Under the EU’s LIFE program, the company installed 130 stork platforms and placed 1,100 marking devices
EDG West will make nearly 2,500 electric poles safer for birds in Pleven and Lovech districts, additionally install 130 stork nesting platforms and place about 1,100 marking devices on overhead power lines in both districts to minimize bird strikes in them. The plans were announced at an event in Lukovit, where EDG West presented the progress of the two projects under the LIFE program together with its partner – Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPS).
In the course of the projects, field surveys were carried out and the most risky places for birds along the network were located.
One of the key goals of the projects is to develop a standard and subsequently a prototype of a special console to make the poles safe for birds. The assembly of the prototype consoles started from a specially protected zone Obnova in Levski municipality. There, 16 consoles will be installed to be pilot tested. The next step is for BSPS experts to observe the effect of the security and the new construction to determine whether the objectives have been achieved – minimized bird mortality.
To date, under the projects “Life for Birds” (LIFE16 NAT/BG/000612) and “Safe Flight for Birds on the Danube” (LIFE19 NAT/SK/001023), a total of 3680 poles have been secured, 1200 diverters have been placed and nearly 940 have been installed stork platforms.
