According to IFC’s Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability the project is categorized as a Category A project due  to concerns about expansion of industrial activities in an area in proximity to the urban districts of Yerevan, including cumulative impacts to air quality and cumulative noise.  Key E&S risks and issues include.

  Policy: 
? The project sponsor is certified per ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 standards and OHSAS 18001: 2007 and has a Health, Safety and Environment Policy (2015); an integrated system for safety, environment and quality has been implemented in compliance to international guidelines and standards (OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 standards). Among others RENCO SPA has a Social and Cultural Heritage Policy (2016) as well as an Anti-Corruption Policy (2016) and a Code of Ethics in place. The above-mentioned policies and HSE management systems shall also be established at ArmPower as subsidiary company of RENCO SPA. 

? Identification of Risks and Impacts:

National Environmental Project approval from the Ministry of Nature Protection was issued in July 2017 based on an environmental impact study (EIA) prepared according to national standards. This original EIA was supplemented by an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) which was completed on December 2017 by international consultants (Fichtner) per IFC requirements. The supplemental ESIA included a comprehensive analysis of baseline environmental and social aspects including but not limited to, background noise; existing landscape and visual condition; existing waste practices and infrastructure in the industrialized region of Yerevan; and terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity based on field surveys. The supplemental ESIA included a general analysis of project alternatives taking into consideration that the plant site was selected by the Government prior to the concession process due to its proximity to gas supply and to the power load center. The evaluation of alternatives included the following aspects: site location and layouts, the three different types of energy production technologies options (renewable energy, nuclear energy and thermal energy), alternative fuel, and the no-development option. The selected site and technology allows co-utilizing the existing ancillary systems of YCCPP-1 (e.g. water intake and discharge structures, fuel gas regulators, substations and devices. 

The Supplemental ESIA comprehensively identified key environmental and social impacts and the corresponding mitigation measures associated with the project’s construction phase including local workforce; land use and ownership; security management; emergency preparedness and response; historical and cultural sites; and occupational and community health and safety issues. The supplemental ESIA also identified key environmental and social (E&S) impacts likely to be generated during the project’s operation including, for example: impacts to air quality due to stack emissions from the combustion of natural gas during combined cycle operation (mainly NOx emissions); noise associated with operation of the power plant and generation of various types of non-hazardous and hazardous wastes from plant O&M activities. The project will benefit from existing main access roads, gas supply pipeline, high voltage transmissions lines, water supply and wastewater discharge infrastructure. As such, none of these are considered associated facilities as they are already in existence in the absence of the project. The ESIA includes an evaluation of impacts of the short connecting points to this supporting infrastructure.  

The most significant environmental impact of the project during the operational phase is expected to be the stack NOx emissions.  Therefore, the supplemental ESIA included an assessment of cumulative impacts to air quality (Air Dispersion Calculation (ADC)) of the combined contribution of YCCPP-1 (identified as the most significant point source in the area) and YCCPP-2, using baseline air quality data obtained from five (5) sampling locations during the summer time in 2017 to capture the contribution from other point and non-point sources of NOx emission in the area.   The results of the ADC indicate that ground level concentrations (GLCs) of NOx from the overall contribution of YCCPP-1 and YCCPP-2 will remain below ambient air quality reference values for the 1-hr and annual averaging periods but will exceed the Armenian NOx standard for the 24-hr averaging period. ADC results also indicate that the project’s contribution to the ambient air quality headroom will be greater than 25% of the applicable reference values and standards for the 1-hr and 24-hr averaging periods.  Additional details about the baseline air quality and impact assessment activities conducted as part of the supplemental ESIA are provided in the PS3 – Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention section below.   

