EIA_FFC_WPP
Transcript of EIA_FFC_WPP
FAUJI FERTILIZER COMPANY LIMITED (FFC), PAKISTAN
50 MW FFC WIND POWER PLANT JHIMPIR, PAKISTAN
Environmental Impact Assessment
- Revision 04 -
TD-06-401-2 January 2008
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Client: Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited
93 Harley Street Rawalpindi Pakistan
Consultant: Lahmeyer International GmbH
Friedberger Straße 173 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany
in cooperation with
IPEK energy GmbH Marktplatz 4 D - 48431 Rheine
Authors: Dipl.-Ing. Manfred Gose
Dipl.-Ing. Matthias Drosch Dipl.-Ing. Osman Ipek Errol Schulz (B.Sc / B.Com) Dipl.-Ing. Michael Friedrich Dipl.-Ing. Frank Möckel Dr.-Ing. Patric Kleineidam Dipl.-Ing. Jens Kieckbusch Jonas Lutz
Checked by: Manfred Gose Status: Revision 04 Date: 21 January 2008
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................6 0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................8
0.1 Introduction of FAUJI FERTILIZER COMPANY LIMITED (FFC) .......................... 8 0.1.1 Commitment to Safety.................................................................................... 10 0.1.2 Human Resource Development ..................................................................... 11 0.1.3 Technology Division ....................................................................................... 11 0.1.4 Quality Management System ......................................................................... 12 0.1.5 Environmental Protection ............................................................................... 12 0.1.6 Technology Licensors’ Support...................................................................... 12 0.1.7 Inventory Management System ..................................................................... 13 0.1.8 Maintenance and Inspection Teams .............................................................. 13 0.1.9 Workshop Facilities ........................................................................................ 13 0.1.10 International Seminars ................................................................................... 13 0.1.11 Current Projects ............................................................................................. 13 0.1.12 Wind Power Project........................................................................................ 13
0.2 Introduction of Lahmeyer International GmbH ....................................................... 15 0.2.1 General Introduction....................................................................................... 15 0.2.2 Experts and Certification ................................................................................ 15 0.2.3 Projects world wide ........................................................................................ 16 0.2.4 Fields of Activities .......................................................................................... 17 0.2.5 Renewable Energies Departments ................................................................ 17 0.2.6 Renewable Energies – Wind Energy: Our services ....................................... 18
1 Site Description and Conditions......................................................................................19 1.1 Site Description...................................................................................................... 19 1.2 Ground and Soil Conditions ................................................................................... 24 1.3 Earthquakes........................................................................................................... 25
2 Environmental and Social Impact ...................................................................................26 2.1 Environmental Impact Assessment........................................................................ 26
2.1.1 Loss of Habitat: .............................................................................................. 26 2.1.2 Impact over flora and fauna: .......................................................................... 27 2.1.3 Impact on birds............................................................................................... 28 2.1.4 Impact over marine life or water reservoirs .................................................... 31 2.1.5 Waste Disposal .............................................................................................. 32 2.1.6 Water Use and Quality ................................................................................... 32 2.1.7 Air Quality....................................................................................................... 32 2.1.8 Impact over telecommunication sector........................................................... 32 2.1.9 Impact over industrial sector .......................................................................... 33 2.1.10 Noise Impact .................................................................................................. 33 2.1.11 Shadow Impact .............................................................................................. 35 2.1.12 Visual impact.................................................................................................. 36
2.2 Social Impact ......................................................................................................... 36 2.2.1 Land Ownership and Resettlement Actions ................................................... 36
2.3 Socioeconomic Environment ................................................................................. 37 2.3.1 Archaeological Sites....................................................................................... 37 2.3.2 Resettlement .................................................................................................. 37 2.3.3 Aviation Hazard.............................................................................................. 38 2.3.4 Traffic Management ....................................................................................... 39
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2.3.5 Labour Welfare and Safety ............................................................................ 40 3 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................41 Annexes:
Annex A: Noise and Shadow Assessment Annex B: Visualisation Annex C: Geotechnical Investigation Report Annex D: Topographic Map
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List of Abbreviations
a .......... annum, year a.g.l. .... above ground level a.s.l. ..... above sea level AEDB... Alternative Energy Development
Board bbl ........ Barrel BEF...... Baseline Emission Factor CDM..... Clean Development Mechanism CER ..... Certified Emission Reduction DOE..... Designated Operational Entity ECA .... Export Credit Agency EMD..... Energy- og Miljǿdata FFC...... Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd. GEF ..... Global Environment Facility GHG..... Greenhouse Gas GoP...... Government of Pakistan GoS...... Government of Sindh ICS....... Interconnected System IEC....... International Electrotechnical
Commission IPP....... Independent Power Producer KESC... Karachi Electricity Supply
Corporation KLIMM . Klima Model Mainz (Climatic Model
Mainz) kW........ kilo Watt kWh...... kilo Watt Hours LDC...... Load Duration Curve LI.......... Lahmeyer International MCM .... Million Cubic Meter MCP..... Measure-Correlate-Predict
MW ...... Mega Watt MWh .... Mega Watt Hours NCEP….U.S. National Center for
Environmental Prediction NCAR…National Center for Atmospheric
Research NTDC... National Transmission and Dispatch
Company O&M .... Operation and Maintenance PC........ Project Company PDD..... Project Design Document PDF ..... Probability Distribution Function PEC ..... Public Electricity Corporation PM ....... Project Manager PMD..... Pakistan Meteorological Department PoE...... Probability of Exceedance QA ....... Quality Assurance Risø ..... Risø National Laboratory, Denmark RMS..... Root Mean Square SRTM .. Shuttle Radar Topographical Mission S/S....... Substation TJ......... Tera Joule WAPDA Water and Power Development
Authority of Pakistan WAsP... Wind Atlas Analysis and Application
Program WEC .... Wind Energy Converter (same as
WTG) WF....... Wind farm WTG .... Wind Turbine Generator (same as
WEC)
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Executive Summary As Pakistan moves toward rapid economic development, energy scarcity is becoming a critical barrier that could threaten the development process. The existing power deficit is 2,500MW which is expected to reach 5,500 MW by 2010. Power, the backbone of any development activity in the country, is provided by conventional and non-conventional sources. The continuous use of fossil fuels is not only depleting reserves but also causing serious environmental concerns and creating alarming circumstances for the future. To avoid such situation, more power from non-conventional sources is required. Wind is one non-conventional energy source that provides one of the most promising alternatives for generation of grid quality power. The wind power program in Pakistan was initiated around five years back by installation of Wind Measuring Stations in the costal areas of Sindh, Pakistan. The energy potential of 346,000 MW in the country is estimated by NREL, USA and only the Gharo – Ketibander Wind Corridor has a potential of 43,000 MW of Wind energy.
Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), one of the largest companies in Pakistan, is entering the wind energy market by developing a 50 MW wind farm. FFC has obtained various certification including Quality Management System (ISO-9001:2000), Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2004) and Occupational Health & Safety Management System OHSAS 18001:1999.
FFC has engaged world leading consultant firm Lahmeyer International, Germany (LI) as the project consultant for elaborating the feasibility study including EIA, supervising the wind measurements and preparing conceptual design of FFC wind farm. LI is an ISO 9001-2000 certified independent company of consulting engineers with over 40 years experience.
The environmental aspects of the project site at Jhimpir are takes into consideration within this study report. The investigations show that there will be No impact on the flora & fauna of the area since there is no established grazing land, national parks, protected wild life zones or bird sanctuary present near the wind farm.
The site has also been examined from Noise, Shadow Flickering and Visualisation impact angle. Detailed calculations have been performed according to guidelines of ISO 9612-2 and stringent German Standards. The results show that there would be no adverse impact of Noise, Shadow Flickering and visualization on the Jhimpir dwellings. The land is also free from resettlement issues since it is the property of Government of Sindh who provided it to AEDB for wind power generation and AEDB has allocated the land to FFC.
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Since the wind farm requires no fossil fuel in the entire project life cycle for its operation, it will be a 100% Green Power Generation Plant without emitting a single gram of Green House Gases. Further no environmentally dangerous liquid / solid waste will be produced by the wind farm. So the wind farm will not be polluting the environment of the surroundings and hence will not have any adverse impact on the air or water of the area. The other issues during equipment transportation and plant construction are of minute and temporary nature and will not cause any environmental concern. However, FFC, with its vast experience in controlling environmental issues, will ensure through its contractors that it will be minimised for the extent possible. In view of above, it is concluded that development of FFC Wind Power Project in Jhimpir will have no adverse environmental impact and the project can be regarded as an Environmental Friendly Green Project.
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0 Introduction The Government of Pakistan has clearly articulated its support for the development of renewable energies. Due to the fact that the use of wind energy is actually the most economical one among the renewable energy production techniques, the focus is on supporting the development of wind farms.
Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), one of the largest companies in Pakistan, is entering the wind energy market by developing a 50 MW wind farm. To prove the feasibility of the chosen site, FFC has engaged Lahmeyer International (LI) as Consultant. LI is elaborating the feasibility study, supervising the wind measurements initiated by FFC and preparing conceptual design of wind farm.
Within the range of this report, the environmental aspects of the Jhimpir project site are updated and elaborated. One main outcome of the study is the result that FFC Wind Power Project has no adverse impact on the environmental and social life of Jhimpir, Sindh. Instead it will be utilizing the wind potential of that unutilized barren land for electricity generation through renewable resources, thus helping in improving the environment.
0.1 Introduction of FAUJI FERTILIZER COMPANY LIMITED (FFC) Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC) is the largest fertilizer producer in Pakistan with around 60% urea market share in the country.
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FFC was established in 1978 as a joint venture between Fauji Foundation, Pakistan and Haldor Topsoe A/S, Denmark. The first ammonia - urea complex was commissioned in 1982. Since then, the company’s growth has been phenomenal, with de-bottlenecking of Plant-1 in 1992, establishment of a 2nd plant in 1993 and acquisition of a 3rd plant is 2002. FFC now has three plants with a combined nameplate capacity of 5770 MTPD of prilled urea. Urea and Ammonia technology licensors for all plants are Snamprogetti Italy and Haldor Topsoe Denmark respectively.
Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Limited, Karachi, Pakistan (FFBL) is another company where FFC has controlling shares – it produces 1670 MTPD of granular urea plus 1350 MTPD DAP.
