Elia joins SafeLines4Birds to reduce power line avian collisions
Elia is one of three Belgian stakeholders to join the SafeLines4Birds consortium, which is directed at upgrading electricity power lines to reduce bird collisions and their associated mortality rates and power outages.
In Belgium, Transmission System Operator (TSO) Elia will coordinate on the ground and on the grid actions alongside NGOs Natuurpunt, which protects vulnerable and endangered species in Flanders, and Natagora, which aims to protect nature and halt biodiversity degradation. The NGOs will coordinate site selection.
Collision with power lines, electrocution and disturbances during the breeding season are major threats to some birds, causing the deaths of millions worldwide each year, and in some cases posing a real threat to population viability.
While these collisions have significant impact on such populations, according to BirdLife International, bird collisions are known to cause significant power cuts, outages and fires during periods of drought.
To reduce the rates of these collisions, the consortium will adopt new approaches, including the testing of new bird flight diverter devices such as the US ultraviolet Avian Collision Avoidance System (ACAS).
To reduce the risk of electrocution, hazardous electricity poles will be insulated, with bird deterrent devices being installed at the most high-risk sites. Platforms and perches will also be fitted to protect perching or nesting birds.
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140km high-voltage collision mitigation
According to Elia, bird experts have already mapped out collision risk for the entire Belgian high-voltage grid, lending an understanding of which lines pose the greatest risk.
Currently, 140km of high-voltage lines on the territory have diverters. Elia has set an interim target of installing 200km of lines with diverters by 2030 and will identify and prioritise the most important risk areas.
The work of the consortium will pave the way for more techniques and knowledge sharing in Europe.
According to data from a study on avian collisions – Hotspots in the grid: Avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and North Africa – exposure to collision risk varies across species, with some flying consistently at heights of significant impact risk. SafeLines4Birds focuses on 13 species most impacted by power lines in France, Belgium and Portugal.
Results from the consortium’s actions will be gathered and shared to understand the interactions between birds and infrastructure and to assess the effectiveness of the mitigation measures tested.
The project is coordinated by a French NGO, Ligue Pour La Protection des Oiseaux (LPO France) and relies on the collaboration between TSOs such as Elia alongside Distribution System Operators (DSOs), NGOs and scientific experts from France, Belgium, Portugal, Germany and the United States.
French partners include Enedis (DSO) and RTE (TSO). In Portugal, the NGO Sociedade Portuguesa Para O Estudodas Aves (SPEA) and E-Redes (DSO) are participating, as is BIOPOLIS-CiBIO (a non-profit private company active in research into the impact of energy structures on biodiversity).
Other SafeLines4Birds partners also include the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), a Berlin-based environmental NGO involving collaboration between European TSOs. Finally, EDM International (USA) contributes a team of avian specialists.
The project is co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme – a funding instrument for the environment and climate action – and has a budget of nearly €14.2 million ($15.6 million). Launched in March this year, it will run until December 2028.
