Environmental impacts associated with engine, stacks and transformer building foundation pilling works and borehole drilling for engine cooling water : addendum 3 for EIA report for 4th Power System Development Project

Abstract

State Electric Company (STELCO) is a 100% Maldives government owned company that provides electricity for both Male (capital of Maldives) and several islands in the atolls. The company as part to meet the increasing demand for electricity due to rapid economic development in Male had upgraded power generating facility over the several decades of its services. Currently STELCO is in the process of upgrading the electric power generating facility in Male as Fourth Power Systems Development through Power Extension Study commissioned in 2004. The forth power system development project is an ongoing project since 2005 where an environmental impact assessment report has been carried out for the entire phase (EIA, forth power system development project, STELCO, 2005). Since then 2 addendums reports for this EIA has been prepared to the specific changes or issues raised in association with the project. The first addendum to the EIA report which was carried out in August 2007 focused on the change to heavy fuel and back to diesel as against the proposed source of fuel for the new generator sets to be installed under the 4th Power System Development Project component. Therefore, atmospheric pollution from fuel and noise emissions was the primary concern addressed in these reports. The 2nd addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment report covers environmental impacts associated with two significant components that are associated with power plant and batching plant for the construction of the different facilities proposed under the Fourth Power Project. Public complaints arose when the dewatering for the foundation works of the seawater basin had caused aesthetic issues such as milky color of the water at the disposal site and its affects to the adjacent swimming area. This report was prepared in January 2010. This is the 3rd addendum to the EIA with involves changed to the design and construction of foundation for the new generator sets that are proposed and an installation of cooling water system through deep ground boreholes as a source of water for the cooling water reservoir. The deep ground water sourced reservoir is actually a back up engine cooling system that would be used during repair and maintenance works associated with the primary cooling system, based on marine (seawater) based reservoir system. Scope of the Report The two components for this addendum to the existing EIA for the 4th Power System Development project are as follows: 1. Pile foundation for engines, transformer room and stacks 2. Engine cooling water system based on deep well (borehole based) system constructed within STELCO premises as a backup for the existing cooling water system. Technical specifications and recommendations that have been prepared by the project engineers will be used to assess the environmental impacts associated with these two components. These two components added to the project and specific areas to cover in the EIA addendum were discussed and agreed at the scoping meeting held at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and agreed among stakeholders of the project on 3rd August 2010. The Terms of Reference for addendum to the EIA report was approved by EPA on 19th August 2010 (Appendix 1). Aims and Objectives This report provides an overview of the environmental performance and compliance of two particular components of the proposed 4th Power System Development Project namely foundation works for the engines, stacks and transformers; boreholes and associated infrastructure for the cooling water system. The objectives of the primary project, i.e. the 4th Power System Development Project are to cater for the increasing electricity demand in the city of Malé, the capital of the Maldives. These objectives and rationale for the various components of the project are discussed in the main EIA report. Detailed description of these is not included in the scope of work of this report. This report therefore focus and aims to identify environmental issues related to piling works and cooling water system in the context of environmental compliance that has to be followed in the Maldives. As such specifics outlined in the environmental impact assessment regulations of Maldives would be considered as the basis for environmental compliance under the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93).