Ammonia and Urea plants capacity factors right from the plants start-up have been 100% or more. Indeed, we have had our share of challenges, but with hard work, determination, and grace of Allah we have successfully overcome many of the hurdles.
Journey of Success
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Year
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Plant-I DBN Plant-I Plant-II FFBL Plant-III
570,000695,000
1,881,000
1,330,000
All figures in metric tons per annum 2,455,000
FFC keeps an effective exchange of information with other plant operators that enables us to take pre-emptive measures to avoid specific contingencies, and solve problems when we encounter them, in an efficient manner.
Today, FFC is also emerging as a player in the spheres of manpower training and turnaround services provider, especially within Pakistan and in the Middle East. We have experience of more than 21 maintenance turnarounds and 23 million man hours of safe operation. We also offer turnaround inspection services including NDT, machinery diagnostics, infrared thermography etc.
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0.1.1 Commitment to Safety Our philosophy is that personnel safety has priority over all business requirements. Our Safety department carries out safety audits and monitors the daily safety performance as well as turnaround safety. Other activities include Safety Talks, Incentive Schemes, Slogans, Housekeeping Trophy best unit of the plant, Fire Drills etc. Awards from National Safety Council, USA
Realizing the emerging needs of safe working conditions, FFC also obtained the certification of Occupational Health & Safety Assessment Series, OHSAS-18001:1999 in December 2003. The company achieved the ever-highest milestone of 23 million man-hours of safe operation without loss time injury in June 2004, which is highly reflective of our safe practices. A number of safety review committees have been formed to review the changes and modifications in process design as well as equipment specifications and plant
layout before implementation.
Graph below shows that there have been only two instances of Lost Time Injury (LTI) – fortunately these were not serious in nature.
Description Number of
Awards Award of Honour 15
First Place Award 5
Second Place Award 4
Award Of Merit 4
Perfect Award 2
Industry Leader Award 2
Outstanding Safety Award 2
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0.1.2 Human Resource Development An ornate technical training centre was established within few years of commissioning of Plant-I. This has proved to be one of the major milestones in ensuring that efficient and highly qualified personnel are always available at the plant. FFC has not only benefited from the establishment of this training institute but has along the way provided training to personnel from a number of other organizations both inside and outside the country. Haldor Topsoe and Snamprogetti have used this as a training ground for the technical personnel of many of their clients. Our clients include Kaltim Fertilizer – Indonesia, Fudao Urea – China, State Oil – Norway, Fertinitro – Venezuela, Jamuna Fertilizer – Bangladesh and also various local petrochemical industries.
0.1.3 Technology Division An important facet of our organization is the existence of an independent Technology Division that besides providing technical support to the running plants also monitors the plant performance by carrying out periodic evaluation of the operations through an elaborate Technical Monitoring Program (TMP) and conducts energy audits. It also prepares predictive maintenance plans. All incidents of production loss are also analyzed identifying the root cause and suggestions to avert similar incidents. Other responsibilities include conceiving new long-term projects such as plant modifications, revamps and modernization and also keeping contact with other fertilizer plants through a ‘Data Exchange Service’.
Technology Division is also responsible for the development of New Projects either at existing plants or grass root projects. These projects are related to our core business or in diversified avenues like Wind Power Project, Cement Manufacturing and Solar Power Plant etc.
Above: Fertilizer complex at Rahimyar Khan, Pakistan with two production lines producing around 4200 metric tons urea fertilizer per day
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0.1.4 Quality Management System Quality management system was put in place in 1996 and FFC acquired certification for International Standard Organization, ISO-9002:1994 in September 1997. The standard was re-designated to ISO-9001:2000 which was acquired in December 2003.
0.1.5 Environmental Protection Sustainability of environment has always been the prime concern of FFC. To improve the quality of urea plant wastewater, FFC undertook the urea hydrolyser project, which helped in bringing the quality of the wastewater within the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) of Pakistan. This is a win-win situation for both the plant management and the environmentalists. FFC is also certified for Environmental standard ISO 14001:1996 since November 2004 which has now been re-designated as ISO-14001:2004 for which certification has also been obtained.
0.1.6 Technology Licensors’ Support FFC has enjoyed very close relations with Snamprogetti, Italy and Haldor Topsoe, Denmark. Their prompt support and technical strength have enabled our plants to serve as model plants for many of the licensors’ clients. We are thankful to both of these trusted friends for their continued support in maintaining FFC as a top-notch company.
Above: Fertilizer complex at Rahimyar Khan, Pakistan
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0.1.7 Inventory Management System One of the most essential tasks to ensure smooth operation of a plant is the availability of spares. The usual manufacturing time for components is quite high and the lead-time for most of the spares is around one year. FFC plant management was aware of this fact and a fully computerized Inventory Management System was developed right at the start, to eliminate chances of shortages of spares.
0.1.8 Maintenance and Inspection Teams Two dedicated maintenance teams were put in place one for Stationary Equipment and the other for Rotating Equipment. To facilitate maintenance activities, thorough turnaround planning is undertaken with detailed procedures developed ensuring that contingencies are well covered and also a lot of effort is spent on preventive maintenance in the form of inspection expertise. This prevents major unplanned shutdowns.
