While all Performance Standards are applicable to this investment, IFCs environmental and social due diligence indicates that the investment will have impacts which must be managed in a manner consistent with the following Performance Standards. If IFCs investment proceeds, IFC will periodically review the the project’s ongoing compliance with the Performance Standards

PS 1 – Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
PS 2 - Labor and working conditions
PS 3 - Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
PS 6 – Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources
If IFC’s investment proceeds, IFC will periodically review the the project’s ongoing compliance with the Performance Standards

This is a Category B project according to IFC’s Environmental & Social Review Procedure as the project footprint is located within a heavily industrialized area. The incremental E&S impacts related to a 10 MW PV solar infrastructure beyond those of the existing area are very limited. The nearest community is located more than 14-km to the north of the project site (in the city of Aqaba), and the nearest hotels / recreational facilities used for tourism purposes are located on the coastline approximately 5-km to the west of the project site. Health and safety (H&S) related impacts on local communities are therefore not foreseen, therefore PS4 is not applicable. The land ownership of the project area resides with ADC; and a land lease agreement has been signed between ADC and the developer for a period of 30 years. The 6-km transmission corridor also is owned by ADC. There has been no physical or economic displacement with respect to this project, therefore PS5 is not applicable. There are no Indigenous Peoples in the project area, and therefore PS7 is not applied. An on-site survey did not reveal cultural heritage in the project site and the nearest archeological site of significance is over 17-km away, therefore PS8 is not applicable. The project will implement in any case implement a Chance Finds Procedure.

IFC's appraisal considered the environmental and social management planning process and documentation for the project and gaps, if any, between these and IFCs requirements. Where necessary, corrective measures, intended to close these gaps within a reasonable period of time, are summarized in the paragraphs that follow and (if applicable) in an agreed Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP). Through the implementation of these measures, the project is expected to be designed and operated in accordance with Performance Standards objectives.

Environmental and Social Management System



The developer has prepared an Environment Policy, a Social & Communities Policy, and a H&S Policy. All three policies are designed to be project-specific, were reviewed and approved by the developer’s Managing Director and will be applicable to the EPC contractor / O&M provider and sub-contractors. The project’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) consists of these and other policies (see below the section in PS2 in this document); an Environmental Management Plan, which includes monitoring actions; a system for reporting non-compliances; and, an organizational framework. These components, in addition to the ESIA, emergency response procedures and stakeholder consultation and engagement are described in the forthcoming sections.



Environmental and Social Assessment



The ESIA, prepared by ECO Consult, was designed to meet international standards and specifically addresses IFC’s PS requirements. The report describes the project, provides baseline conditions, discusses the significance of potential E&S impacts and identifies mitigation and management measures in alignment with the mitigation hierarchy. The report also identifies the benefits and the potential positive effects of the project at the local and national level in Jordan. The ESIA is based on a number of technical studies, baseline surveys (e.g., air / noise quality, biodiversity, cultural heritage, etc.), an evaluation of project alternatives and consultation with relevant stakeholders. It includes an assessment of the proposed corridor for the transmission line to the off-site substation.



The ESIA was submitted on 25 June 2014 to ASEZA, which is the authority responsible for issuing the environmental permit in the ASEZ. The ESIA was developed to expand upon requirements included in ASEZA Regulation No. 21 / 2001, which requires a ‘Preliminary Environmental Assessment’ (PEA) for energy generation facilities. As national requirements for a PEA do not require initial consultation / scoping workshops or disclosure, additional consultation was conducted to meet IFC’s PS1 requirements for stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanisms. Once reviewed and approved by ASEZA, an Environmental Permit was granted approximately 40 days from Draft ESIA submission (19 August 2014).





It is worth noting that a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) accompanied the SZ Master Plan (2006), as developed by the ADC. The SEA included stakeholder engagement and consultation, provided comprehensive performance requirements to ensure environmental protection and a structured a road map for environmental permitting for any project planned in the SZ. The project’s ESIA was developed in alignment with the SEA.



As mentioned above, ASEZA and ADC have recently designated an area of 130-ha for PV solar development in the SIZ. So far, the project is the only one planned for development in this area. The timeframe of other future
project developments is unclear. That said, given the lack of sensitive receptors in the SIZ, cumulative impacts are not envisaged.



Management Program



The ESIA contains an E&S Management Plan (ESMP) for the construction and the operations phases of the project (two separate plans). Management actions include solid waste management, hazardous waste management, dust control, noise suppressants (during construction), wastewater disposal, signage for glare, biodiversity, amongst other topics. The ESMP includes monitoring actions, frequency of monitoring and the responsible entity. Other management plans include the H&S Management Plan, the Labor and Working Conditions Management Plan and the Human Resources and Recruitment. See the section on PS2 in this document for a description of those plans.



