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RED CAP ENERGYNUWEVELD EAST WIND FARMTRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENTReport prepared for:Report prepared by:Red Cap Energy (Pty) LtdofUnit B2, Mainstream Centre,Main Road,Hout Bay7806Athol Schwarzof45 Raven St,West Beach,Table View7441Phone: 27 (0) 21 790 1392Mobile: 27 (0) 82 777 1961Email: Lance@red-cap.co.zaEmail: schwarzathol@gmail.comScoping Report (Rev 2) – 18th September 2020
CONTENTTopicPage1EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 12PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS . 23ABBREVIATIONS . 44GLOSSARY . 45INTRODUCTION . 45.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE . 45.2 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES. 55.2.1 Scope . 55.2.2 Objectives . 55.3 LEGISLATION AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS . 65.3.1 Roads . 65.3.2 Vehicle Dimensions . 75.3.3 Vehicle Loads . 75.3.4 Abnormal Loads . 85.4 METHODOLOGY . 85.5 ASSUMPTIONS . 95.6 LIMITATIONS . 95.7 SOURCE OF INFORMATION. 106DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT . 116.1 ROAD NETWORK . 116.1.1 N1 National Road . 116.1.2 N12 National Roads . 126.2 SITE ACCESS. 166.3 TRANSPORTATION ROUTES . 206.3.1 Commuter Routes . 206.3.2 Freight Routes . 216.4 EXISTING WIND FARMS . 236.5 FUTURE WIND FARMS . 236.5.1 Nuweveld North Wind Farm . 246.5.2 Nuweveld West Wind Farm . 246.5.3 Nuweveld Grid Connection . 247TRAFFIC VOLUMES . 247.1 STATUS QUO . 247.1.1 Road Classification . 247.1.2 Counting Stations . 257.1.3 Baseline Traffic Volumes . 347.2 CONSTRUCTION PHASE . 347.2.1 Peak Traffic . 357.2.2 Diurnal Traffic . 377.3 OPERATIONAL PHASE . 437.3.1 Peak Traffic . 437.3.2 Diurnal Traffic . 437.4 DECOMMISSIONING PHASE . 448ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS . 448.1 CONSTRUCTION PHASE . 448.2 OPERATIONAL PHASE . 478.3 DECOMMISSIONING PHASE . 489ASSESSMENT OF CUMULATIVE IMPACTS . 489.1 CONSTRUCTION PHASE . 499.2 OPERATIONAL PHASE . 509.3 DECOMMISSIONING PHASE . 5110RISKS AND IMPACTS . 5110.1 RISKS. 5210.1.1 Traffic Volumes . 5210.1.2 Road Condition . 5210.1.3 Reduced Visibility . 5310.1.4 Pedestrians and Animals . 5310.2 IMPACTS . 5310.2.1 Construction Phase. 5310.2.2 Operational Phase . 5610.2.3 Decommissioning Phase . 57
10.2.4 Cumulative Impacts . 5810.2.5 No-go Alternative . 6210.2.6 Impact Summary . 6211CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 6211.1 CONCLUSION . 6311.2 RECOMMENDATIONS . 6612APPENDICES . 67APPENDIX 1 - DECLARATION . 68APPENDIX 2 - NEMA REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIALIST REPORTS . 69APPENDIX 3 - CURRICULUM VITAE . 70LIST OF TABLESPageTable 1 - Synopsis of Project Specifications . 2Table 2 - List of Abbreviations . 4Table 3 - Definitions . 4Table 4 - R381 Road Details . 13Table 5 - Distance to Surrounding Towns . 20Table 6 - Possible Commuter Route Details . 21Table 7 - Possible Freight Route Details . 21Table 8 - Household Demographics . 36Table 9 - Construction Phase – Peak Traffic . 37Table 10 - Construction Phase – Diurnal Traffic . 42Table 11 - Operational Phase – Peak Traffic . 43Table 12 - Operational Phase – Diurnal Traffic . 44Table 13 - Construction Phase – Traffic Volumes . 45Table 14 - Construction Phase - Traffic Assessment . 45Table 15 - Operational Phase – Traffic Volumes . 47Table 16 - Operational Phase - Traffic Assessment . 47Table 17 - Cumulative Peak Constructional Phase - Traffic Volume . 49Table 18 - Cumulative Constructional Phase - Traffic Assessment . 49Table 19 - Cumulated Operational Phase – Traffic Volumes . 50Table 20 - Cumulative Operational Phase – Traffic Assessment . 51Table 21 - Construction Phase - Increased Road Incidents . 54Table 22 - Construction Phase - Road Degradation . 54Table 23 - Construction Phase - Dust . 55Table 24 - Construction Phase – Intersection Safety . 56Table 25 - Operational Phase – Intersection Safety . 57Table 26 - Cumulative Impact - Increased Road Incidents . 59Table 27 - Cumulative Impact – Road Degradation . 59Table 28 - Cumulative Impact - Dust . 60Table 29 - Cumulative Impact – Intersection Safety . 61Table 30 - Impact Summary . 62LIST OF FIGURESPageFigure 1 - Nuweveld East Wind Farm Site . 5Figure 2 - Road Network. 11Figure 3 - N1 (East of Beaufort West) . 12Figure 4 - N12 (South of Victoria West). 12Figure 5 - R63 (East of Loxton . 13Figure 6 - Paved Section of R381 . 14Figure 7 - Unpaved Section of R381 . 14Figure 8 - De Jager's Pass on DR02311 . 15Figure 9 - DR02317 . 15Figure 10 - DR02317 8 km from R381 . 16Figure 11 - DR02317 22 km from R381 . 16Figure 12 - Potential WTG Layout . 16Figure 13 - Potential WTG Units Accessed from the R381 . 17Figure 14 - Southern Entrance . 17Figure 15 - Potential WTG Units Accessed from the DR02317 . 17Figure 16 - Existing Entrance 1 . 18
