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Endesa joins the Ovihuec.Sost project to promote forest management using a municipal flock in the Aran Valley.
The agreement seeks to reinforce preventive work against forest fires, the recovery of natural environments, and the use of extensive livestock farming as a landscape manager.
The project incorporates technology applied to livestock management, such as geolocation systems and virtual fencing.
Endesa has begun using goats and sheep for the maintenance and clearance of land located beneath the power lines managed by e-distribución, its electricity networks subsidiary. The initiative reinforces fire prevention through nature-based solutions, while also contributing to landscape conservation and supporting local livestock farming.
The company has joined the Ovihuec.Sost project, promoted by the Vilamòs City Council and the General Council of Aran and coordinated by the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA). The aim is to consolidate the pilot project using the municipal flock to clear the undergrowth in Vilamòs forest areas where power lines run.
The agreement establishes the collaboration framework between the parties to advance the development and validation of a forest management model based on extensive livestock farming, aimed at reducing the risk of forest fires and improving the security of electricity supply in high-mountain environments.
The idea behind the project is based on the creation of a publicly owned flock by the Vilamòs City Council with the aim of providing ecosystem services. This flock consists of more than 250 sheep and goats, with complementary roles: while sheep act on the herbaceous layer, goats specifically contribute to controlling the undergrowth and shrubs, which is key to preventing forest fires.
Geolocation and virtual collars
The project incorporates technology applied to livestock management, such as geolocation systems and virtual fencing, and is currently the only one in Spain working simultaneously with smart collars from three different suppliers to evaluate their performance in high-mountain environments.
In the words of the mayor of Vilamòs and Councillor for Innovation of the General Council, Oriol Sala: “Extensive livestock farming fulfils a landscape management function that we must highlight, and this agreement is an important step towards demonstrating the value of prevention through the maintenance of vegetation under power lines that the flock will carry out.”
The Ovihuec.Sost project is scientifically led by the IRTA, which is responsible for technical coordination, monitoring, and evaluating the results. “The value of the OVIHUEC.SOST project lies in its ability to combine scientific knowledge, technology, and land management. We are studying not only the positive impact on vegetation, biodiversity, and fire prevention, but also aspects related to animal behaviour, adaptation, and welfare in managed grazing systems, as well as the assessment of the ecosystem services they provide. The results will help us define replicable models that can be applied in other areas of Europe,” explains Antoni Dalmau, IRTA researcher in Animal Welfare.
Endesa's incorporation into the project
Endesa's incorporation into the Ovihuec.Sost project allows extensive livestock farming to be integrated as one of the lines of its preventive forest management strategy, which combines selective felling and pruning with advanced technologies and innovative solutions for vegetation control beneath power lines.
Endesa, through e-distribución, its networks subsidiary, carries out extensive inspection, preventive maintenance, and vegetation management work every year around power lines to reduce incidents during the months of highest system demand and minimise the risk of fires near electrical infrastructure. Long-range drones, AI, and the latest technologies are combined with fieldwork to strengthen the grid and improve its coexistence with the natural environment in which it is integrated.
Managed grazing is presented as a highly valuable complementary tool, as it allows for a natural and sustained reduction in combustible vegetation, especially in hard-to-reach areas. The model proposed by Ovihuec.Sost provides an innovative and complementary solution to conventional maintenance, while integrating environmental and social benefits linked to land management and extensive livestock farming.
One of the key objectives of the agreement is to work jointly on the development of replicable and scalable management models that can be implemented in other areas of Catalonia with similar characteristics. The Vilamòs experience therefore becomes a benchmark pilot case, with a clear focus on knowledge transfer and practical application in the forest management of areas located beneath power lines managed by Endesa's distribution subsidiary in other territories.
About Endesa
Endesa is the leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. The company develops an integrated business model covering electricity generation, distribution, and supply, and offers value-added services focused on the electrification of energy use for households, businesses, and public administrations. Endesa is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and corporate social responsibility. In this area, it also operates through the Endesa Foundation. Our team consists of around 9,000 employees. Endesa is part of Enel.