Throughout Spain, and also in Asturias, teams of nature “geeks” dedicate all the time necessary to spy on and meticulously follow those animals that could be affected by the deployment of a renewable energy project such as the wind farms that abound in Western Asturias. For example, if there is a pair of golden eagles and it is suspected that they may roam the area where a park will be installed, the “geeks” watch where they sleep, what their favorite hunting areas are, where they nest and if they manage to feed their offspring. They even install cameras in their nests to check what they eat and how the young are evolving, or the specimens are captured to place a geolocator on them, allowing them to know where they move and knowing their habits in detail.
The “geeks” thing is not a gratuitous disqualification, far from it. That was the word used in a recent act on wind energy by Javier Granero, director of the Oviedo environmental consultancy Taxus. In fact, in a way, this graduate in Environmental Sciences is proudly one of those “geeks”, and that explains why his company is one of the most requested to analyze the possible impact on nature of the flood of green energy infrastructures that is pending. of approval in Asturias. The Principality has just knocked down the Xugus, Teixo and El Tronco parks – with a total of 13 mills – due to unfavorable environmental reports from the Taramundi and Boal town councils.
Still, wind farms continue to stand out in the renewable fever sweeping the region. Granero explains that, among the many aspects that are studied when calibrating the incidence of these constructions, special emphasis is placed on birds and bats. “These animals are the groups of fauna that are most vulnerable to their operation, since they can collide with the blades of wind turbines and can pose a problem for the populations of some species,” he points out.
Those in charge of working on the ground are a group of biologists, environmentalists and other technicians.
They are in charge of following the animals day and night, traversing rough terrain and far from built-up areas, using binoculars, telescopes and devices to detect bats, devices capable of capturing ultrasound, imperceptible to the human ear, which is emitted by these nocturnal creatures.
The specialists are stationed at observation stations from which they observe the birds that fly over the land, they walk routes where they note all the fauna that crosses their path and, also, they use camera traps, half hidden among bushes. and rocks and equipped with a sensor to photograph or record the most elusive animals. Nests, burrows, colonies, caves, ponds or any place that can be used for the reproduction or rest of the local fauna are also sought.
“These field studies are exhaustive and have the participation of several technicians who visit the place and its surroundings, every week, throughout a whole year, and, thus, know the ins and outs of that area and be able to predict if that is a good location to install a wind farm”, explains Granero.
But environmental impact analyzes are not limited to renewable energy infrastructures. It is also essential to do so for any industrial project, be it a factory, a power or thermal power plant or, in general, facilities with high energy consumption and intense processing of raw materials and fossil fuels. That is the mission of Origen Solutions, led by Santiago Lanza, which in recent months has been involved in decarbonisation projects such as Arcelor in Gijón or the La Pereda plant in Mieres.
The teams are made up of all kinds of profiles, including geologists, chemists, biologists, engineers, architects, lawyers and even archaeologists, in the event that the works affect historical heritage or reveal a relic or valuable site.
Lanza explains that the studies analyze variables such as “the consumption of raw materials, the generation of discharges, atmospheric emissions and noise and vibrations, the possible generation of waste and soil contamination”. To do this, samples are collected from nearby rivers and streams, as well as from the soil.
For example, in the case of an industrial project that may be harmful due to its gas emissions into the atmosphere, the first thing to do is “to carry out an exhaustive evaluation by conducting a dispersion study of atmospheric pollutants”. For these studies, computer simulators are used –one of the most widely used is CALPUFF– that evaluate how these polluting products leave the factories, taking into account factors such as the height of the chimneys, the concentration of pollutants or the outlet temperature of the gases. The geographical relief of the environment and its climate are also taken into account, so that it can be known if the emissions violate the legal values of air quality. Photographs and digital replicas of the environment are also taken in case the industrial transformation can severely modify the landscape.