Page 12 - Energize April 2021

NEWS

Pioneering the Avifauna zero loss programme

orking in collaboration with communities. The team of monitors are sited at three vantage points, seven days a week, and are
conservation organisations, responsible for the implementation of this rigorous programme through active communication
WBioTherm Energy’s Excelsior with the operators.
Wind Energy Facility, in the Western Cape, is BioTherm Energy also recognises that in the Overberg region, where the Excelsior Wind
pioneering the wind industry’s approach to Energy Facility is situated, many bird species are also susceptible to powerline collisions, which
conserving avifauna. The programmes that has been well documented by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). This poses a significantly
are being implemented go beyond looking at greater threat to certain species than wind turbines, including South Africa’s national bird, the
the potential impact of their wind farm on Blue Crane.
birds through mitigation, but are also aimed “We approached the EWT to discuss potential conservation initiatives, and the result was
at a net gain in priority species, including the rollout of over four thousand bird flight diverters to mitigate avifauna fatalities along
Cape Vulture, Black Harrier, Verreaux’s Eagle high-risk powerlines near, but not directly associated with, our project. We believe that this
and Martial Eagle. initiative will prevent needless collisions by Blue Cranes, Cape Vultures, and a host of other
The on-site mitigation programme raptors. We have no doubt that, through this kind of collaboration, we can create innovative
to avoid losses includes an industry-first solutions where both conservation and renewable energy can coexist and even enhance each
implementation of an observer-led ‘Shut other,” commented Hirshon.
Down on Demand’ (SDOD) system for The EWT’s Wildlife and Energy Programme Programme Manager, Lourens Leeuwner,
priority species. was recently reported in the media saying, “It is extremely encouraging to see an IPP actively
The SDOD system is implemented seeking opportunities to conserve priority bird species in the regions surrounding their facilities.
through notification by a team of bird BioTherm Energy is actively engaging with project partners and looking to bolster conservation
monitors to the wind farm’s on-site initiatives around their wind energy facilities”.
operations room, where individual wind The wind farm’s off-site conservation activities also include work with the Overberg
turbines are switched off when the priority Renosterveld Conservation Trust (ORCT) to provide funding for the securing of easements for the
species are in the vicinity, and switched on protection of the Renosterveld (a critical habitat for the Black Harrier).
again once the bird has passed by.
This SDOD system, which was piloted in
August 2020 before being fully implemented,
has to-date resulted in no less than sixty
SDODs being successfully called for.
“This direct mitigation through
shutdowns has resulted in zero loss of
priority species to date, meaning that we can
proudly say that there have been no turbine
collision fatalities so far, and we expect the
same into the future,” said Libby Hirshon,
BioTherm Energy’s Sustainability Director.
Additionally, the programme provides
local job creation. The eight biodiversity
monitors, who are predominately female,
in addition to their supervisor, have
been recruited from the surrounding

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