As described in ESAP Item #1, the sponsor will update the cumulative assessment of impacts to ambient air quality and the results of the ADC to capture seasonal variations by collecting additional baseline air quality measurements for the fall, winter, and spring periods (September 2017 to May 2018).  Additional baseline measurements NO ₂ , SO ₂ , PM10 will be collected at all five sampling locations used in the original baseline survey and will include the following: (a) continuous monitoring of NO ₂  (at least at hourly intervals) for at least one month at least at two locations (one predicted maximum ground level concentration location and one background site); (b) passive sampling of all the pollutants (including NO ₂ ) during the winter period will cover the same time interval as continuous monitoring and will include at least four sets of weekly measurements at all five monitoring sites; and (c) spring sampling will include at least four sets of weekly monitoring.  Depending on the result of this supplemental assessment to ambient air quality, the sponsor will implement additional mitigation measures as described in ESAP Item  # 9.       

Management Programs:

The supplemental ESIA provides a summary of an E&S management framework with programs and mitigation measures applicable to the construction and operation phases of the project.  In order to ensure compliance with Armenian legislation and IFC requirements the company shall require the EPC contractor to develop, implement and maintain a Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (CESMP) and associated procedures as noted in ESAP item #2.  The CESMP will include a suite of mitigation plans: dust management plan; traffic and transportation  management plan; noise and vibration management plan; soil and groundwater management plan; waste management plan (for hazardous and non-hazardous waste); oil and chemical spill contingency management plan; emergency preparedness and  response plan for construction phase; community health management plan; workers’ accommodation management plan; local recruitment and procurement plan; influx management plan; cultural heritage chance find procedure; security plan for construction phase; environmental monitoring plan and contractor management plan

As indicated in ESAP item #3 the O&M contractor will develop and implement an Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan (OESMP) consistent with the project updated ESIA, local regulation and IFC PS requirements. The OESMP shall include: Noise supplemental Management Plan; Waste Management Plan (Hazardous and non-Hazardous Waste); Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (including Community Emergency Response Plan); Occupational Health and Safety Management Plan; Security Plan; Life and fire safety plan; Environmental monitoring plan for operational phase.

Organizational Capacity and Competency:

The project sponsor has a dedicated environmental, safety and social department to ensure the operations comply with local EHS requirements at a corporate level. The HSE management systems shall also be established at ArmPower as subsidiary company of RENCO SPA. As per ESAP item #4, the sponsor shall establish an EHS&S Management Structure including an overall organizational chart detailing the Environmental, Social, Health and Safety teams, structure and relationship at the corporate and project site levels, including Contractors and sub-Contractors. Per ESAP item #4, the sponsor will designate the EHS manager responsible for preparing an EHS&S Manual incorporating all the relevant procedures and plans necessary for implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and EHS performance of the project, including activities undertaken by contractors and other third parties (supply vendors/service providers) as well as any on-site staff.  (The manual should include the plans and procedures of EPC)

Emergency Preparedness and Response:

The project sponsor has a suite of emergency preparedness, response management and incident investigation procedures at a corporate level. As per ESAP item # 2 and #3, RENCO, as EPC Contractor, shall develop an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (including Community Emergency Response Plan) for the construction and operation  period that contains the following principles; identification of areas where accidents and emergency situations may occur; consideration of earthquake risks identification of communities and individuals that may be impacted; establishment of response procedures for fire and safety;  provision of equipment and resources; designation of responsibilities and communication with workers and the public.

Monitoring and Review:

A Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) will be installed at the stack of the new power plant. Adherence to the limit values shall be checked continuously by ArmPower and the results shall be reported monthly to the “Environmental Monitoring and Information Center” SNCO at the Ministry of Nature Protection. 

As per ESAP item # 2 and #3 the project company will establish procedures to monitor the effectiveness of the mitigation measures proposed in the updated ESIA in coordination with the EPC and O&M contractors. Monitoring will be done by RENCO’s and ArmPower’s HSE Managers. Project company EHS staff will request EHS monitoring data from those contractors and report to both external regulators as required and to the management team and lenders. 