0.1.9 Workshop Facilities We started with a modest setup of workshop, which has been gradually updated to manufacture a large number of spare parts, a variety of heat exchangers and even refurbishment of high-pressure equipment such as Urea Stripper which has helped reclaim expensive equipment and thus saved us millions. This addition has also helped us in self-reliance.
0.1.10 International Seminars FFC has organized and hosted two international seminars on fertilizer technology in September 2003 & November 2006 in view of its vision to provide an international forum for technology developers, licensors, manufacturers and professional, so that they can share experience and expertise in the technology world. Participation and acknowledgment from the big names of Fertilizer Sector around the globe made these seminars a great success for FFC.
0.1.11 Current Projects FFC is actively pursuing de-bottlenecking projects of all three fertilizer complexes and also at FFBL, which will soon result in better productivity of the organization.
0.1.12 Wind Power Project As a part of our vision, FFC intends to diversify its business with a strong commitment in the renewable energy arena. To start with our journey in this avenue, FFC has embarked upon a 50 MW Wind Power Project at Jhimpir, Sindh. FFC has
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engaged services of well known international consultant M/s Lahmeyer International GmbH, Germany for the project. Following is the project brief:
0.1.12.1 Project Development Activities: FFC has worked on fast track basis to complete the initial project development studies within 6 months of land acquiring. Results of the studies are briefly described below:
0.1.12.2 Wind Resource Assessment System: FFC has installed a state of the art IEC complied 80 meter Wind Mast on the site in May 2007. The data is being colleted through 05 calibrated anemometers and 02 wind vanes from different elevations on daily basis through GSM Network. Additionally temperature, pressure & humidity are also recorded.
0.1.12.3 Topographical Survey: A detailed topographical survey of the site has been carried out. Contour map, 3D digital elevation model and high resolution coloured Quickbird satellite imagery of the area is available.
0.1.12.4 Preliminary Geo-Technical Survey: Preliminary Geotechnical investigation of the area has been carried out and detailed report is available. Five 100 mm dia. bore holes were drilled to 40 meter depth.
0.1.12.5 Transportation Study: A transportation study from port to site has been carried out by the consultant. Situated 100 Km from Karachi, the land is approachable by Super Highway. 20 km long access road links the Super highway to the site.
0.1.12.6 Electrical Grid Study: The wind farm will be connected to the main electrical network of Pakistan through a local grid. The responsibility to evacuate power from the wind farm is the responsibility of Power Purchaser i.e. Transmission Line from Grid to Wind Farm will be on part of Power Purchaser. Jhimpir’s 132KV grid station is within two Km from the site. Another 132 KV grid station in Nooriabad is at a distance of only 20 km from the site. Up gradation of existing network at Jhimpir by National Transmission & Dispatch Company is in progress. FFC has conducted a detailed Electrical Grid Studies like load flow, short circuit and stability analysis through a experienced consultant. These studies will be submitted to NTDC for approval.
0.1.12.7 Feasibility Study:
Lahmeyer International, Germany as consultant for FFC wind power project has completed the feasibility study based on the data from Nooriabad mast which shows promising results. The feasibility study report will be updated based upon the actual quotes by the turbine manufacturer / EPC Contractors.
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0.2 Introduction of Lahmeyer International GmbH
0.2.1 General Introduction Lahmeyer International (LI) is an independent company of consulting engineers with over 40 years experience, dedicated to the provision of expertise in planning and engineering services with all associated disciplines, as one of the leading companies world-wide.
The company was established in 1966 emerging from the engineering department of the former Lahmeyer Aktiengesellschaft, founded in 1890 by the engineer Wilhelm Lahmeyer under the name W. Lahmeyer & Co. The founder was a pioneer entrepreneur with great vision for the capabilities in the emerging electrical industry, having designed and constructed power plants, electrical transmission lines and power distribution systems in Germany and in other European countries. Today engineers, natural scientists and economic experts from over 30 disciplines are working together using the state-of-art-technologies in the same tradition of those pioneers.
The company offers and supplies a wide spectrum of independent technical and economic planning and consulting services in the sectors of energy, hydropower and water resources. Our focus is on value engineering and economic efficiency, with the highest priority being given to environmental compatibility, social acceptability and conservation of resources.
0.2.2 Experts and Certification
The most valuable capital of the company is the know-how, experience and commitment of our experts, in addition to the strong reputation that we enjoy through the world, as well as our quality management, which has been certified with the DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 since 2003.
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Representatives in 50 Countries
0.2.3 Projects world wide
LI is recognised as an independent firm of consultants by all major international institutions such as World Bank, European banks, Asian Development Bank and other regional development banks, United Nations (FAO, WHO, UNDP, etc.), Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) and other national development funds.
Continuously, LI ranks in the top 15 international design consultants headquartered outside the US, and among the top 40 international designers working abroad.
Furthermore, LI disposes of well established relations to a number of power utilities within Germany, to professional organisations, universities, scientific institutions and individual experts in Germany to secure co-operation and support in the solution of specific tasks, whenever required.
Also in Pakistan LI has many years of working experience. Since 1990 around 30 projects in the fields of water power (e.g. Basha Dam), combined cycle (e.g. Korangi CCPP), transmission lines (e.g. KESC Transmission System Expansion) and others have been conducted. Among the clients were WAPDA, KESC, Fauji Foundation, Rousch Power Ltd. and others.
