At its Kenhardt solar development site in the Northern Cape, renewable energy company, Scatec, has been involved in an extensive planting and replanting of South Africa’s indigenous quiver trees.
Conserving biodiversity: at its Kenhardt site, for every quiver tree that was relocated, Scatec has planted an additional ten quiver trees.
This started after the company was awarded preferred bidder status for the project under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. The project is currently under construction – and once complete it will have a total solar capacity of 540 MW, battery storage capacity of 225 MW/1 140 MWh, and provide 150 MW of dispatchable renewable power for supply under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement.
Providing clean and affordable renewable energy is not the only driving motivation for Scatec. Being conscious of the environment, and the impact we have on it, is a key element of Scatec’s sustainability initiatives.
Quiver trees are on the national flora red list and Scatec set out to preserve the quiver trees on the site – and ensure an increase of the plant species in the local habitat.
Environmental & Social Manager at Scatec, HP Van Heerden said, “After conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment, we realised that the Kenhardt site is rich in biodiversity. We had to ensure that we take every precaution to minimise the environmental impact of the development.”
This included preserving the branching succulent plants in the Kenhardt area. The quiver tree is known to grow slowly and it is habitat-specific – found in areas with extreme weather conditions. Climate change has not made things easier for these indigenous trees, as they are struggling to grow as abundantly as they did in past years.
“Our Environmental Licence in the area gave us a clear mandate to protect these trees while we work. Replanting the trees was quite a complex process. Scatec worked with a specialist team that helped us navigate the process,” says Jan Fourie, Executive VP at Scatec Sub-Saharan Africa.
For every tree that was relocated, an additional ten quiver trees had to be planted. And the quiver tree was not an easy find. A nursery that stocked the trees was located in the Western Cape and the Scatec team had to apply for a permit to transport the trees over the provincial border.
To date, the replanted and newly planted quiver trees are growing well. “When you are next in the Kenhardt area, be sure to drive past the Scatec site to see the beauty of the trees and you will recognise the work that the team put into replanting the trees to conserve them,” says Fourie.
For more information visit: www.scatec.com