The project’s EHS performance will also be audited by ArmPower, in accordance with their internal EHS auditing systems. In accordance with the Stakeholders Engagement Plan that will be updated as per ESAP item#12, the company will make EHS monitoring reports available to stakeholders by placing these at the project site and the project company website (construction & operational phases).

Finally, the sponsor will appoint an independent auditor to undertake review of the effectiveness of CESMP and OESMP quarterly during construction phase, and annually in the first two years of power plant operation as noted in the ESAP item #5                                                   

   Working Conditions and Management of Worker Relationship:

During the construction period, local workforce from the nearby villages and Yerevan shall be employed for the construction works. According to RENCO at the peak of the construction phase, it is expected that around 450 EPC workers will be on site including about 80 to 90 expatriate technicians and engineers. The workforce, including subcontractors, will be recruited locally as much as possible. The workforce requirement during full scale operations is anticipated to be approximately 60 in total.

The sponsor and its subsidiaries do not employ child or forced labor, and they comply with local labor laws related to protection of the workforce. 

Human Resources Policies and Procedures: 

RENCO has a Human Resources Policy in place that will be applied to the project (including a non-discriminatory hiring and wage policy per IFC PS 2; stating that the company will not discriminate in hiring and salaries based on gender, age, religion, ethnicity or place of origin.) As described in ESAP item #6, RENCO will update the HR manual to reflect the following: (a) project specific terms and conditions of employment, working hours and rest time, over time, weekly rest and gazetted holidays, minimum wages, equality of treatment, freedom of association, prohibition of forced and child labor, termination of contract, decertification, social dialogue, and mechanism for resolution of collective and individual labor disputes; b) provision of basic services at construction site and labor camps; c) make employment contracts consistent with the local Labor Codes and IFC PS2 requirements; and d) reflect HR requirements applicability and binding on the contractors and third-party service providers. Renco will also i) develop and include EHS and labour provisions and compliance conditions in its EPC and O&M contracts which will provide contractors and third part service providers (including security agencies) with clear guidelines on labour performance; ii) develop and implement contractor control system to monitor and enforce contractors’, sub-contractors’ and service providers (including private security agencies) compliance with HR policy and procedures; iii) appoint a well-qualified HR manager in charge of the implementation of the HR related policy and procedures and action items mentioned under this ESAP.

Worker Grievance Mechanism:

To complement the existing Grievance Mechanism (GM) of the sponsor, the project company will establish a formal grievance mechanism for direct and contracted employees and ensure that staff and contractors are made aware of the mechanism and that it is easily accessible to them. The project company also will develop a clear process, including required steps, timelines, procedures, and appropriate level of management for handling worker grievances. Once developed the worker grievance procedure will be fully disclosed to all employees of EPC and O&M contractors in their languages including contractor and sub-contractors’ employees as per ESAP item #8. The EPC Contractor RENCO and the future operator of YCCPP-2 ArmPower are requested to implement an independent grievance management system to enable the workers (and their organizations, where they exist) to raise reasonable workplace concerns. This includes complaints related to non-compliance with Health & Safety matters, discrimination cases and non-consideration of equal opportunities.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS):

As per ESAP items #7, the company will develop OHS management plan to ensure that all applicable health and safety legislation and IFC requirements set out in PS2 and relevant sub-sections of the World Bank Group General EHS Guidelines are met during the construction and operation phases of the project.

Workers Accommodation:

Expatriate employees of the EPC company will be temporarily housed at RENCO’s guesthouse or at hotels in Yerevan. Local sub-contractor workforce shall be employed from Yerevan and the adjacent villages and no workers’ camps will be established as local workers will return to their home daily.  Transfer of workers to and from the construction site shall be managed by the EPC Contractor (by bus transfer). As per ESAP item #2, the company will prepare and implement a Traffic Safety Management Plan (including regulations for truck movements, transport of workers, and short-term closure of roads  .

