It has almost 100,000 kilometers of power lines, the length equivalent to 2.5 times around planet Earth. And of these, more than half of the wiring passes through rural environments or forested areas. These are the electrical infrastructures that Endesa has throughout Catalonia and that, in a situation of extreme drought like the current one, have to be protected as much as possible to avoid any fire or environmental incident.
Today the company presented the annual forest protection campaign in Catalonia in the green ring of Terrassa. In total, the firm will invest almost 20 million euros to protect 52,628 air kilometers – 53% of the Catalan lines – installed in the middle of a living and constantly changing nature.
In its preventive tasks, it uses drones, helicopters with thermal cameras and laser scanning to create 3D visualizations that allow checking the status of the electrical grid from the air. These works, as explained by Francesc López, head of high voltage maintenance at the company, are complemented by “on-line inspections, with selective felling and purging of the trees, bushes and undergrowth that grow around the towers and wiring. ”, to minimize the risk of fire.
The tasks are carried out in coordination with the ADF of Osona, specialized in vertical work. The entity has shown, as a novelty, the incorporation of a helmet with preventive multifunctions that facilitate and improve work and reaction and response in case of emergencies. It also has a hearing protection system that minimizes noise, equipped with Bluetooth and a radio system that allows simultaneous connection with up to 16 people and a distance of 600 meters. Endesa also has a remote-controlled clearing machine that is controlled remotely and improves the safety and health conditions of its workers (they do not suffer vibrations, fatigue or inhale combustion gases).