Figure 17 - Existing Entrance 2 . 18Figure 18 - Location of Entrance 3 . 18Figure 19 - Existing Entrance 4 . 19Figure 20 - Existing Entrance 5 . 19Figure 21 - Existing Entrance at Access Point 6 . 20Figure 22 - Surrounding Towns . 20Figure 23 - Potential By-Pass North of Beaufort West . 22Figure 24 - Existing Wind Energy Facility . 23Figure 25 - Future Wind Farms and Grid Connection . 24Figure 26 - Road Classification . 25Figure 27 - Counting Station . 26Figure 28 - Traffic Distribution on the N1 at Counting Station 2146 . 26Figure 29 - Traffic Distribution on the R381 at Counting Station 2146 . 27Figure 30 - Traffic Distribution on the R381 at Counting Station 2147 . 27Figure 31 - Traffic Distribution on the R381 at Counting Station 2148 . 28Figure 32 - Traffic Distribution on the DR02317 at Counting Station 2148 . 28Figure 33 - Traffic Distribution on the R381 at Counting Station 2149 . 28Figure 34 - Traffic Distribution on the R381 at Counting Station 2150 . 29Figure 35 - Traffic Distribution on the N1 at Counting Station 2758 . 29Figure 36 - Traffic Distribution on the DR02311 at Counting Station 2158 . 30Figure 37 - Traffic Distribution on the DR02311 at Counting Station 2759 . 30Figure 38 - Traffic Distribution on the DR02317 at Counting Station 2759 . 30Figure 39 - Traffic Distribution on the DR02317 at Counting Station 2764 . 31Figure 40 - Traffic Distribution on the N1 at Counting Station 2765 . 31Figure 41 - Traffic Distribution on the DR02317 at Counting Station 2765 . 32Figure 42 - Traffic Distribution on the N1 at Counting Station 2781 . 32Figure 43 - Traffic Distribution on the N12 at Counting Station 19350 . 33Figure 44 - Traffic Distribution on the R63 at Counting Station M13521 . 33Figure 45 - Baseline AADT . 34Figure 46 - Bulk Cement Tanker and Pup . 40Figure 47 - Articulated Rear Tipper . 40Figure 48 - Transportation of Turbine Blade . 41Figure 49 - Transportation of Nacelle . 41Figure 50 - Concrete Transportation Routes on the DR02317. 46
Document ControlRevisionDateDescriptionAuthorRev 022nd Mar 2020Issued for useAthol SchwarzRev 126th Jun 2020Revised report to include the effect of theBattery Storage Facility on each of theWind Farms.Athol SchwarzRev 218th Sep 2020Report amended to reflect reduced numberof WTG and revised boundary layout.Athol SchwarzDISCLAIMERThis report has been prepared for the exclusive use and benefit of Red Cap Energy (Pty) Ltd (the “Client”) aspart of an Agreement and subjected to the following disclaimer:This report (including any enclosures and attachments) may be used by the Client within the framework of theAgreement and shall not be used by any other party nor for any other purpose without the written consent ofthe Author. The Client indemnifies the Author against any liability, loss, damage, or cost howsoever arising,including by way of a third-party claim, from a breach of this undertaking by the Client. The findings,conclusions and opinions of the author are based on the scope of the Agreement between the Author and theClient. Portions of the Reports may be of a privileged and confidential nature relating to the Agreement. TheAuthor accepts no responsibility for damages, if any, suffered by any third party as a result of decisions madeor actions based on the Reports. While it is believed that the information contained in the Report is reliableunder the conditions and subject to the limitations outlined in the Agreements, the Report will be based in parton information not within the control of the Author and the Author, therefore, cannot and does not guaranteeits accuracy. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the analyses contained in the Reports will be developed frominformation provided by the Client. The Author will not audit such information and the Author makes norepresentations as to the validity or accuracy thereof. The comments in the Reports will reflect the Author’sbest judgement in light of the information available at the time of preparation. The Author will have conductedan investigation required in terms of the aforementioned scope of the Agreements.While all professional care has been undertaken in preparation of this Report, the Author accepts no liabilityfor loss or damages incurred as a result of reliance placed upon its content.
