The protocol, that has a four-year term, includes joint initiatives in which other collaborating organisations will also participate and which will allow activities, with an estimated cost of almost one million euros, to be carried out in Andalusia.

This collaboration framework will make it possible to coordinate the activities geared towards the development and maintenance of electricity infrastructures in Andalusia. These activities are necessary to strengthen transmission grid meshing, improve the guarantee and security of the electricity supply and will allow the integration of new generation obtained from renewable energies to be carried out with the utmost respect towards natural resources and by means of recovery and improvement of the natural surroundings.

Environmental proceedings
Red Eléctrica de España will coordinate with the Environment Ministry for the region of Andalusia the projects regarding the new electricity infrastructures so as to favour and streamline the environmental process.

In this sense, Red Eléctrica will soon present the proposal for the development of the transmission grid in Andalusia within the 2012-2020 planning document for its subsequent study and approval by the Ministry of Industry.

Fighting and prevention of forest fires
The agreement will also allow the renewal of the present agreement regarding the fighting and prevention of forest fires with the incorporation of plans with a five-year term, in addition to allocating a budget of 20,000 euros per year for the training of specialised personnel belonging to the Junta de Andalucía, the development of activities to educate the public concerning measures regarding fire fighting and prevention and specific informative campaigns.

Birdlife protection and improvement and conservation of the flora and fauna habitats
Measures will be promoted for the protection of birdlife regarding electricity transmission facilities and those geared towards reducing the risk of collisions of birds with the electricity lines owned by Red Eléctrica de España. The forecasted investment in this area will be 550,000 euros.

These activities shall also be directed towards the reforestation and regeneration of the cork oak grove in the Cinchado highland and Pilar de la Brama areas, located in the Parque de los Alcornocales, in the municipality of Medina Sidonia (Cádiz).

This project, with a budget of 180,000 euros, will be carried out on a surface of 443 hectares and it seeks to favour the expansion of this leafy tree species, hence contributing to the biodiversity of the area. Also, it will allow greenhouse gas emissions derived from the activities of Red Eléctrica to be compensated for, thanks to the CO2 fixation effect of the planted specimens.

The fight against climate change
In addition to the effect on climate change derived from the aforementioned action, Red Eléctrica de España has a voluntary commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and adheres to the Andalusian system for the compensation of greenhouse gas emissions. For this, an emissions audit of Red Eléctrica?s work centres in Andalusia, of the company?s vehicle fleet and the movements carried out by its employees shall be carried out.

Similarly, other activities oriented towards biodiversity improvement and the dissemination of information regarding environmental awareness will be carried out. Noteworthy amongst these are the following: Red Eléctrica?s involvement in the international convention "Climate change and the urban environment" to be held in October this year at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide, in Seville; the co-financing, along with the Andalusian Regional Environment Ministry, of the project "Conservation and management in the special protection zones for Andalusian Steppe birds"; collaboration with the Doñana Biological Station for the project "Analysis of the effects of global change on passeriform birds"; the signing of the addenda with the Migres Foundation on the project "The effect of luminance contamination on the migratory flows of invertebrates in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar", the development of the Redlife project of dissemination of natural values, and other environmental collaborations with the University of Málaga.