Drones map remote habitats for nature insights

Credit: Artem Hvozdkov

Published on: January 21, 2026

The energy transition is in full swing, and efficient ecological research is crucial to ensure that projects progress smoothly. For the upgrade of the 42 km, 380 kV transmission line between Doetinchem and Dodewaard in the Netherlands, drones were used to effectively map the local ecology.

In this project, Sweco deployed drones to support ecological assessments for the high-voltage grid. These drones proved instrumental in identifying nests of protected birds in the transmission towers. When birds were present, high-definition cameras enabled accurate species identification and even the presence of eggs in nests, insights which would be impossible from ground-based inspections.

High-resolution orthomosaics of the project location were created during these field visits, providing a comprehensive digital overview with resolutions of up to 1 cm. This precision enabled ecologists to examine the site in depth and observe even the smallest features. Crucially, all of this was conducted non-intrusively from higher altitudes, ensuring that local flora and fauna were not disturbed.

Drones are increasingly employed in ecological research to map habitats efficiently and gain insights into plant communities–through both manual analysis and AI-powered identification of invasive or rare species. Thermal imaging is another valuable application, enabling the efficient detection of animals and their burrows or setts. These advanced techniques ensure accurate and rapid ecological assessments, providing new perspectives while maintaining safety and minimising disturbance to the environment.

It’s been almost 10 years since TenneT signed the national Green Deal Infrastructure. This initiative aims to improve biodiversity around our infrastructure. Together with all stakeholders, we want infrastructure management to go hand in hand with improving biodiversity and nature development. Drones are increasingly being used for maintenance and inspections. The fact that this is now also being applied to the ecological research necessary for replacing conductors to increase power capacity feels like a logical next step, allowing us to conduct ecological surveys even more accurately and without harming permanent flora and fauna.

– Pauline Sterk-Tiecken, Community Relations Manager, TenneT TSO B.V.