1EXECUTIVE SUMMARYRed Cap Energy (Pty) Ltd is proposing to develop three Wind Farms and associatedGrid Connection (shared infrastructure between the three wind farms), north ofBeaufort West within the Central Karoo District Municipality of the Western Cape.The proposed wind farms are, the Nuweveld North Wind Farm, the Nuweveld EastWind Farm and the Nuweveld West Wind Farm and are collectively referred to as theNuweveld Wind Farms.This Traffic Impact Assessment has been produced as part of an iterative designprocess being undertaken for this project. As part of this process, various design andlayout options have been considered, assessed and further refined to ensureadherence to the environmental and technical constraints present on site. Previousprocesses include a Screening Phase and a Pre-Application Scoping Phase whichincluded the production and distribution of a Pre-application Scoping Report.Specialist recommendations made to further refine the design and layout of theproject were included in the Pre-application Scoping Report. The refined design andlayout that resulted from the Pre-App Scoping Phase is what has been assessed inthis report and the findings of this report will inform that outcomes of the ScopingPhase of this project.As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, a Traffic ImpactAssessment for each of the wind farms developments and grid connection is to beprovided. This Traffic Impact Assessment is for Nuweveld East Wind Farm, hereafterreferred to as ‘the development'. Based on the latest available information, thedevelopment will consist of up to a maximum of thirty-five wind turbine generatorunits, the generating capacity of which is still undefined as the appointment of theturbine supplier has not been finalised.This Traffic Impact Assessment was undertaken by Mr A. Schwarz, by following therelevant guidelines, to provide a technical appraisal of the traffic impact of thedevelopment on the existing road network, during the construction, operation anddecommissioning phases of the development. A site visit was conducted inSeptember 2019 and together with traffic count data forms the basis of thisassessment.The proposed transportation access routes that are to be used for the transportationof equipment and material, including abnormal loads, for this development, are onnational roads and are well-established transportation routes.Traffic generation estimates used in this assessment is based on the experience ofsimilar projects. The worst-case scenario for the cumulative impact has beenadopted, which assumes all three of the wind farms are constructed simultaneously,over a period of two-years. The most significant increase in traffic will result from thedaily commuting of personnel, to and from the site during peak traffic. The projectedincrease in traffic on the R381 is less than fifty vehicles per hour, the threshold asstipulated in the South African Traffic Impact and Site Traffic Assessment Manual(2012).There will be a notable increase in traffic volumes on the road network during theconstruction phase of this development, and less conspicuous during the operationalphase. This report has assessed the impact of the additional traffic on thesurrounding road network and found that the existing road network is currentlyoperating at well below its capacity and provides an adequate level of service. Theincrease in traffic volumes will lead to greater wear and tear especially during theconstruction phase of the development but will not have an undue detrimental impactNUWEVELD EAST WIND FARM - TIA (Rev 2)Page 1
on the structural integrity of the roads within the study area. Due to budgetaryconstraints within various spheres of government, nominal maintenance isundertaken on the road network. To this end, it is strongly suggested that thedeveloper contributes towards the ongoing maintenance of the road networkassociated with the various phases of the development.In addition, there are several gravel sections on the R381, through mountain passes,which are extremely treacherous and pose a potential risk to road users transportingstaff to and from the site. These areas, with the approval of the local road authorities,will have to be addressed by the developer.The current vertical alignment of the DR02317 is not conducive to the movement ofabnormal vehicles that will deliver the WTG components. The developer hascommitted to upgrading this road in order to satisfy the transportation requirements.Special attention will be required at the gravel drifts that could become flooded andprevent movement of traffic on this road during the rainy season.It should be noted that it is not possible to determine the expected traffic volumes thatwill be generated during the decommissioning phase. It can, however, be expectedthat these volumes will be lower than during the construction phase. As part of thedecommissioning process, a separate traffic impact assessment should beundertaken since many of the characteristics related to the traffic impact assessment,i.e. access routes, road geometry, traffic volumes, etc. would have changed over theoperational life of the development.A range of management and mitigation strategies are identified for implementationduring the construction and operation phases of the development to minimise trafficimpacts, reduce community disruption and the risk of traffic incidents.Thus, from a traffic and transportation perspective, there are no constraints or notableimpacts that would jeopardise the implementation of this development.2PROJECT SPECIFICATIONSA synopsis of the project specification for Nuweveld East Wind Farm are provided inTable 1.Table 1 - Synopsis of Project Wind TurbinesTurbineFoundationsSpecifications & Footprint areasEstimatedCombinedFootprint (ha)Approximately 65km north of Beaufort West and approximately 30kmsouth of Loxton along the R381. Land use of the site and surroundingproperties comprise of low density livestock farming (grazing). TotalWind farm area is 10357ha38 potential turbine locations asses
NUWEVELD EAST WIND FARM - TIA (Rev 2) Page 1 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Red Cap Energy (Pty) Ltd is proposing to develop three Wind Farms and associated Grid Connection (shared infrastructure between the three wind farms), north of
