South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has introduced fresh guidelines for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) developed in areas of “low” or “medium” environmental sensitivity.
The guidelines represent a shift in South Africa’s renewable energy strategy, aiming to expedite renewable investments and project development while ensuring the protection of environmentally sensitive regions.
In eligible zones, developers can streamline the environmental authorization (EA) process, reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
Under the new framework, the DFFE must issue a registration certificate within 10 days for compliant projects, providing swift confirmation to developers.
Unlike the standard 30-day consultation process for EA applications, the registration process offers flexible timing.
Specific standards for BESS projects exempt certain activities, while solar PV guidelines outline exclusions and permissible activities.
Project approval hinges on the project’s location falling within “low” or “medium” sensitivity areas according to the national screening tool. The DFFE’s landscape assessment, organized into sensitivity tiers, serves as the basis for this tool.
Mandatory verification by an independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner is required. This verification process evaluates diverse environmental factors, encompassing biodiversity and agriculture.
