Life Danube free sky

The LIFE Danube Free Sky project represents a unique example of wide transnational cooperation. Strong collaboration is present across 8 countries (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Germany) and involves the private sector (8 electric companies, 1 railway company), nature conservation authorities, and municipal entities. The project presents a solution to the risk of interaction with a power line. The target is the protection and conservation of 12 bird species within Natura 2000 areas and Protected Areas.

The Danube forms dense ecological networks and often is the backbone for bio-corridors. In addition, the corridor and its adjacent areas attract hundreds of bird species. Every year millions of birds follow the Danube on their spring and autumn odyssey to and from distant migrating sites. The Lower Danube and Danube Delta alone host some 360 species of birds, including the rare Dalmatian Pelican, as well as 90% of the world population of Red-breasted Geese. Many of these species have undergone a dramatic decline in recent decades with electrocution and/or collision killing 20% of the reproductive population of the Imperial Eagle, the Saker Falcon, and the Dalmatian Pelican.

ENEL participates with Distribution Romanian company EDD (Enel Distributie Dobrogea), with actions aimed at:

• - reduction and prevention of direct and indirect bird mortality caused by electrocution and collisions with the power lines

ENEL actions are aimed at securing the networks (bird collision devices and conductor insulation) on about 40 km of HV and MV networks within the protected area of the Danube Delta.

Project duration 6 years (Start date: 01/09/2020 End date: 28/02/2026).