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0.2.4 Fields of Activities Energy demand is growing continuously and LI is there covering all the interdisciplinary fields segments:
• Renewable power stations
• Thermal power stations
• Power transmission and distribution
• Electrical engineering and control
• Plant rehabilitation
• O&M management
• Privately financed projects
• Climate change
• Energy economics
0.2.5 Renewable Energies Departments Renewable Energies maintain an increasing global importance. The market explosion of the photovoltaic business, the renaissance of biomass and the opportunities of solar thermal technology are realities of the current and future energy market. Moreover, the success story of wind energy, which started in the 90ties, is continuing today.
Power Transmission Bosnia and Herzogevina
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RE-Technologies
Experience in different technologiesExperience in different technologies
Hydrogen
Fuel cells
Geothermal
Biomass
Windtechnology
Solar thermal
Photovoltaic
Hybrid systems
Due to the large sum of interesting and diverse projects within the renewable sector, and with the aim of focusing even more our activities, the core team of renewable energy specialists of LI has been grouped into two different departments, which are:
“Renewable Energies I” covering:
• Fuel cells • Hybrid systems • Geothermal • Biomass • Solar thermal • Photovoltaic • Rural electrification
“Renewable Energies II” focusing on:
o Wind energy (onshore and offshore)
0.2.6 Renewable Energies – Wind Energy: Our services Lahmeyer International offers a wide scope of services that comprise the whole life cycle of wind energy projects: From the first investigations and assessments, to the implementation and operation of wind farms.
Wind Potential
TechnicalStudies
ContractualServices
ConstructionSupervision O&M
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1 Site Description and Conditions
1.1 Site Description
The Gharo – Keti Bander – Hyderabad wind corridor is identified by the AEDB as a resource of high wind regimes with a potential of wind power generation of more than 40,000 MW.
This area has been extensively surveyed and is identified as having strong potential for sites of the proposed wind farms.
Figure 1-1: Wind Corridor
The wind measurement data currently available from the AEDB is gathered from the Nooriabad weather station. An 80 m wind mast is also installed on the FFC Wind Farm site, which will give accurate, site specific data for the life time of the project.
High resolutions Satellite imagery of the site is presented in this report for purposes of obtaining a global perspective on the type of terrain at the prospective site.
The proposed wind farm site is located in the south-eastern part of Pakistan between Hyderabad and Karachi, approximately 100 km inland from the coast in a semi-desert area with rare vegetation. The nearest settlements are Jhimpir (2.5 km southeast) and Nooriabad (22 km north-west).
In western and northern directions, a sparsely populated semi-desert area with rare vegetation can be found while in eastern and southern directions the Indus delta region provides agricultural land with consequently higher population density.
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Jhimpir village, located near the large Kalri Lake, is situated approximately 2.5 km to the southeast.
The wind farm site itself is mostly flat with a wadi along the northern boundary line of FFC´s development area and a low dune crossing it in the western part.
Figure 1-2: Location of the wind farm site The geographical situation is shown in the figure above. The site is located in a strong and partly rocky area at about 35 m to 50 m above see level. Two hills are passing the site from SSW direction to NNE with a height of about 60m a.s.l. The size of the whole WF area is almost 1,283 acres (~5.2km²) covering an area just enough for the installation of a 50 MW wind farm.
The Coordinates of the four corners which describe the WF Area are given as follows:
Table 1-1: Border coordinates of the WF site
Corner X (east) Y (north)
F1: 400.116 2.771.119
F2: 400.685 2.772.191
F3: 396 919 2.774.765
F4: 396.356 2.773.713
WF Jhimpir
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The WF area is a merely wide plain between the river Indus and a more hilly region westward. There is only sparse vegetation except on irrigated land. Some detached houses or hamlets are scattered over the more fertile areas. The only greater settlements nearby the site are Nooriabad and Jhimpir
The following maps and pictures give an impression of the area.
Figure 1-3: Location of the WF Site marked as WF FFC
The area is open and flat and in one part slight hilly as can be seen from the images below.
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Figure 1-4: Picture of the land (Mixture of hard and rocky ground with small bushes)
Figure 1-5: Picture of the land (hard ground), Gas Pipeline passes
the site at the western border
Information from the surrounding terrain is taken from LI’s world wide data base, from the impressions during the site visits in May 2007 as well as from satellite images.
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The average temperature recorded at the meteorological station in Hyderabad, is 27.5°C. The information of the average monthly temperatures as displayed in the following table 1-2 and used for the calculation of the air density on the site is taken from the database of the Software WindPRO.
Table 1-2: Measured average Temperature at meteorological Station in Hyderabad Temperature Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Average [°C] 17.5 20.3 26.0 30.7 33.8 34.1 32.5 31.1 30.7 29.2 23.9 18.9 27.5
Minimum [°C] 15.3 15.8 23.1 27.9 31.5 32.2 30.3 29.1 29.0 27.0 21.1 16.6 22.7
Maximum [°C] 20.2 23.4 29.6 33.3 35.9 36.0 34.1 32.8 32.8 31.3 26.3 22.8 30.5
Figure 1-6: Measured mean Temperature at meteorological Station in Hyderabad
For the energy yield calculations, the annual average air density at hub height is required. It can be calculated from the average temperature and the height above sea level of the turbines hub height. This leads to an average annual air density of 1.160 kg/m³.
