True horsepower to the rescue in main electrical energy mission

Actual horsepower is getting used to scale back the affect of tree removing wanted for upkeep of the electrical energy community in Scotland.

For the primary time because the community was modernised, Scottish & Southern Electrical energy Networks (SSEN) Transmission is extracting timber with heavy horses to keep away from pointless harm to the atmosphere.

SSEN Transmission is working with Future Forestry, which operates throughout the nation and has discovered that “there may be nonetheless a spot for horse logging the place entry, house, environmental, or floor sensitivities don’t permit for modern-day equipment”.

The enterprise has recruited equine group members Eli, Luke and Ben.

Future Forestry director of operations Angie Smith mentioned: “It has at all times been our mission to be forward-thinking with funding in new applied sciences to make work safer and extra environment friendly, however time-saving isn’t at all times the principle precedence on a variety of our worksites.

“Now we have to contemplate the atmosphere we’re working in and the way we are able to go away a web site having brought about as little affect as attainable on what stays. It’s at all times a stability between getting worth for our shoppers and mitigating our affect.

“Once I heard that the earlier proprietor John was retiring from working with the heavy horses, I knew we had a spot for them, even on a few of our industrial contracts. Our improbable equine supervisor, Annie Hutchison, spent a yr settling them in after their transfer from Rochdale and has additionally been serving to with employees coaching. We at the moment have 4 employees members who’ve undergone horse logging coaching programs as members of the British Horse Loggers.”

The horses have labored on tasks together with one for SSEN Transmission close to Brechin in Angus.

“Future Forestry’s work on the spur that connects the overhead line to the Brechin substation is the ultimate section of the resilience work on the 132kV overhead line circuits from Tealing to Arbroath,” an SSEN Transmission spokesperson mentioned, including that the location was classed as high-risk owing to the dimensions and place of conifers, which needed to be eliminated.

“Serving to to minimise disturbance, guide tree slicing together with horse logging was used to sensitively extract timber from amongst the broadleaf bushes which might be being retained as an area that the encompassing properties’ use.”

SSEN Transmission’s Martin Sangster mentioned the corporate was supportive when Future Forestry prompt the thought.

“It additionally alleviated the issues of close by residents who have been nervous all bushes have been being eliminated with heavy equipment,” he mentioned. “On studying of the horse logging method, they grew to become supportive of the plans and appreciative of the steps being taken to scale back the affect of felling operations.”

British Horse Loggers Charitable Belief chair Steffi Schaffler mentioned: “Horse logging is a technique of extracting timber from forestry websites that’s delicate, sustainable and efficient. Horses don’t exchange machines however do jobs that wouldn’t be attainable with different strategies.

“They make it attainable to maintain the forestry system intact whereas extracting giant quantities of timber with out harm to the bottom or the standing crop.”

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H&H information editor

Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Captivated with equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all points of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of alternative is showjumping, through which she competes her personal horses, and he or she additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping exhibits by means of to worldwide championships.