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The importance of resource conservation, challenges and opportunities: case study of the EWT work in the SERE Wind farm
The importance of resource
conservation, challenges and
opportunities: case study of the EWT
work in the SERE Wind farm
Introduction
• South Africa is rolling out renewable energy developments quicker than most countries in an attempt to meet growing electricity demands while diversifying the energy mix
• Renewable energy facilities are generally cheap and quick to construct (ideal for countries facing an energy crisis) but produce far less energy per facility than large scale nuclear or coal facilities (40-50 wind turbines =100MW, Medupi 1 unit = 800MW, thus x6 = 4800MW). Renewable technology does not always generate at maximum capacity – sun isn`t always shining, wind isn`t always blowing
• The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Program (REIPPPP) is the vehicle through which developers apply for MW allocations and reach preferred bidder status. This enables the Department of Energy to “release” power to the grid at a rate that transmission infrastructure and substations can accommodate it
So Renewable
energy is a
green energy ?
Does it have an
impact on our
biodiversity ?
Solar PV
• Displacement
• Disturbance during construction and maintenance
• Habitat destruction (approximately 80ha per 75kw)
• Collision with PV panels
• The `lake effect` - Birds mistake the smooth reflective surface of panels for a water body and are drawn to it
• Birds nesting underneath panels
• Impacts associated with power lines
Concentrated Solar Power
• Parabolic trough systems • Displacement
• Disturbance during construction and maintenance
• Habitat destruction
• Collision with heliostats
• The `lake effect` - Birds mistake the smooth reflective surface of heliostats for a water body and are drawn to it
• Impacts associated with power lines
• Power Tower Technology
• Displacement
• Disturbance during construction and maintenance
• Habitat destruction
• Collision with heliostats
• The `lake effect` - Birds mistake the smooth reflective surface of heliostats for a water body and are drawn to it
• Impacts associated with power lines
• Collision with central receiving tower
• Burning in the focal standby points/solar flux. Usually affects faster flying species
• Creating a potential roost or perch in an otherwise uniform landscape
• `Mega Traps`
• Thermals above the central receiving tower? (565˚C)
Wind energy
• Displacement
• Disturbance during construction and maintenance
• Habitat destruction
• Collision with turbine blades (or struck by turbine blades)
• Impacts associated with power lines
• Creating a potential roost or perch (static turbines) in an otherwise uniform landscape
Associated infrastructure
• The associated infrastructure survey aims to include the positive and negative interactions of wildlife with other structures associated with the wind farm development
• This includes the power line linking Sere to the sub-station, the office building, workshop and sub-station buildings, the two meteorological masts, water tower and any other infrastructure associated with the development. The survey is completed once a month.
• The Roadkill survey focuses on the access road to Sere as well as internal roads on the facility.
In support of
SERE: Eskom’s flagship renewable project…
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Sere is Eskom’s 100MW wind farm
on the west coast of South Africa
SERE
In support of
Some technical details….
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47 turbines generating enough power to electrify 124 000
homes. Since the energising of the first wind turbine in October
2014, Sere has contributed over 332.8 GWhrs of energy to the
national power grid in the first year of operations.
In support of
A reflection…….
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A visit to Sere will leave you struck by the beauty of clean power…standing
beneath the turbines, you hear the blades breathing as they ‘swoosh’ past and
send power to the country…
In support of
Environmentally friendly…
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On 3700ha of beautiful west coast
property, the wind farm will save 6
million tons CO2 of over its operation
In support of
The Eskom / EWT partnership at SERE
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To establish what impact the wind farm might
have on the bird and bat populations, the
Eskom/EWT partnership do daily monitoring in
the form of walking a grid around the turbines.
In support of
Grid monitoring: Grids are established 125m out from the turbine
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Designed to locate any birds or bats killed by
the turbine blades, the grid walks are detailed
and are corrected for observer accuracy and
scavenger bias…..very scientific!
Locating carcasses in such terrain is a
challenge…imagine trying to find a small bat.
In support of
Local conservation at work…
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Despite the rural location of SERE, all employed staff
were sourced locally. Kirsten (the boss) is from just
down the road and responded to a newspaper advert
for the job!!
In support of 20
In support of
SERE: a partnership for renewable sustainable development
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Conclusion
Conclusion
In support of 24
Thank You ! Constant Hoogstad –
Endangered Wildlife Trust
011 372 3600
082 334 4174