The absolute maximum and minimum temperatures of the area, a parameter for the wind turbine design, is displayed in Table 1-3. This data is taken from the PMD meteorological station of Karachi as Hyderabad station provides only the minimum and maximum monthly averages.
Table 1-3: Measured highest and lowest Temperature at meteorological Station in
Karachi Temperature Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Highest [°C] 32.8 36.1 41.0 44.4 47.8 47.0 42.2 41.7 42.8 43.3 38.5 34.5 47.8
Lowest [°C] 0.0 3.3 7.0 12.2 17.7 22.1 22.2 20.0 18.0 10.0 6.1 1.3 0.0
Information from the surrounding terrain is taken from LI’s world wide data base, from the impressions during the site visits in May 2007 as well as from satellite images.
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1.2 Ground and Soil Conditions
Figure 1-7: View of Jhimpir site, taken from the measurement mast to the northeast
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1.3 Earthquakes
Pakistan, which forms the north-western portion of the Himalayan frontal arc, is seismically active intercontinental region. The Himalayan mountain ranges have been formed due to the continental collision between the Indo-Pak and Eurasian plates. This information is depicted in the figure to the right, provided by Wikipedia.
The damage Zone classification of the Thatta Region, where the WF site is located, is in Zone II b (moderate to severe damage) and the G factor is g=0.1-0.3, according to the map shown in Figure 1-8 below which is given by the GSP (Geological Survey of Pakistan).
Figure 1-9, Seismic Hazard Zones of Pakistan (Source: Geological Survey of Pakistan)
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2 Environmental and Social Impact
2.1 Environmental Impact Assessment
2.1.1 Loss of Habitat: The Jhimpir site area for FFC Wind Farm is selected by Alternative Energy Development Board, GoP in consultation with Government of Sindh for wind farming. The land is totally un-inhabited and there is no issue of loss of habitat and re-settlement.
Figure 2-1: View of Jhimpir site, taken from the measurement mast
There is no wild life sanctuary, protected area, wild life park or known habitat of any kind, especially there is no endangered specie is found in the region, mainly due to scarcity of water. There is no irrigation / drinking water network (canal, lake, pond, etc) in FFC wind farm and the ground water also is very deep approx. at 115 m (350 feet) depth. So there is no threat of any loss of habitat due to development of FFC Wind Farm.
Since the actual land use of a wind farm by wind turbines is only 2-3% of the whole area, the rest 98% will be available for the continuation of any life or land use present there.
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Figure 2-2: View of Jhimpir site, taken from the measurement mast
2.1.2 Impact over flora and fauna:
The Jhimpir site area for FFC Wind Farm is a barren land with only a few self growing stunted bushes covering small portions of the land. The land is rocky and has a very deep water table of around 115 m (350 feet), so possibility of vegetation in that area is unlikely.
Currently the vegetation cover is very sparse, providing limited habitat for fauna. It is due to very scarce rains in the area. A very few numbers of common reptiles are found in the area, which can share their abode with the wind farm as the actual land use is very low as explained above. The rest of the area is available for their fun & frolic.
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There seems no threatened or endangered flora & fauna species present at the site. And development of wind farms in that area will not have any impact on the existing flora & fauna situation.
As shown in the pictures above, taken from wind farms across the globe, the animals get used to live near wind turbines in complete harmony. Similarly presence of wind turbines in Jhimpir will not have any adverse impact on animals and vegetation, which presently are not there.
2.1.3 Impact on birds Bird protection and wind energy is a very emotionally charged subject. Ornithology demonstrates that bird protection and wind energy can actually be complementary, as evident from picture below. If one views wind energy from the standpoint of birds, then emission-free power generation is clearly beneficial to all flora and fauna.
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According to Professor Emeritus Biology Hans-Heiner Bergmann, birds are capable of adapting over time to human civilization as well as its technical achievements. For instance, 20 years ago arctic geese maintained a flight distance of 500 to 1000 meters from any highway, but today that distance has decreased to only 100 meters or even 30 meters at times. Some flocks of birds have also grown accustomed to wind turbines, as shown in picture below.
Presence of any threatened or endangered bird species is not found in the area. The site does not lie in the path of migratory bird route.
Despite sophisticated advances in wind turbine siting and equipment design over the last twenty years, rumours persist that wind turbines can harm birds.
Birds may collide with wind turbines, just as they do with other tall human-made structures like electrical overhead lines, sky scrappers, hanging bridges, etc. However, it should also be clear that by far the largest causes of mortality among birds include loss of habitat due to human infringement, environmental despoliation and collisions with other human-made objects.
Evidence that wind power turbines are capable of peaceful coexistence with birds is provided by a report from the German League for Nature and Environment in Lower Saxony: In 1999/2000 a wind farm consisting of 44 turbines was erected in the Wybelsumer Polder, which lies to the west of the city of Emden. A comparison of the bird population in the polder five years before and five years after the wind farm was erected revealed that there are now even more birds in the area than before. In one long-term study, scientists at the Technical University of Berlin found that most breeding birds exhibit "little sensitivity to wind power turbines".
