With a portfolio of projects stretching across 12 countries in Europe, the Americas and Australia, we operate in a diverse variety of landscapes and ecosystems.

We understand that our operations may have an impact on the environment around us, so we work hard to ensure that mechanisms are in place to assess and mitigate those impacts at each of our projects.

Our 250 MW Mezquite project, one of the largest wind farms in Mexico, is nestled among the Sierra de Minas Viejas mountains in the north-eastern state of Nuevo León.

This stunning location provides an excellent wind resource, producing enough clean energy to power more than 100,000 homes in the state’s capital Monterrey and contributing to the avoidance of more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.

The surrounding mountains and desert-like landscape are also home to an incredible range of wildlife, including a variety of plants, insects, reptiles and rodents, as well as armadillos, deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, lynxes and bears. The area is also well-known for its bird population.

As part of our commitment to operating in an environmentally responsible manner to protect the ecosystems we share in, we have established a bird monitoring programme at the project.

The programme sees wildlife professionals monitor local bird populations in two ways: directly and indirectly.

Direct monitoring involves safely capturing birds to determine attributes like species, gender and size, while indirect comprises visual and auditory inspections to identify the species. Last year, we recorded 85 different species in the area surrounding the project.

In addition, through this monitoring we can determine whether the area is a migration route or reproduction zone.

Top 10 bird species at Mezquite:

Black-throated sparrow

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Northern mockingbird

Hooded oriole

Desert cardinal

House finch

Cactus wren

Common raven

Turkey vulture

Northern cardinal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar programmes have also been established for bats, of which we observed 30 species in 2021, and monarch butterflies, which have the longest migration trajectory of any insect.

Both of these animals are threatened by global issues like climate change and habitat loss; so while our main aim is to study Mezquite’s impact on local wildlife and manage any risks, the programmes provide important information to advance conservation efforts too.

Sustainability sits proudly at the heart of our business and as a growing company with a strong ESG agenda, we remain committed to holding ourselves accountable and continuing to improve our environmental performance.