The problem of birds (especially rare species) dying of electroshock is a matter of special concern on the part of environmentalists and power engineers. Birds are electrocuted while landing on overhead power transmission lines to rest.
Touching the conducting parts of electric installations they cause short circuits and failures, which result in power outages with the consumers.
At the beginning of this year OAO Grid Company hosted a meeting with the participation of the representatives of Russian Birds Conservation Union, during which bird conservation activities in the company’s responsibility zone. The meeting resulted in taking a joint decision about the overriding necessity of introducing bird conservation activities in the habitat of a sun eagle (Aquila heliaca), and namely in the eastern part of the Republic of Tatarstan and in the Low Trans-Volga region. The priority of localities, where the bird protection devices are installed was defined together with the ornithologists from the Russian Bird Conservation Union. In cooperation with the experts the engineers of the company identified the power grid facilities, which run through the protected natural reserves and the routs of bird migration.
This summer the company adopted “Requirements towards bird protection devices”, which are applied at the overhead power lines 6-10 kW in the distribution grids of OAO Grid Company. This document regulates main ways of protecting birds from negative impact of overhead power transmission lines 6-10 kW.
The most active process of bird conservation activities implementation, which are aimed at protecting rare bird species from electric current is going on in Bavlinskiy district of the Republic of Tatarstan. The main ways of protecting the birds from electric current impact are using mechanical bird protection devices and self-supported insulation wire.
Thus, 312 sets of bird protection devices have been put at power transmission lines in Bavlinskiy distribution zone of the Bugulminsk power grids since the beginning of the year. The construction of this equipment prevents wires fault at the moment of large birds’ taking off and landing. All the set up bird protection devices have conformity certificates. As power engineers point out, after the installation of bird protection devices, there has been observed a slight reduction in the number of line disconnections.
Similar work has been conducted in the responsibility zone of other branches of OAO Power Grid Company. For the 9 months of 2012 1561 special bird protection devices (BPD – 6-10 kV) have been introduced on overhead power transmission lines 6-10 kV, of which 873 have been set up in Bugulminsk power grids, 93 – in Elabuga power grids, 45 – in Nizhnekamsk power grids. Thus, in total in 2012 about 105 km of overhead power lines with the capacity of 6-10 kV.
The optimal solution for the issue of birds safety in the operation of power grid facilities is using self-supported insulated wire. It is absolutely harmless for any birds species and does not require any additional appliances for safety provision. OAO Power Grid Company ahs over 5 thousand km of overhead power lines 0.38-10 kV, in which self-supporting insulated wire is used. A modern transmission tower for the overhead line 10 kV with suspended insulators. Such a line with the length of over 5 km was mounted in the vicinity of the village of Salikhovo in Bavlinskiy distribution zone.
In the same region pilot bio acoustic bird protection devices have been installed at the substation 35 kV Chuti of Bugulminsk power grids. Their functional concept is based on the the imitation of hunting cries of flesh birds. Their efficiency is proved by the fact that the failures in the equipment of the substation due to birds getting into voltage have ceased after introducing these acoustic devices.
During the year power engineers together with environmentalists and ornithologists will supervise the situation at power facilities near birds migration zones to be able to continue the introduction of environmental measures aimed at saving the animal world.
Метки: elelectricity, environmental issues, grid company, overhead power transmission lines
