Building of Research Team in the Field of Environmental Modeling

and the Use ofGeoinformation Systems with the Consequence in Participation in

InternationalNetworks and Programs

Registry number: CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0170

The spatial impact of high voltage transmission lines over the

European landscape

Mircea ARDELEAN

High Voltage Lines Corridors

•What are the high voltage line corridors?

•Methodology

•What is their impact over the space?

•Conclusions

High Voltage Lines Corridors

What are the high voltage line corridors?

High Voltage Lines Corridors

What are the high voltage line corridors?

20-80 m

Right of Way (ROW)

High Voltage Lines Corridors

What are the high voltage line corridors?

•Right of Way – differs from country to country• 20-25 m …………. Below 110kV• 35-40 m …………. 110kV• 50-60 m …………. 220kV• 70-80 m …………. 400kV• 80-90 m …………. 750kV

•Importance:• Access for maintenance• Protection from accidents

• Restrictions on building and activities• Act as selective and partial barrier• Impact over the economy of the crossed spaces• Disrupt the space

High Voltage Lines Corridors

•What are the high voltage line corridors?

•Methodology

•What is their impact over the space?

•Conclusions

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Methodology

•Source of data• PLATTS electrical transmission dataset• European Population Grid GESTAT• Corine Land Cover 2006• Natura 2000• Soil Atlas• …other datasets

•Reliability

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Methodology – the work flow

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Methodology

•High population density areas• Above 300 in./km2

• 85% of population lives in areas with densities ≥ 300 in./km2

•= average European population density 150 in./ km2 X 2

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Methodology

•Cost estimation• 3% lower real estate price neighboring an electric line(McNair & Abelson, 2010)

• Land below an electric line is lost for real estate• land price = 50 euro /sqm as European average

High Voltage Lines Corridors

•What are the high voltage line corridors?

•Methodology

•What is their impact over the space?

•Conclusions

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact

• High voltage corridors:

12 000 km2 area, 240 000 km length

0,25% from total area, 5 km/100km2

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact

• Corridors cost in high density areas

400 km2 area, 8800 km length

0,30% from total area

6,6 km/100km2

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact

• Corridors cost in high density areas

20 bln €

600 mln €

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact

• Corridors in Natura 2000

1287 km2

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact

• Corridors in CLC 2006

CLC 2006 classes km2 11x Artificial surfaces - Urban 447 12x Artificial surfaces - Industrial 227 14x Artificial surfaces - Green urban areas 43 21x Agricultural areas - Arable land 6293 31x Forest and semi natural areas - Forests 2550 32x Forest and semi natural areas - Scrub, Natural grasslands 911 41x Wetlands 235

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact – Case study: Czech Republic

Area: 267 km2

Length: 5330 km

Urban area: 24 km2

Urban length: 480 km

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Impact – Case study: Czech Republic

11x Artificial urban: 10 km2

12x-13x Artificial industrial: 3 km2

14x Artificial green: 0,5 km2

21x-24x Agricultural arable: 174 km2

31x Forests: 45 km2

32x-33x Grassland: 2 km2

4xx-5xx Wetlands&Water: 1,5 km2

High Voltage Lines Corridors

•What are the high voltage line corridors?

•Methodology

•What is their impact over the space?

•Conclusions

High Voltage Lines Corridors

Conclusions

•Affected area: 12000 km2 – Size of small country

•Estimated costs:• more than 20 bln euros in real estate• more than 3,5 bln euros in forests

• Remedies•Underground cables•Increase line’s capacity•Distributed energy

Thank you !

Mircea ARDELEAN