Contractor Safety and Workers Engaged by Third Parties:

Per the terms of the EPC contract and sub-contractor requirements, the contractors will observe the health and safety policy and procedures of the project as well as local health and safety legislation. The contractors will also be requested to report accidents, incidents, and safety non-compliances. Workers will be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), and procedures will be developed to ensure their use. They also will be properly trained in the relevant hazards, safety procedures and emergency response. Safety rules and guidelines will be established and regularly communicated to employees through internal circulars and training programs. All new employees will receive a basic safety and security presentation and regular training will be conducted for first aid and CPR, firefighting, and emergency response. RENCO will apply appropriate occupational health and safety plans and controls, including provision of PPE and appropriate training in safe construction practices and avoidance of hazards. RENCO shall conduct regular safety inspections and track all incidents and loss time injuries during the construction phase

   Resource Efficiency:

The project will use gas-fired combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) technology, which by recovering waste heat from gas turbines for additional power generation is one of the most energy efficient power generation technologies. The ESIA concluded that the overall approximate efficiency rating is expected to be about 55.91% “gross” on Lower Heating Value basis. 

Greenhouse Gases:

The project greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions in operation are expected to be approximately 371 g CO ₂  /kWh gross with a total annual GHG emission of approximately 785,000 tones CO ₂ . This value is within the range of the typical CO ₂ eq emissions provided in the WBG EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants (CCGT with 51% efficiency gross: 396 g CO ₂ /kWh gross). These values are much lower than those of Power Plants fired by coal or oil. Based on the high efficiency of the selected technology, no additional GHG reduction measures are required during the operational phase.

Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality:

The most significant construction activities with potential air quality impact is fugitive dust emissions from the power plant site including excavation and filling, materials handling, vehicle movement on the haul roads and wind erosion of open stockpile area or open bare ground as well as combustion source emissions from vehicle movement and non-road machineries. Construction activities will temporarily contribute to increased levels of dust. Mitigation measures to control dust emissions during construction phase are included in the ESMP and shall be implemented by the EPC contractor. 

The most significant operational phase air quality impact is power plant stack emissions due to combustion of natural gas during the operation of the project. Background air quality was measured for nitrogen dioxide (NO ₂ ) and Sulphur dioxide (SO ₂ ) at five selected baseline air sampling locations for seven consecutive days in July 2017 using passive sampling tubes, and for particulate matters (PM) including respirable suspended particulates (PM10) at three selected baseline air sampling locations for five consecutive days in August 2017 using portable testing equipment. Average background concentrations for summer are consistent with those of a non-degraded airshed as the summer average NO ₂  levels of about 15 µg/m ³  is below the World Health Organization (WHO) Ambient Air Quality Guidelines (AAQG) of 40µg/m3. Background levels of PM10 were also low at approximately 16 µg/m ³  during summer sampling period. 

The project consists of one gas turbine generating unit, one heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and one steam turbine generating unit with associated auxiliary equipment.  The gas turbine is equipped with dry low NOx (DLN) burners as a primary NOx control feature and operational NOx emissions will be limited to 51 mg/Nm3 at 15% excess O ₂  (dry) in compliance with the relevant WBG Thermal Power EHS Guidelines and EU standards. At 66 meters, the main heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) stack height is designed according to GIIP to avoid excessive ground level concentrations due to downwash, wakes, and eddy effects, and to ensure reasonable diffusion to minimize impacts. 

As previously noted, based on the air dispersion modeling of the suplemental ESIA, performed using AERMOD, it was concluded that  that ground level concentrations (GLCs) of NOx from the overall contribution of YCCPP-1 and YCCPP-2 will remain below ambient air quality reference values for the 1-hr and annual averaging periods but will exceed the Armenian NOx standard for the 24-hr averaging period.  ADC results also indicate that the project’s contribution to the ambient air quality headroom will be greater than 25% of the applicable reference values and standards for the 1-hr and 24-hr averaging periods.   Assessment of impacts to ambient air quality will be further updated based on the results of additional baseline measurements as described in ESAP Item #1. 