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Following graph shows different known factors and their impact on bird fatalities:
% age Fatalities
0.1
2.5
7
7
8
10
55
10
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Wind turbines
Communication towers
Pesticides
Vehicles
High tension lines
Cats
Buildings & windows
Others
Source: Wallace P. Erickson, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
Another study in the United States shows that:
1. The vast grid of utility transmission and distribution lines is responsible for
130 million to 174 million bird deaths per year when their wings bridge two hot wires. Other birds are killed by colliding with the lines.
2. Bird collisions with buildings and houses are also significant.
3. Lighted communication towers have been found to be highly dangerous for birds, particularly at night. One study concludes, “It is apparent from the analysis of the data that significant numbers of birds are dying in collisions with communication towers, their guy wires, and related structures.”
4. The National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC), A U.S. consensus-based collaborative formed in 1994 reports: “Based on current estimates, wind plant-related avian collision fatalities probably represent from 0.01 percent to 0.02 percent (i.e., 1 out of every 5,000 to 10,000) of the annual avian collision fatalities in the United States.”
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2.1.4 Impact over marine life or water reservoirs
The site is far away from sea and large water reservoirs. The nearest being Kalri (Keenjhar) Lake which is around 5 km away from the Jhimpir Site and the access to the site is from the Super Highway, which is in the opposite direction of the lake. So, there is no impact on marine life during the transportation, construction & operation of the wind farm.
The ground water is very deep, approximately 100 meters, at the site so there is no chance of contamination of ground water resources during any phase of the project. During geotechnical investigations no water was found up to 40 m depth. For details regarding soil and water conditions of the area, please refer to Annex C: Geotechnical Investigation Report.
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Impact on Physical Environment:
2.1.5 Waste Disposal The wind power plant does not generate any waste whether it is gaseous, liquid or solid hazardous chemicals during its construction & operation. The issue of disposing off the normal spent lubricants in very limited quantities is not of any significant concern. There are standard practices to dispose of these lubricants and FFC will follow the same. The packing material is largely re-usable. Modern technologies ensures majority of the packing material are from recycled sources.
2.1.6 Water Use and Quality The project requirement of water for drinking and domestic purposes and for foundation construction will not have any impact on groundwater resources.
The roads within the wind farm will be developed such that the natural drainage pattern will not be impeded. It is in the betterment of the project that the natural drainage of the site will remain un-changed so that during rains, there should be good slope available for effective surface rain water flow.
2.1.7 Air Quality The Project involves power generation using wind energy—a completely clean source of energy i.e. no fuel burning. It is the beauty of wind power generation that till now more than 92,000 MW installed power generation is working not even with a puff of fuel burning.
Air pollution during construction due to truck / vehicle movement to the project site, earthwork, development of access roads, etc. will be controlled as much as possible and it is normal with every kind of project. FFC, having ISO 14001-2004 certification, have a very good knowledge and expertise to reduce this kind of temporary pollution to a minimum.
The nearest human habitat is about 3 - 4 km away from the project site. Thus the impact of the proposed construction activity on air pollution will be minor and temporary.
During operation, the wind farm will work as a pollution free power plant and contribute to power generation without emitting a single gram of GHG gases. Impact on Infrastructure:
2.1.8 Impact over telecommunication sector
While there have been concerns about Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) impacts from wind projects, these again are usually overstated. With no residences or other nearby facilities likely to have radio, television or other signals impacted by potential EMI concerns, the impact of this issue on the project is negligible.
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2.1.9 Impact over industrial sector
No Industrialisation sector is present at Jhimpir. The nearest industrial development is at Nooriabad, around 20 km away from the Project Site. So no issue of impact over existing industrial infrastructure is foreseen.
However, there is positive impact of the project on the Nooriabad Industrial Estate in view of power generation by the wind power plant in context with prevailing power crisis in the country. More power means more progress, productivity and prosperity.
2.1.10 Noise Impact
The target of the noise assessment is to investigate the potential noise impact of the wind turbine operation on sensitive areas in the vicinity of the wind farm. The advisable distances between residences and the proposed wind turbine sites depend on a variety of factors including local topography, possible background noise and the size of wind farm itself. Official demands with regard to noise limit values for the operation of a wind farm in Pakistan are not specified. Therefore a prediction of the noise immissions of the proposed wind farm in the surrounding area and an optimisation of the micrositing was performed in accordance to the strict German noise limit regulations.
The calculation method is specified in ISO 9612-2 and implemented in the WindPro software used for the estimation of the noise effects. The noise emission data used in the calculation and the noise power level of the turbine bases on information
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provided by the turbine manufacturers. Correspondingly the following standard values for noise immissions are considered in dependence to the utilisation of the area:
Table 2-1: Maximum noise emission levels according to German standards
Utilisation /Classification Noise emission [dB(A)]
Day time 06:00 – 22:00 Night time 22:00 – 06:00
Regimen and hospital areas 45 35 Exclusive residential areas 50 35 General residential areas 55 40 Village centres, mixed utili-sation with small trades 60 45
Working areas 65 50 Industrial areas 70 70
Assuming that all identified noise sensitive area in the vicinity of Jhimpir wind farm can be assigned to the “Village centres with mixed utilisation” classification, the limiting noise level for the operation of the wind farm is 45 dB (A) at night-
Figure 2-2: Noise impact considering 33x Vensys 77)
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Figure 2-2 shows the noise impact with 33 Vensys Wind turbines as an example; The detailed results of the noise impact analysis can be found in Annex A.
