PASTOREO FV project: livestock management in renewable energy facilities in Extremadura

CICYTEX coordinates the FV PASTOREO project that highlights good livestock management and environmental practices in the region. renewable energy installations. The ENTRETANTOS Foundation has organized a meeting to discuss this topic.

This initiative was developed in collaboration with the FUNPASOS, ENTRETANTOS and COOPRADO foundations, and representatives of local and regional authorities, technical staff from the energy and pastoral sectors, the livestock sector and research centers participated through a webinar in which innovative experiences were shared relating to grazing in connection with the generation and transport of electricity. Furthermore, this activity has made it possible to give visibility to good practices in both livestock management and environmental practices in the field of renewable energy facilities.

Valentín Maya, researcher at CICYTEX, has been in charge of explaining the phases, goals and first results of the project, which seeks to understand how improve the biodiversity of the facilities and its environment, regenerative livestock management associated with an improvement in vegetation cover, and also what needs and conditions exist to carry out this use as a service adapted to the control of vegetation in solar energy installations, in addition other issues.

Technological innovation and grazing

During the meeting, several innovative experiences were shared, including one developed by the company TESELA SL. The manager, Beatriz Román, has set his project to be a network of beekeepers in solar power plants and the production and sale of an associated brand, ‘solar honey’, which reaches international markets.

This network arises from agreements with beekeepers in various autonomous communities and with those responsible for solar power plants. This model facilitates beekeeping because the soil is protected by fencing and also improves beekeeping systems pollination.

SIGRE 2024 350x238 1

Ramiro Palacios, from the company AGROVIDAR, also participated and shared his experience environmental service through grazing to control vegetation under electrical networks, which has been in the works for several years. During the meeting, he spoke about the different herding models in use, the economic and technical results of the experience, and the agreement and contract model with the herders.

The webinar concluded with Belén Covelo, from Som Energía, a consumer and non-profit sustainable energy production. In his speech he explained two of the experiences in which he works through an agreement with local shepherds to maintain two photovoltaic power stations in Andalusia. The day was facilitated by technical staff from the ENTRETANTOS Foundation, responsible for the transfer and dissemination of the results of the PASTOREO FV project.

PASTOREO-FV receives the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), funded by the European Union with Next Generation EU funds .

The PASTOREO FV project makes good livestock management and environmental practices visible in renewable energy facilities meeting with more than 60 participants which is coordinated by the Scientific and Technological Research Center of Extremadura (CICYTEX).