News
2014-08-22
Meeting with Swissgrid in Basel
We met Swissgrid, the Swiss TSO, on August 22 in Laufenburg near Basel. Swissgrid had answered our call for partnership launched in March 2014.
Swissgrid and LIFE Elia presentation
Swissgrid, the only TSO in Switzerland, is operating high tension lines of 220 and 380 kV on a grid of 6.700 km long encompassing 15.000 pylons. Ongoing projects are targeting overhead lines : the enhancing of 1.000 km and the construction of 300 km. But as faced by many other TSO, permit processes are often long and energy consuming.
Renewing the right of way on high-tension line easements is the perfect moment for the TSO to think about another way to manage vegetation. Swissgrid is now active in considering biodiversity as a goal to reach in the set up of new management plan. Another big concern to be taken into account is the importance of landscape issues on public acceptance. New plans should strive to integrate this dimension.
Visit on-site in forest corridors
We visited a line where edges were created just after a clear cut. A pond was also dug. The central corridor is mowed by a farmer as it used to be. All these management plans were establish through private subcontractors who are in charge of proposition plans and negotiating with landowners.