The EPC contractor / O&M provider will ensure that staff understand all requirements, measures, and protocols stipulated within the ESMP. They will also ensure that all personnel engaged in activities that may have an impact on the environment are competent to carry out their duties, or, where necessary, arrange for suitable training to be undertaken.



Organization



As the project is a small operation, the E&S management team will consist of one on-site E&S focal point during construction and one E&S focal point during operation based off-site, as identified in ESAP Action Item Number (#) 1. Additional E&S support staff will be procured during the construction phase to ensure that environmental management practices are carried out. A community liaison officer will be retained for both the construction and operations phase and will report to the E&S focal point. The community liaison officer will develop and implement a local benefits community action plan (as included as an ESIA commitment) and will manage the community grievance mechanism. The E&S focal point will be responsible for the implementation of the ESMP, including monitoring actions.



Monitoring and reporting



Monitoring requirements are included in the ESMP for the construction and the operations phases of the project as mentioned in the sub-section above on ‘Management Program’ in this document. ASEZA may also conduct periodic audits of E&S conditions of the site.



Emergency Preparedness and Response



Emergency preparedness and response procedures including fire risk assessment and control systems, fire alarm systems and drills, emergency preparedness and planning, among related topics will be prepared as part of Occupational H&S Procedures for both the construction and operation phases. Such procedures will be designed to be specific to the project site (referencing muster point, nearby emergency facilities, responsible entities on-site or in the region, etc.). As mentioned in the sub-section ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ in PS2 in this document, the EPC contractor / O&M provider has in place a corporate level Occupational H&S Manual for PV installa
tion and operation that includes general provisions on emergency preparedness and response. Site-specific procedures will draw from this overarching document.

Human Resource Policy and Management



The project will create 104 jobs during construction and 7 indirect jobs during operations. All jobs will be contracted through the EPC contractor / O&M provider (Trina Solar). During construction, 100 jobs are projected to be offered to Jordanian nationals (30 skilled and 70 unskilled positions), and during operations, six jobs. All positions to Jordanian nationals.



The developer has in place a framework Human Resources and Recruitment Policy, a Labour and Working Conditions Management Plan and a Human Resources and Recruitment Plan. All three documents will be further elaborated and will apply to EPC contractor / O&M provider and sub-contractors. Jordan is a signatory to numerous international conventions and treaties. Examples relevant to labor rights include ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention; ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration; ILO Convention 111 on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation). Such conventions are referenced in project documents.



Together, the Human Resources and Recruitment Policy and the Labour and Working Conditions Management Plan specify that the terms of employment, such as wages and benefits, hours of work, overtime arrangements and overtime compensation, annual and sick leave, maternity and paternity leave, vacation and holiday, will be established by national labor regulations, and will be included in the company’s employee contracts. Additional workers’ benefits will include health insurance and medical assistance, among others. Working conditions (including health, safety and security), employee termination, prohibition to employ minors, disciplinary actions, workers’ rights and obligations, employer’s rights and obligations are also referenced.



As indicated in ESAP Action Item #2, the developer will ensure that the Human Resource Policy and Procedures as developed by EPC contractor / O&M provider are consistent with the developer’s existing Human Resources related documents.



In line with Performance Standard 2, the developer’s Human Resources Policy does not impede workers from freedom of association and collective bargaining. Although Jordan is not a signatory to the ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, workers will be able to organize among themselves and will not be discriminated against for doing so, as stated in the Labour and Working Conditions Management Plan.



The developer is committed to avoid all forms of discrimination against its employees, based on the age, gender, sexual orientation, health, race, nationality, political opinions or religious beliefs of its counterparties. The requirements of non-discrimination and equal opportunities will be extended to all contractors and subcontractors as part of contractual obligations.



The developer’s Human Resources Policy rejects the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor, consistent
with ILO Convention 29, to which Jordan is a signatory and respects child rights and rejects the use of child labor, no less than the minimum age per ILO Convention 138, to which Jordan is also a signatory.



Training for direct and indirect workers is covered in the developer’s Human Resources and Recruitment Plan.

Induction training on the Human Resources Policy and Procedures and basic safety awareness training will be provided to all newly hired workers. Other types of technical skills training will be identified for staff on an as-need basis. The Human Resources and Recruitment Plan identifies a number of avenues for training, including ASEZA, ADC or vocational training centers in Aqaba.



