Flying robots that can travel dozens of kilometers without stopping could be the next big thing for power companies.
Utilities in Europe are looking to long-distance drones to scour thousands of kilometers of grids for damage and leaks in an attempt to avoid network failures that cost them billions of dollars a year. However the technology faces major safety and regulatory hurdles that are clouding its future in the sector.
Italian gas supplier Snam SPA and French utility EDF SA’s network subsidiary RTE have tested prototypes of long-distance drones that fly at low altitudes over pipelines and power lines.
Snam, Europe’s biggest gas utility, told reporters that it is trialing one such machinee — known as a BVLOS drone because it flies “beyond the visual line of sight” of operators — in the Apennine hills around Genoa.
It hopes to have it scouting 20km of pipeline soon, Snam added.
RTE has also tested a long-distance drone, which flew about 50km inspecting transmission lines and sent back data that allowed technicians to virtually model a section of the grid.
The company said it would invest 4.8 million euros (US$5.62 million) on drone technology over the next two years.
Power companies largely use helicopters equipped with cameras to inspect their networks. They have also recently started occasionally using more basic drones that stay within sight of controllers and have a range of only about 500m.
However, an industry-wide shift toward renewable energy, and the need to monitor the myriad extra connections needed to link solar and wind parks to grids, is forcing utilities to look at the advanced technology.
“It’s a real game changer,” PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) partner Michal Mazur said of drones. “They’re 100 times faster than manual measurement, more accurate than helicopters and, with AI [artificial intelligence] devices on board, could soon be able to fix problems.”
In-sight drones cost about 20,000 euros each and BVLOS ones would cost significantly more, executives at tech companies that make the machines for utilities said, adding that a fleet of dozens if not hundreds would be needed to monitor a network.
Power grid companies are expected to spend more than US$13 billion each year on drones and robotics by 2026 globally, from about US$2 billion now, Navigant Research said.
However, that is still dwarfed by the amount of money that the sector loses every year because of network failures and forced shutdowns — about US$170 billion, PwC said.
The growing demand from utilities is coming at a time of swift technological advances in civilian long-distance drones. The prototypes, which are about 1m long and wide, not only have aircraft systems, but can avoid obstacles and detect other flying objects — from helicopters to hang gliders — while mapping grids with thermal and infrared sensors.
However the future of such flying robots in the utility sector hinges on regulation.
BVLOS drone flights are largely prohibited because of safety concerns. However, over the past year, EU watchdogs have for the first time granted special permits to allow utilities — namely RTE and Snam — to test prototypes.
The European Commission is working on new Europe-wide regulations to govern the use of civilian drones, including long-distance ones, but has disclosed few details.
A commission source said that the EU executive expected to put forward the rules by the end of the year, with a view to adoption early next year.
The new regulations should make it simpler for companies that need to operate BVLOS drones to receive clearance, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The objective is to speed up the opening of the drone services market,” the source added.
Yet, without any clear guidance as to how the new rules would look, many companies have adopted a wait-and-see approach.
The situation is mirrored in the US.
As in Europe, special permits are needed for BVLOS flights in the US, but the US Federal Aviation Agency is looking to simplify and speed up the process of winning such waivers, including by automating it.
Xcel Energy in April became the first US utility to gain approval for BVLOS flights.
A growing number of US utilities are looking at the technology, said ULC Robotics, which provides technology for the energy sector.
“While only a handful of beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights have been granted in the utility space, we believe developments in long-range flight are going to advance within the next two to three years,” ULC business development manager Tom Barracca said.
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