Gas Natural Fenosa : Hydrographic Confederation, Provincial Council and UME form partnership for research project to reduce algae growth in As Conchas reservoir

• In partnership with the Miño-Sil Hydrographic Confederation, the Provincial Council of Ourense and the UME (Military Emergency Unit), the power company will install limnocorrals in isolated, enclosed parts of As Conchas to study and assess the effectiveness of various treatments for controlling the proliferation of algae.

• The UME will take part in the sampling and analysis programme by providing its laboratory equipment and material under the protocol signed with GAS NATURAL FENOSA.

With this initiative, Gas Natural Fenosa is strengthening its commitment to environmental management and improving the natural surroundings, and taking part in the search for solutions to a problem that is unrelated to the power generation activities that take place at the hydropower plants owned by the company.

In partnership with the Miño-Sil Hydrographic Confederation, the Provincial Council of Ourense and the UME, GAS NATURAL FENOSA is undertaking a research project aimed at reducing the proliferation of the blue-green algae that usually grow in the As Conchas reservoir during the summer. The plan, which was presented today at Muiños Town Hall, consists of installing limnocorrals in isolated, enclosed parts of the As Conchas reservoir to conduct a sampling and analysis programme that will enable the effectiveness of various treatments for controlling the proliferation of algae to be assessed.

At the event, the Director of the Hydraulics Unit of Gas Natural Fenosa, Jordi Vich, recalled that 'the causes leading to the spread of algae in As Conchas are diverse and unrelated to activity at the company's power plants', stressing that 'Gas Natural Fenosa is committed to environmental management and plays an active role in the search for solutions to avoid the proliferation of algae and improve water quality'.

Once this research is complete, the final goal will be to isolate the bathing area from the rest of the reservoir and apply localised treatment to maintain adequate water quality conditions. This will enable recreational and entertainment uses in As Conchas to be made compatible without any risk to users, leading to the corresponding benefits for the local population.

The As Conchas limnocorral project

Livestock and crop farming are among the causes leading to the growth of cyanobacteria in As Conchas due to soil filtrations in the form of nitrates and phosphates that encourage the proliferation of certain organisms that, in the presence of light and heat (especially in summer) cause the appearance of algae, especially in August and September.

The research project, which will be carried out from 4 to 12 September in Muiños, considers the use of limnocorrals. These are tubular devices measuring some 10 metres in depth used to capture nutrients concentrated in an enclosed part of the As Conchas reservoir in order to study the effectiveness of various treatments at scale, such as the addition of hydrogen peroxide (oxygenated water) or calcium hydroxide (used in such pioneering countries as Canada) in waters with similar physio-chemical properties.

The samples taken from the limnocorrals will be taken to the Rapid Identification Laboratory (LABIR) of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), which is the first level-three field biosafety laboratory with two shielded units (the laboratory itself and the ancillary container with the power generator and air conditioning unit). The laboratory has an extensive range of work equipment for analysing samples contaminated with both chemical and biological agents.

GAS NATURAL FENOSA has signed an Action Protocol with the UME that enables them to share data, conduct simulations and maintain fluid channels of communication with the GIETMA (Technological and Environmental Emergency Action Group) of the UME, allowing agreements on any kind of mission that may be identified by the Protocol Oversight Committee.

Commitment to Galicia and the environment

With this project, Gas Natural Fenosa is strengthening its commitment to Galicia and underpinning a corporate culture it has been developing for years, both for its own employees and for customers, suppliers and society in general, based on respect for and awareness of environmental issues and improving the areas where it is engaged in power generation activities.

Ourense, 4 August 2017