The results of the calculations show no conflict in terms of noise immissions. The boundary levels for the noise immission points Imp1, Imp2 and Imp3 (see Annex A) during the night are not exceeded.
2.1.11 Shadow Impact
When the sun is just above the horizon, the shadows of the wind turbine generators can be very long and could move across a house (window) for a short period of time. If this happens frequently for longer periods, it causes stress to the inhabitants.
The exact position and time period of a shadow can be calculated very accurately for each location, taking into account the structure of topography as well as angle above the horizon and movement during the day of the sun. Official boundary levels do not exist for the shadow flicker effect. In Germany however, a commonly accepted value is the maximum of 30 hours shadow caused by the wind turbines per year, and 30 minutes shadow per day.
Figure 2-3: Shadow calculation model1
WindPro software has been used for the calculation of the shadow impact. No exceedances of the limits have been found considering different layouts of turbine models.
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Figure 2-4: Shadow Impact of 20x Nordex N90 with 90 m rotor diameter and 80 m hub height
Figure 2-4 shows the shadow impact, considering 20x NORDEX N90 with 80 m hub height, as an example. This variant has the tallest overall height (hub height (80m) + blade length (45m)), thus the effective shadow reach for this configuration is the largest.
The estimations are carried out for the “worst case” scenario that the sun is always shining, 365 days per year. The results of the shadow impact are given in Annex A.
2.1.12 Visual impact To show the visual impact of the wind farm, a visualisation has been realised with different photos taken at the site and the use of the visualisation module of the WindPro software. The results are shown in Annex B.
2.2 Social Impact
2.2.1 Land Ownership and Resettlement Actions Since the land which is considered for the proposed wind farm is uninhabited owned by Government of Sindh, no resettlement of inhabitants is required. Government of Sindh has allocated the land on lease basis for the development of Wind Energy Projects in that particular area and has already reviewed the land situation thoroughly from multidimensional aspects.
As mentioned in chapter 1.1, the necessary area for the proposed wind farm site is approximately 1,283 acres in total. However, the net used area for foundations, roads, crane places, etc. will be around 2-3%, which is much less then the gross area.
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LI has been informed by AEDB that the whole land which is foreseen for the wind farm is owned by the Government of Sindh which is already leased to AEDB through a “Master Land Lease Agreement”. Thus a compensation of land owners is not required. The foreseen land will be sub-leased to FFC by AEDB for up to 30 years. The land lease / sub-lease agreements are in progress.
2.3 Socioeconomic Environment
2.3.1 Archaeological Sites There are no formally registered sites of historic or historic archaeological significance at Jhimpir Site. During geo-technical investigations no archaeological findings were observed. The nearest ones, which are far away from project site, are Bhambhore, Amri, Harappa & Mohenjo-daro.
2.3.2 Resettlement No resettlement is required as the Project is located on Government-owned barren land. Settlements and individual dwellings in the local area are located at least 3 - 4 km away, thus the development will not require any rehabilitation or resettlement.
Moreover, the project will not cause any negative effect on the population as there will be no emissions; there is no need of re-settlement at all.
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2.3.3 Aviation Hazard
No aviation hazard will be created by the Project as it is located 100 km from the nearest airport at Karachi. Moreover, the hub height of the wind turbine will be only around 80m, not posing any hazard to the aircrafts.
AEDB has issued the NOC for installation of Wind Mast up to a height of 90m at the proposed site. Another NOC will be issued by AEDB prior to installation / erection of turbine towers & rotors. In addition, the towers will be provided with air traffic warning lights to make the structure more visible / detectable at night also.
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2.3.4 Traffic Management The site is located far away from the regular traffic routes. At a maximum, there can be a minor temporary impact on traffic due to trucks carrying construction material and WTG components and that too on Super Highway where trucking is a normal routine. However, transportation will be planned, coordinated and managed effectively to avoid any inconvenience.
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2.3.5 Labour Welfare and Safety Due to largely mechanised construction, few labours will be deployed during construction. Facilities will be provided with proper water supply / sanitation to avoid any public health hazard. The industrial safety rules will be practised during construction of the project like proper handling of electrical devices, tools, equipment, construction materials and use of safety gear to prevent accidents to personnel.
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3 Conclusion The investigations have shown that in general the realisation of the 50 MW FFC Wind Farm is possible in Jhimpir, Sindh from Environmental point of view and no adverse impact on the existing flora & fauna at site is expected.
The Wind Farm will not emit any solid, liquid and gaseous waste during the entire life of the project so the power will be generated without polluting the environment of the surroundings.
The land is barren and un-inhabitant so there is no issue of damage to the vegetation and resettlement of population. In fact, being the property of Government of Sindh, further leased to AEDB and handed over to FFC, the land is clear from any resettlement issues.
There exist high potential of wind energy in the Jhimpir Site and the proposed wind farm will help in tapping around 155 GWh per year from it without impairing the environmental conditions of the area.
The more the wind power generation, the less the GHG gases emissions resulting in cleaner environment.