastructure for the
project covering 50 square metres or more within or 32m from
a watercourse.

Activity 22: The construction of a road, outside urban
areas:
(i) With a reserve wider than 13.5 metres; or
(ii) Where no reserve exists where the road is wider than 8
metres.
This activity applies to any construction of access roads to get
machinery or equipment to the pylons, where the
abovementioned thresholds apply within non sensitive areas.
The surface water features over
the entire study area (including
wetlands, perennial and nonperennial rivers, pans and dams)
will be identified and mapped.
Vegetation and Animal life
over the extent of the study
area will be assessed.
In addition to the avifauna, ecology and surface water
studies, the team proposes to undertake a soil and
land capability assessment, heritage investigation,
geological and geotechnical assessment and an
investigation into the topography as well as the
current land use.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS – BASIC ASSESSMENT
A Basic Assessment (BA) is used to obtain an objective view of
the potential environmental and social impacts that could
arise during the investigation, construction and operation of
a proposed project. A critical element of the BA is the public
participation process that gives interested and affected
parties (I&APs) an opportunity to provide comments on a
proposed development.
The information contained in the Basic Assessment Report
(BAR) must provide the competent authority with adequate
information for informed decision-making. The BAR, which is
the final stage of investigation and recommendation, must:

Identify the potential impacts of the proposed
development;

Record the issues, concerns and suggestions raised by
I&APs; and;

Outline the measures to be taken to avoid or reduce
negative impacts and enhance positive impacts.
The Basic Assessment process has a technical and a public
participation component which run parallel to each other.
Technical component
The Technical component is divided into two phases: The
Inception Phase; and the Basic Assessment and Investigation
Phase.
Inception Phase
In the Inception Phase a Basic Assessment Application form is
submitted to the relevant authority, the Department of
Environmental Affairs (DEA) to confirm whether the technical
and public participation processes and measures suggested,
are in accordance with its requirements.
During this phase the proposed alternative sites for the
substation and the alternative routes for the power lines are
screened for potential environmental and social impacts. As
part of the process to refine the recommendation a field
inspection of the sites is undertaken together with
independent specialists.
Basic Assessment and Investigation Phase
Once the Inception Phase has been concluded the terms of
reference for specialist studies will be confirmed and
investigations will continue. It is envisaged at present that the
following studies will be undertaken: visual, avi-fauna,
biodiversity (fauna, ecological, wetland, botanical) and a
heritage impact assessment.
The findings of these studies, together with input from the
public participation process will be incorporated into the
BAR, which is the outcome of this phase. A Draft BAR will be
available for public comment before the document is
finalised and submitted to the DEA.
Public participation component
As an important element in undertaking the BA for the
proposed project, Zitholele Consulting will also conduct the
public participation. This component will enable stakeholders
to influence the course of the investigations and to review
the findings of the independent studies that are to be
undertaken. The steps of the public participation component
are outlined below.
The following activities will be implemented to achieve the
aforementioned objectives:
 Advertising - public notice in regional and local
newspapers;





Placement of site notice boards around the sites being
investigated;
Supplying adjacent landowners with this Background
Information Document (BID);
Contacting stakeholders and notifying them of the
process;
Documenting stakeholder correspondence within the
Draft BAR that will be made available for public review;
and
Notifying stakeholders when the Environmental
Authorisation is issued.
Basic Assessment Reports
The Draft Basic Assessment Report (BAR), together with a Draft Environmental Management Programme (EMP) will be made
available for comment for a period of four weeks. Interested and affected parties (I&APS) will be notified of the public comment
period in advance. The Final Basic Assessment Report will be prepared, incorporating all additional inputs received during the public
comment period. This final report will then be submitted to the DEA for authorisation.
Final notification from authorities
Once the relevant authority, the DEA, has issued the Environmental Authorisation, I&APs will be notified of the decision and what
procedure to follow should they wish to appeal the Environmental Authorisation.