Due to concerns about the aforementioned, potentially significant, incremental impacts from the project and as described in ESAP Item #9, the sponsor will design and built the YCCPP-2 project with a transition spool between the gas turbine’s exhaust and the HRSG to allow for the possible, future, installation of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit (and related ancillary installations for the handling and storage of ammonia).  The SCR will be installed if, at the end of two years of continuous ambient air quality monitoring during the operational phase, it is determined that: (a) the airshed has become degraded for NOx as measured by the 1-hr and annual averaging periods due to the project’s significant contribution to background and (b) the installation of the SCR is projected to result in a significant improvement to the airshed (to a non-degraded status for NOx).  Evaluation of the need to install an SCR will be made by an independent third party acceptable to the Sponsor and IFC.   Over this two year period, NO ₂  monitoring will be conducted with  continuous methods (at least at hourly intervals) at two locations, one predicted maximum ground level concentration location and one background site. 

Water Consumption:

The ESIA shows that the project will require 300,000 m ³  water per month. The maximum water flow rate during operating period will be 450 m³/h on annual average. Evaporative cooling towers will use the highest share of the raw water of approximately 310 m³/h. Water supply during operation will be received from the Yerevan potable water grid and will be used for both utility and process water. 

As described in the ESAP item #1, the sponsor will assess potential impacts on Yerevan water grid of utilizing both utility and process water for the proposed YCCP-2.    

Noise: 

The ESIA included an assessment of potential impacts due to construction and operational noise. It identified the main sources of noise during construction to include use of powered mechanical equipment; site preparation, pile driving and foundation works; installation of equipment; and construction of the infrastructure such as internal access roads, storm water drains and security fence. The main sources of noise associated with the operation of the power plant are expected to include the heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), gas turbines, and steam turbine. The key assumption for the noise assessment is that construction activities will take place during daytime hours while operation of the power plant will be generally 24 hours per day throughout the year. 

The ESIA identified the nearest noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) to the project site such as a residential area, Ayntap and Noragavit with the nearest receptor located approximately 1,700 m to the southwest and 1750 m to the west of the project site, respectively, Kharbard horticultural settlement located approximately 1,100 m to the south of the project site, and temporary housing located about approximately 500 m to the northeast of the project site. Baseline ambient noise monitoring was conducted by a monitoring survey in 2017 at the five monitoring locations including NSRs. Average background noise levels in the residential area of Noragavit were found to be already above the WBG EHS Guidelines values (which are from WHO Guidelines for Community Noise) for daytime noise levels (about 70 dBA, above the 55dB(A) guideline applicable from 7:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs) and above night-time guideline levels (about 60 dBA, above the 45dBA guideline applicable from 22:00 hrs to 7:00 hrs). Night time background noise levels measured at Ayntap residential area was also found to be above night-time guideline levels. 

The potential impacts from incremental noise during operation were evaluated in the ESIA using the methodology outlined in ISO9613-2 with SOUND PLAN noise mapping software, which generates noise contours based on assumed noise emissions levels of activities and operating equipment to provide an overall view of the predicted noise levels around the project site. The modeling results indicate that sound levels generated by operation of the YCCPP-2 only will not result in exceedances of WHO noise guidelines both for day-time and nigh-time. A cumulative noise impact assessment (plant operational contribution + measured background noise levels) was also undertaken for the ESIA. The cumulative noise impact modeling results indicate that residential area in Noragavit may be exposed during both day and night to noise levels in excess of WHO guidelines although the incremental contribution from YCCPP-2 is not considered significant as it is expected to be less than 0.1dB(A). Similarly, residential area at Ayntap may be exposed during night to noise levels in excess of WHO guidelines, mainly due to existing high background noise levels and incremental contribution from YCCPP-2 is not considered significant as it is expected to be about 0.15dB(A)

Based on these results, the ESIA recommends the use of active noise mitigation measures during the construction phase but not during the operational phase. 