As indicated in ESAP Action Item #3, the project will also develop and make available a grievance mechanism for workers. The developer will inform the workers of the grievance mechanism, through the EPC contractor / O&M provider and otherwise, and describe how to make use of it during the induction training. The grievance mechanism will also be accessible to other contractors and subcontractors performing work in core business processes of the project.



Occupational Health and Safety



Occupational H&S risk for a PV project include slips and falls, potential hazards from on-site moving machinery, heavy load lifting, exposure to electric shocks and burns. Taking into account the hot and arid project site, construction workers might be at risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke if not hydrated properly.



The EPC contractor / O&M provider (Trina Solar) has in place a corporate level Occupational H&S Manual for PV installation and operation. As included in ESAP Action Item # 4, the developer will ensure that Trina Solar develop a site-specific Occupational H&S Procedure for the construction phase. The procedure will be designed to be specific to the PV solar sector (in terms of industry-specific hazards) and the project site. As included already as an ESIA commitment, Trina Solar will develop a site-specific procedure for the operations phase.



The developer will also ensure that Trina Solar assesses and tracks its occupational H&S management performance during both construction and operation phase. Occupational H&S performance evaluations will be carried out for employees considering lagging (or trailing / downstream) indicators and leading (or upstream) indicators. The E&S focal point will record and track any H&S incidents (through an incident tracker) and will report on occupational H&S management performance during both construction and operation phase.



As mentioned in sub-section ‘Emergency Preparedness and Response’ in PS1 in this document, location-specific emergency preparedness and response procedures will be contained in the construction and operation phase Occupational H&S Procedures, as also included in ESAP Action Item #4.

Given that the project involves PV rather than Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology, water consumption will be minimal. PV modules will be cleaned using a dry brush technique, which prevents dust build-up but does not entail the use of water. Modules will be cleaned at least once a month.



PV modules will be recycled. The EPC contractor is also the provider of modules and is a member of ‘PV Cycle’, a program that offers the collection and recycling for end-of-life PV modules. The recycling program recovers semiconductor material for reuse in new modules and glass for reuse in new glass products. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals will also be recycled through this program.



Both solid and hazardous waste generated by the project will be minimal. Solid (cardboard, plastic, construction debris and food waste) and hazardous (oily rags, paint cans, spent solvents) waste streams will be segregated and volumes recorded. Solid waste collection will be managed by a licensed third party and disposal will take place in the municipal and construction waste landfills managed by ASEZA. A stand-alone Solid Waste Management Plan will be developed and implemented as part of the overall ESMP. Hazardous waste will be collected by a licensed third party and disposed of in Jordan’s Swaqa Hazardous Waste Treatment Center. Hazardous materials will be stored in a dedicated area; a register will be maintained and Material Safety Data Sheets displayed.



Glare was not identified as an issue in the ESIA as PV panels are designed to absorb sunlight rather than reflect it, as is the case with other technologies (e.g., CSP). The ESIA includes reference values from glare produced by PV panels versus production from steel, glass, snow or smooth water and other surfaces. In the case of the project, anti-reflective coating will not be used on the panels as the dust generated from the arid environment is not conducive to such coating. Given the lack of sensitive receptors in the vicinity (airports, affected communities), adverse impacts are not predicted.



The project is expected to generate approximately 20 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per year. Jordan’s current carbon dioxide emission performance (from fuel combustion) is 0.64kg carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour (CO2/kWh) (according to International Energy Statistics, 2013). Using this factor, the project is estimated to reduce 12,800 tons of CO2/year.

The project site and surroundings are located in the Sudanian biogeographic region, which is characterized as one of the hottest and driest parts of Jordan. Despite being located in the ‘Aqaba Coast and Mountains’ Important Bird Area (IBA), the project site and the surrounding SIZ (and SZ zone) at large are seriously degraded. BirdLife International designated the Aqaba Coast and Mountains as an IBA over 15 years ago (in 1998) based on the presence of soaring birds that depend on the thermal uplift near the Aqaba Mountains, which includes the entire ASEZ. Since that time, and with the advent of the ASEZ, the area has become substantially modified / converted.



The entire SZ (covering an area of 2,800 ha) contains various industrial and tourism establishments both inland and along the coast. In the vicinity of the project site, industrial facilities include sulfur stock-piling and handling operations, evaporation ponds from fertilizer and chemical industries, bulk liquid storage facilities, amongst other facilities. The project site itself was historically used as a cattle and sheep farm (facilities dismantled in 2009). For this reason the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), the local BirdLife partner, will be re-defining the IBA boundaries, excluding the most heavily industrialized areas, such as the area in which the project site is located. For this reason, the project is not considered to be de facto within a recognizable IBA.



