ENERGO-PRO has launched a project to inspect medium-voltage air network with a drone

ENERGO-PRO introduces a new high-tech practice for inspecting power lines in North-East Bulgaria by flying by drone. The method reduces the time and means for bypassing facilities, especially in hard-to-reach areas with crossed terrain.

After an expert engineering analysis of the air network in North-East Bulgaria, ENERGO-PRO Networks launched a pilot inspection of several power lines in the municipality of Svishtov. The first is the 20 kV overhead power line at the Sovata terminal from the Svishtov substation. The length of the outlet is approximately 48 kilometers and supplies electricity to the villages of Tsarevets, Hadjidimitrovo, Sovata and Kozlovets.

The inspection of the line at the Sovata outlet is aimed at conducting an audit of the technical condition of the objects of the network and studying the need for reconstructions of the facilities. The aim of the project is to identify within a few hours the places that need repairs, as well as to collect information necessary for the investment program in the area. Inspection of sites with a drone is part of the preparation of network facilities for operation in winter conditions.

Drones can carry various types of telecameras and other micro-equipment needed to survey and control the condition of power lines. “For us, the introduction of drones in the maintenance of transmission lines is a very important step, with which we plan to solve a number of traditional problems when crawling emergency areas in complicated weather conditions in winter. These miniature remote-controlled helicopters give our specialists a bird's-eye view of high-altitude overhead power lines. The first tests passed successfully and we plan to move on to extensive field tests of the new devices in the coming weeks.” said Nikolay Nikolov, Chairman of the Management Board of ENERGO-PRO Networks AD.

In recent years, drones have developed their functionalities. They are no longer affected by the wind as before, their batteries have become more durable and are resistant to rain and changes in temperatures. This gradually turns them into an industrial means of monitoring and control.

Upon completion of the project, the data from the flyby in the form of orthophoto photos and vector data will be imported into the Geographic Information System (GIS) of ENERGO-PRO Networks. This will subsequently allow their full use for analysis and planning of activities on the network.