Over recent weeks, Red Eléctrica has installed state-of-the-art bird-flight diverters to protect birdlife on power lines in the Huesca Pyrenees. This includes the 220 kV Sesué–T de Sesué line, located in the vicinity of Campo (Upper Aragón region). 

These consist of double-sided reflective devices installed on the line’s earth wires. Located at the highest point of the circuit, they serve to shield the infrastructure from electrical discharges during storms. As earth wires have a smaller diameter than conductor cables, they are less visible to birds. This makes it essential to take action in the most critical areas previously identfied to prevent collisions. 

The most distinctive aspect of this work is that the reflectors were installed using drones. This allowed the line to remain in service throughout the entire process, eliminating the need for the company’s technicians to work at great heights on the upper sections of the towers. 

To determine which spans —the sections of wire between two towers— required bird-flight diverters, various resources were used. These included risk maps from the ‘Identification, Characterisation and Mapping of the Flight Paths of Birds that Interact with High-Voltage Power Lines’ project, as well as data provided by regional authorities, local conservation groups and recovery studies for specific species such as the bearded vulture. 
This project is part of the marking plan implemented by Red Eléctrica to equip power lines with devices such as those used in Huesca or similar solutions. 

At the same time, markers have also been installed along this and other routes. This contributes to the integration of infrastructure into the natural environment while fostering optimal interaction with the various stakeholders who operate near them. 

Line marking —whether through the installation of markers or bird-flight diverters— plays a key role in protecting birdlife, one of the main objectives outlined in the Sustainability Plan of Redeia, Red Eléctrica’s parent company.