DTEK Odesa Grids to install casings on the lines to protect birds from electric shock

DTEK cares about the biodiversity preservation in the region, therefore, the company installs bird protection devices - polymer protective casings for insulators and adjacent wires that prevent birds from contacting live lines. They are lightweight, durable, weatherproof, their service life is up to 40 years.

“DTEK is transforming its business in accordance with the New Strategy 2030, which is based on ESG principles, values and business responsibility for progress in achieving the sustainable development goals of the UN Global Compact. We are installing bird protection devices on power lines for the second year in a row. Last year, the company installed 1,340 bird diverters on the 110 kV Ajalyk-Sychavka line. This year we will install 779 polymer protective casings along the Tiligul estuary. This is our contribution to the preservation of the Ukraine’s wildlife and fauna,” says Oleksandr Fomenko, General Director of DTEK Odesa Grids.

The energy workers together with ornithologists determined the places where it is needed to install bird diverters. They survey the territories and identify areas of lines potentially dangerous for birds, taking into account their seasonal migration and habitat halo and following the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and BirdLife International recommendations.

During the migration, there could be up to 50,000 birds of 40 species simultaneously in the Tiligul estuary: white stork, yellow heron, saker falcon, peregrine falcon, gray crane, pink pelican, ibex, etc. Some bird species are listed in the Red Book.

As a reminder, DTEK Odesa Grids installed reflective diverters on the 110 kV high-voltage power line named "Adjalyk-Sychavka". Thus, the company saves birds from death, protects them from collisions with high-voltage lines during migration, and prevents network failures and short-circuiting of power lines.