AP-Transco mulls drone patrolling to assess health of transmission assets
AP-Transco is launching a pilot project to use AI-equipped drones for inspecting transmission lines and towers. This initiative aims to improve maintenance efficiency and reduce costs by identifying structural issues that are difficult to spot during manual inspections.
Why it matters
The adoption of drone technology and AI in utility infrastructure represents a significant shift toward predictive maintenance and operational efficiency in the energy sector.
The AP-Transco has recently invited tenders from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-compliant drone service providers to deploy their unmanned aerial vehicles to help assess the health of its transmission assets on a pilot basis to be able to do preventive maintenance in a more efficient manner.
To start with, the successful bidders will fly drones to monitor the condition of transmission line assets covering approximately 23,000 towers and 8,500 kilometers of 400 kV, 220 kV and 132 kV (Extra High Voltage) lines for a period of two years.
Photos and visuals taken by the drones will be analysed with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other tools and repairs done wherever required. “The drone patrolling will be extended to 33,000 kilometres of Transco lines, depending on the outcome of the pilot project,” AP-Transco Director (Grid, Transmission & Management) A.K.V. Bhaskar told The Hindu.
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