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National Grid looks set to ramp up the use of drones to carry out infrastructure inspections after the UK aviation authority granted a first-of-its kind licence.
After years of trials, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given the green light for sees.ai’s technology to be used for BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) aerial inspections of live overhead powerline assets. It is the first time such a licence has been granted in the UK.
National Grid has hailed the transformative role drones could play in maintaining overhead power lines.
The company is currently trialling the technology to conduct aerial inspections of the electricity transmission network, looking for signs of pylon corrosion and component damage.
Mark Simmons, condition monitoring manager at National Grid Electricity Transmission, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for sees.ai and an important step in enabling National Grid to fully exploit the potential of drone technology for network inspections.
“As we work towards our net zero goals, embracing technologies like these will enable us to deliver an energy future that is clean, fair, and affordable for all.”
This new permission allows routine BVLOS flights on two specific runs of National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) live overhead power lines.
If the CAA is satisfied by the operation on the two stretches of network then it will extend the permission to cover all grid infrastructure within the country.
John McKenna, chief executive of sees.ai, said: “Securing permission to carry out BVLOS drone inspections of the live electricity grid is a major step forward towards our goal of enabling safe operation of drone fleets at national scale.
“We’re immensely proud that National Grid and the CAA trust us to deploy safely on critical infrastructure and we believe that this permission will pave the way for future advancements in the use of drones for survey and inspection of critical national infrastructure, and beyond into aerial logistics and mobility.”
sees.ai’s core tech enables drones to be flown meters from steelwork and components from BVLOS to capture a structured, internally georeferenced data set of 2D images and 3D models optimised for automated analysis using AI.
National Grid currently employees 900 people to maintain its transmission network made up of 21,900 steel pylons carrying 4,500 miles of overhead lines.
Supporters of drone technology claim it will save time, money and lower its emissions by reducing the need for helicopter inspections, as well as improve safety by reducing the need for personnel to carry out inspections on-site.
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