The presentation of the flying vehicle was made in Kabanbay, Akmolinsk Oblast, attended by Magzum Mirzagaliyev, RK Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, and Kairgeldy Kabyldin, Deputy General Director, Caspian Pipeline Consortium-K (CPC-K). Advanced capabilities of the drone help to carry out activities to preserve and study not the saiga alone but the entire Kazakhstani biodiversity/
The drone was bought by CPC-K, which has been supporting the activities of Kazakhstan Association for biodiversity preservation (ABDP) to protect the saiga population in Kazakhstan since 2016 as part of the joint program “Sacred Saiga”.
A state aerial survey of three saiga populations is conducted in Kazakhstan on an annual basis. The expensive rent of aviation vehicles does not, however, allow to have systematic patrolling of the territories and additional monitoring of the saiga. New drones on the market give an opportunity of keeping options open to obtain data and develop new approaches to preservation and study of those animals. There is positive experience in using drones for nature protection purposes abroad, including the Russian Federation.
The Supercam S350 drone possesses the best performance characteristics in its class - with small overall dimensions (span clearance of 3.2 m, weight of about 12 kg), it can stay airborne up to 4.5 hours. The vehicle allows to take pictures and record video with a full data transmission for up to 90 km.
The project will help to develop guidelines for a drone use to keep records not of the saiga alone but of other wild animal (depending on the animal species, landscape type, etc.), also at a state level. A drone can also be used to protect the designated conservation areas, monitor threats to wild animals (fires, etc.) and to study their habitat situation.
ABDP will work together with the Republican state budget-supported enterprise “Okhotzooprom” and other subordinate organizations of the Committee of Forestry and Fauna of the RK Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources.
For reference.
The CPC pipeline system is one of the largest investment projects with foreign capital in the energy sector in the CIS. The length of Tengiz-Novorossiysk pipeline is 1,511 km; more than two thirds of all export crude oil from Kazakhstan and crude oil from the Russian fields, including those in the Caspian Region, are transported by this route. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with three Single Point Moorings (SPM) that allow to load tankers safely at a significant distance offshore, also in poor weather conditions.
CPC Shareholders: Russian Federation (represented by Transneft – 24% and CPC Company – 7%) – 31%; Republic of Kazakhstan (represented by Kazmunaygaz – 19% and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC – 1.75%) – 20.75%; Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company - 15%, LUKARCO B.V. - 12.5%, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company – 7.5%, Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures Limited – 7.5%, BG Overseas Holding Limited - 2%, Eni International N.A. N.V. - 2% and Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC – 1.75%.