The International Day for Biological Diversity: How special protective devices installed on OPL tower help DTEK Grids save stork lives

The installation of platforms for stork nests is an important environmental and accident-prevention measure.

‘In 7 years, distribution system operators within DTEK Grids operating holding company, have mounted 158 platforms in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kyiv Regions, and in Kyiv City. Bird protection is one of the aspects of the systemic efforts taken by DSO of DTEK Grids in the area of sustainable development,’ said DTEK Grids CEO Ivan Gelyukh.

It is quite common for storks to build their nests on power towers, and this is the reason why special structures are required. Nests with a diameter in the range of two to three meters and weighing up to 500 kg pose a threat to both the birds and uninterrupted operation of electricity supply systems.

The first special safe nest for storks was installed back in the autumn of 2013 in Pishchanka village in Novomoskovsk District of Dnipropetrovsk Region.

The nests are made in a form of a special metal basket platform.

The platform is mounted on a power tower above the level of electric cables. This structure helps protect birds and prevent accidents that sometime happen when birds build their nests directly on power towers. When a poorly fixed nest slips into cable, this may not only result in the destruction of the nest and death of a bird but also become a cause of a major incident such as breakdown of cables, fire, and power outage.

Installation of bird protective devices is a wide and successful global practice. For instance, distribution system operators (DSO) that are members of DTEK Grids operating holding company install special polymer caps that are also called ‘casings’. All parts of a device are made of completely non-conducting materials. Complete insulation of wires allows preventing the majority of short circuits caused by birds.

Also, the DSOs install light reflective markers on conductor lines and artificial nests for the stock-dove. These efforts make power towers safe for birds.

DTEK Grids actively supports the connection of renewable generation facilities and promotes decarbonisation processes. The company honours its commitments under the UN Global Compact and reduces losses in power grids, upgrades its equipment by replacing it with environmentally friendly devices.

A video showing a process of installation of stork nests in Kyiv City and Dnipropetrovsk Region is available at the links.