Morocco - Jorf Lasfar Power Project : environmental impact assessment

The Jorf Lasfar Power Plant Project in Morocco (JLPP), while providing much-needed cost-effective new power supplies, will be expanded in a manner protective of the environment. This impact assessment covers the negative effects and mitigations needed during the construction and operation of the two additional coal-fired units constituting this project. Impacts during construction include: increased dust emissions, soil erosion, stormwater runoff and sediment loading, groundwater, noise generation, and increased wastewater and solid waste generation. Measures to mitigate dust are : using dust suppression control methods, such as spraying water on roads or dirt areas or using crushed rock on roadways; covering or seeding stockpiles of fill material to prevent wind erosion; using dust collectors for batch plant operations; spraying or covering trucks carrying fine material; and restricting the traffic on the project site to construction-related vehicles and reducing vehicle speed. Erosion control measures include: silt curtains, hay bales, mulching and seeding to prevent stormwater runoff from carrying sediment and/or surface water contamination to drainage areas and the Atlantic Ocean. Site retention areas or sediment retention ponds will be built to handle diverted and treated storm water runoff. Spill prevention and clean up practices will prevent contamination of stormwater runoff and groundwater from accidental spills or leaks from construction equipment. Groundwater will be monitored and dewatering methods will be applied to remove surface water and shallow groundwater from pooling in excavation areas and to prevent possible contamination or sediment loading from construction activities. Mitigations of operations-related emissions of sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and particulate emissions include: monitoring coal sulfur content to control sulfur dioxide emissions; properly operating and maintaining coal burners and registers to control nitrogen oxides; properly operating and maintaining ESPs; regularly spraying the coal pile with water to reduce dust emissions; and good housekeeping to minimize volatile organic compound emissions from paints, solvents, cleaning fluids, and fuel oil. The following mitigative measures involving surface water, ash disposal, wastewater, and noise levels will be take to ensure that JLPP fully complies with project guideline standards of operation: setting basins for coal stormwater runoff used to intercept the suspended matter; land disposal/ash reuse will replace ash disposal at sea; treatment of sanitary wastewater will prevent contamination; and the quarry used for ash disposal may be eventually converted to industrial or agricultural land use.