Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements:

The experience of ACCIONA

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements:

The experience of ACCIONA

Lorena García Alvero

International Environment Dpt.

EWEC 2007. MILAN. 10 May 2007

1. ACCIONA, a leader in renewables

2. Environmental issues

3. Best-Practice measures. Examples

4. New Projects

5. Conclusions

Index

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

1. ACCIONA, a leader in renewables

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

Wind energy leader, present in the main clean technologies

HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION

1. ACCIONA, a leader in renewables

Small hydroWind Photovoltaic solar

Thermal electric solar

BiodieselBiomass and cogeneration

Bioethanol

ELECTRICITY BIOFUELS

Thermal solar

HEAT

3,133 MW(1,225 other companies)

2.4 MW(26 other

companies)

142 MW59 MW 64 MW (construction)

1 MW(23 other

companies)

70,000 t 26,000 t

… and in 2 industrial businesses

INDUSTRIAL INTEGRATION

Portugal

SOLARPANELS

24 MW per annum(under development)

Vall D´UixóBarasoain ToledoNantong

WIND TURBINES

2006: 125 2006: 211 hubs31 shafts

2006: 120 2006: 36 (Cap: 360 ) (Cap: 360 ) (Cap: 400 )

1. ACCIONA, a leader in renewables

Wind power implemented by ACCIONA in the world

1. ACCIONA, a leader in renewables

Countries with windparks installed

New countries with windparks being developed

MW owned: 3,133. MW attributed: 2,348. MW installed (own property and other companies): 4,357

Canada60 MW

USA86 MW

Spain2,648 MW

France65 MW

Germany116 MW

Australia66 MW

Italy33 MW

Greece35 MW

Hungary24 MW

2. Environmental issues

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

Main points to be considered

2. Environmental issues

2.1 Ecology and Nature Conservation

2.2 Avifauna and bats

2.3 Landscape and visual Impact

2.4 Shadow Flicker

2.5 Noise

2.6 Cultural Heritage

Relevant regulatory framework

• County development plans and national planning

policies.

• Wildlife sites:

European sites: SPAs and SACs.

Country, regional protected areas.

National Parks, National Scenic Areas, Candidate Special Areas

of Conservation, RAMSAR sites…

• Local planning officers.

2.1 Ecology and Nature Conservation

No significant rates of bird collisions

• Before Construction:

12-month field survey

Control of the use of space: heigth, flight distances, crossing points on

crests, type of flight…as well as atmospheric conditions, wind conditions…

• Post - Construction:

1-5 years of monitoring

In ACCIONA’s windparks in Navarre -with almost 1,000 turbines installed now- the detected mortality rate for small, medium-sized and large birds between 2000 and 2006 have oscillated between 0.1 and 0.6 collisions per wind turbine/year

2.2. Avifauna and Bats

BIRDS - Standard methodologies: BACI

Not well-known all around the world

• Detectors to quantify bat activity.

• Identification: Echolocation calls.

• Studies focused on height patterns during flights and species

identification.

In ACCIONA’s windparks in Navarre -with almost 1,000 turbines installed

now- the detected mortality rate for bats between 2000 and 2006

have oscillated between 0.031 and 0.006 collisions per wind

turbine/year.

2.2. Avifauna and Bats

BATS

Photomontage

2.3. Landscape and visual impact

Shadow Flicker

2.4. Shadow Flicker

Shadow flickering analysis for neighbouring properties is undertaken in the design phase.

Maximum 30 h per yearMaximum 30 min per day

Noise

2.5. Noise

Maximun allowable log equivalent(hourly measurements) in dBA:

55 dBA: day time (07:00 – 22:00)

45 dBA : night time (22:00- 07:00)Source: The World Bank

Also to be taken into account:

ISO 9613-1 / 2

Cultural Heritage

• Archaeological

evaluation in advance

of construction.

• On–site archaeologist

during excavation.

2.6. Cultural Heritage

3. Best - Practice Measures

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

Best-Practice measures should be adopted by any windfarm development

• Ensuring that key areas of conservation importance are avoided.

• Implementing appropriate working practices to protect sensitive habitats.

• Employing an on-site biologist / ecologist during construction.

• Implementing an agreed postdevelopment monitoring programme.

• Timing construction to avoid sensitive periods.

• Avoiding alignments perpendicular to main flight paths.

• Providing corridors between turbines when necessary.

• Marking overhead cables: Transmission lines must be birds-friendly.

• Implementing habitat enhancement for species using the site.

3. Best-Practice Measures

Best-Practice measures should be adopted by any windfarm development

• Separation of vegetable soil when excavating, to be re-used for landfill.

• Only use the necessary surface area, taking advantage of existing access

routes to the maximum.

• Recovering the original profile of the land and sow grass to ensure its

recovery and prevent erosion.

• Removing dead livestock (attract birds).

• Identification of concrete wells, waste containers…

3. Best-Practice Measures

Examples of Best-Practice measures

3. Best-Practice Measures

Recovering the original profile of the land and sowing grass

Examples of Best-Practice measures

3. Best-Practice Measures

Corridor for birds in the El Perdón windpark (Navarre)

Use of an existing access track and regeneration of the surroundings of the Leitza windpark (Navarre)

Example of the same access road during construction and operation phase. Subsoil and topsoil were replaced “in situ”.

3. Best-Practice Measures

Polypropylene spirals rolled around two wires

3. Best-Practice Measures

Neoprene black crossed bands on conductors

3. Best-Practice Measures

4. New Projects

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

• Remote techniques: Radar.

• Currently, we are testing painted blades

in four windfarms.

• Research on acustic-deterrent device

to make bats avoid wind turbines.

• Bird radar tracking in certain species

(Bonelli’s eagle, Hieraetus fasciatus).

• Adapt the control software to stop

turbines during certain periods of time

(migration)

• Video cameras for bird surveillance.

4. New Projects

5. Conclusions

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

Environmental issues must be integrated from the first step in the wind farm design

• The implementation of wind power should be done from a perspective of

respect for the environment: Site selection is crucial to minimising

impacts.

• A postdevelopment monitoring programme is essential to verify the

predictions made in the ES, to identify the need for further mitigation

measures should they be required.

• Best – practice measures avoid environmental problems.

• Exchange of experience, knowledge and good practice in

environmental issues.

5. Conclusions

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

The experience of ACCIONA

Onshore wind and environmental impact requirements

The experience of ACCIONA

EWEC 2007. MILAN. 10 May 2007

Lorena García Alvero

International Environment Dpt.