As described in the ESAP item #2, going forward, the sponsor will require the EPC contractor to develop and implement a construction phase noise management plan which incorporates direct noise mitigation such as movable noise barriers.

Liquid Effluents: 

All process waste water (approximately 70 m3/h) resulting mainly from pre-treatment and demineralization of process water, boiler make-up, and evaporative cooler will be treated in an onsite wastewater treatment plant and discharged into existing discharge system of YCCPP-1 for final discharge into Hrazdan river. Since there are no Armenian standards for the quality of the liquid effluents, the limits applicable to the effluents of the YCCPP-2 will be defined by the Ministry of Nature Protection based on a nationally recognized calculation method and will also meet applicable effluent discharge guidelines for the WBG EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power (2008). Sanitary wastewater (approximately 14 m3/h) will be collected and discharged into the city municipal sewerage system. According to the updated ESIA, storm water from internal roads and other paved areas will be collected and led to the waste water treatment plant, storm water from roofs and shelters will be collected in an underground tank for reusing the water without any treatments for irrigation inside the YCCPP-2 site.

As noted in the ESAP item #1, the sponsor will complete a baseline assessment for current pollution load at the wastewater discharge point that is Hrazdan river including upstream, downstream and point of discharge locations, and assess impact of wastewater discharge to receiving water body including thermal impact assessment and ensure that wastewater discharge from construction and operational activities meets applicable WBG General EHS Guidelines and EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants (2008) values. t. 

? Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste Management: 

During project construction phase, the waste will be generated during earthworks, construction of the fence, road access and buildings. The main types of waste are expected to be sand, gravel, concrete, asphalt, scrap steel, glass plastic, wood, packaging waste and municipal waste from construction workers. A site-specific Construction Waste Management Plan (CWMP) will be included as part of the CESMP. The EPC contractor will work closely with the city of Yerevan to identify acceptable landfill for disposal of the construction waste. With regards to operational phase relatively low volumes of waste are anticipated to be generated both solid waste (non-hazardous and hazardous) and general domestic waste arising from offices. Both the EPC Contractor and O&M Contractor will implement hazardous waste management to minimize and control of release of hazardous materials (e.g. used oils, chemicals for water treatment, water quality analysis, and wastewater treatment). Draft final ESIA states that currently there are no hazardous waste handling facilities in Armenia. Therefore, hazardous waste produced during construction and operation is planned to be stored on site until country has proper handling facilities for final disposal. A detailed plan for storage (above and underground) and handling of hazardous waste on site will be included in the waste management plan as per ESAP#2 and #3. 

Historical land contamination: 

Areas of the project site have historically been used for the temporary storage of the waste and scrap metal. During the site visit a potentially contaminated land was identified in the project site. As per ESAP Item #10, the sponsor will conduct additional soil sampling at potentially contaminated land within the project site to identify potential significant soil contamination. Soil samples should be taken at historically potentially contaminated land according to GIIP sampling and analytical methods and analyzed according at accredited laboratories for the following parameters: TPH, PAH, BTEX, and Heavy Metals. According to results of soil sampling, sponsor will implement mitigation and remediation measures consistent with the contaminated land guidance provided in the WBG General EHS Guidelines.

Groundwater contamination and ground water table:

The supplemental ESIA report states that groundwater samples were collected at the potentially contaminated land within the project site in order to investigate potential groundwater pollution. Additional assessment is needed as stated in ESAP item#10 to establish a robust baseline of the groundwater quality at the proposed project site. The Supplemental draft final ESIA report states that groundwater might be lowered temporarily during construction or permanently. In such a case, as stated in ESAP item #11, a detailed assessment including groundwater hydrological modeling will be conducted by the client

   Community Health and Safety:

Project construction activities will include civil works for the power plant site. The EPC contractor will mitigate the risk of accidents for the general public during construction through measures such as: access control, barricading, reflectors, signage, community safety awareness programs, posting of traffic marshal, equipment back up alarms, proper securing of material while moving them from one place to another, planning material movement to cause minimum disruption, speed controls, alarms; posting traffic marshals at high risk locations, undertaking appropriate measures to reduce fugitive emissions from storage and transport of construction and waste material, and implementing driver safety management and training requirements for the transport of people and materials.