As part of the ESIA, the developer conducted a comprehensive literature review and desktop analysis of flora and fauna in the region, which included BirdLife International’s online Soaring Bird Sensitivity Map and related guidance note for solar development. On-site flora and fauna surveys were also conducted and experts were consulted through bilateral interviews.



Notwithstanding the overall heavily degraded nature of the project site and its surrounding, there are some remnant biodiversity values present. A nearby large wadi (intermittently dried river bed) – ‘Wadi 2’ nearby the project site possesses moderate coverage of Acacia trees (Acacia raddiana) and provides biodiversity value to passerines and possibly to certain breeding birds (impacts on these trees will be avoided during construction to the furthest extent possible). Wadi 2 is also identified by the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) as a prioritized transmission corridor for extending utilities in the region.



In alignment with ADC’s regional plans, the 30 kv overhead transmission line will be routed near to the wadi. The project conducted a dedicated alternatives analysis as part of the ESIA to review potential alternative routes for the transmission line. The transmission line will be overhead due to an identified flood risk.



With respect to avoidance measures, the project will avoid constructing the transmission line during the summer breeding season. Other biodiversity-related mitigation measures contain
ed in the ESMP include pre-construction surveys (for wildlife, and specifically for avifauna species to ensure that there is not breeding taking place in the proposed transmission line area), translocation of wildlife, installation of bird flight diverters on transmission lines, prohibitions on workers movements and noise restrictions.



Potential impacts on avifauna related to glare caused by reflection from the solar panels is not flagged as an issue with respect to this project as PV rather than CSP technology is employed.

An integral part of the development of the ESIA was the stakeholder consultation and engagement activities. Although such activities are not statutory requirements of the national Environmental Impact Assessment framework for PV projects developed within the ASEZ, the ESIA was developed in line with PS1 and hence included.

The developer conducted a stakeholder identification and analysis in the early stages of ESIA development. The identification of stakeholders is included in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). A Scoping Session was held on 20 May 2014 with numerous stakeholders including civil society organizations, government entities as well as private and public sector industrial entities operating in the vicinity of the project site (e.g., Jordan Phosphate Mining Company, Electricity Distribution Company, etc). The objectives of the Scoping Session were to introduce the project concept and components, discuss potential economic, environmental and social impacts (positive and negative) throughout the lifecycle of the project, receive and respond to comments and present the methodology of the ESIA. Annex II of the ESIA contains a detailed account of the Scoping Session with comments and responses. In addition to the Scoping Session, bilateral communications with specialized stakeholder groups have taken place on other technical aspects throughout ESIA development (e.g. routing of transmission lines, biodiversity).

The Scoping Report and the Terms of Reference for the ESIA were submitted to ASEZA for approval in early-June (approved on 26th June 2014). The Draft ESIA, its non-technical summary (NTS) document and the SEP will be disclosed to stakeholders on the developer’s website (and other means – see below) for a period of 30-days for comments. The NTS, accompanied bya letter describing where the full ESIA could be accessed, will be sent to each of the stakeholders identified in the stakeholder identification and analysis exercise. Comments will be reviewed and considered by the ESIA consultant and included in the final ESIA, which will be disclosed on the developer’s website.

A grievance procedure, which will apply to the developer and their main contractors is included in the SEP. The procedure will be advertised via appropriate channels including ASEZA and ADC. The procedure includes the maintenance of a grievance register; grievances will need to be acknowledged within five days (20 days in writing).

Name:   Shadi Haddadin Title:  Solar Plant managerCompany:   Shamsuna Power Company
Address: P.O.Box 942366
Amman 11194 JordanMail to:   mailto:s.haddadin@shamsuna.com Tel:  +962 7 96969077  Website:   http://www.shamsuna.com

Broad Community Support is not applicable for this project

S.no	Description	Anticipated Completion Date	Status
1	The Shamsuna Power Company will ensure that there is an on-site environmental and social (E&S) focal point during construction, and support staff, included a community liaison officer, as needed; and, one E&S focal point during operation based off-site.	11/01/2014	Completed
2	The Shamsuna Power Company will ensure that the Human Resource Policy and Procedures as developed by Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractor and the Operations and Maintenance provider are consistent with commitments made in Shamsuna Power Company's existing Human Resources related documents.	11/01/2014	Completed
3	The Shamsuna Power Company will develop and make available a grievance mechanism for workers.	11/01/2014	Completed
4	The Shamsuna Power Company will ensure that a site-specific Occupational Health and Safety (H&S) Procedure is developed for the construction phase, that includes location-specific emergency preparedness and response procedures. Such location-specific information will also be included in the operations phase Occupational H&S Procedure.	11/01/2014	Completed