? The EPC contractor will prepare a detailed traffic and transport management plan including such elements as: implementation of a personnel and materials movement plan which takes daily life and traffic patterns into account; periodical monitoring of noise levels at community sensitive receptor points as per ESAP item #2.
?
? Emergency Preparedness and Response:

The sponsor will require the EPC and O&M contractors to have in place emergency preparedness and response plans (“ERPPs”) as noted in ESAP item #2 &3. The EPC contractor will closely coordinate its emergency procedures with the potentially affected communities and local government agencies in their preparation to respond effectively to emergency situations. The EPC and O&M contractors will ensure that critical components of the emergency plans are tested on a regular basis, including full scale emergency training exercises at least every year including jointly with authorities. The EPC and O&M contractors will be required to undertake mock drills as per a schedule                                                  

  RENCO has presented Draft Final Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) within the context of the Draft Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the Yerevan CCPP - 2 project. The SEP describes the strategy and program to be implemented for engaging with the stakeholders of the Project in a culturally appropriate and timely manner. The goal is to ensure the timely provision of relevant and understandable information and to create a process that provides opportunities for stakeholders to express their opinions, aspirations and suggestions about environmental measures, eventual land acquisition and social impacts of the project, and that allows the Project Developer to consider and respond to them. It is important to note that the Project has been in the past subject to a process of public consultation and that an Environmental Permit has been granted. The public engagement activities defined in the present SEP have as an objective to engage the public once more in a process that assures as well compliance with the requirements of the IFIs (International Financing Institutions) ADB and IFC.

Stakeholder engagement activities for the project started during the scoping stage and continued during preparation of the ESIA report. During the preparation of the National ESIA (Ecobarik-Audit LLC 2016), consulting and information disclosure activities with some stakeholder groups have been undertaken. Being nationally classified as a Category A Project, the YCCPP - 2 was subject to 4 public hearings in 2016. All hearings were held at RENCO Armenia’s office. The records of the hearings, the participants’ lists with the signatures and the video clips were submitted to the Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia. They are not available for disclosure in this report. 

The information obtained so far shows that there are some temporary informal houses nearby the project site . The land occupied by these temporary informal houses is not affected by the Project. During construction and operation phase, potential environmental impacts to residents of these houses (such as traffic, noise and air pollution) will be monitored and mitigated as per ESMP. 

Renco will update the existing SEP to make it project specific, including stakeholders mapping, physical structures and land use in the project area of influence and based on need assessment outcome. Engage a Community Liaison Officer to implement the updated SEP, including grievance mechanism. The grievance mechanism provides an open channel for continuous and structured communication between management and the public and describes a detailed strategy to place, investigate, respond, and file a given complaint and the expected timeline associated with these actions. Through this process, the public can express individual and collective concerns and issues regarding the construction and operation of the facility. The SEP also outlines communication methods appropriate for each project phase, including publications through a corporate website. Information brochures that outline mechanisms for submitting comments, questions and complaints will be developed and distributed to the local communities via the municipality, religious places, primary schools and other locations frequented by local residents. The Environmental and Social Manager of EPC contractor during the construction period and O&M company during the operation period will have the responsibility of the implementation of all aspects of the SEP                                                   

  Contact Person: Mr. Alessandro Bendelli, Environmental and Social Coordinator

Company Name: Renco S.p.a.

Address: Vle Venezia 53 - 61121 Pesaro (Italy), 

Email:  alessandro.bendelli@renco.it   

Phone: +39-0721-433567

Fax : +39-0721-400924