Drone Patrolling of Transmission Towers Reduces Breakdowns – Energy Minister Tomar

The use of drone patrolling for Extra High Tension (EHT) transmission towers by the Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company (MP Transco) has proven successful. Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar shared that, following the initial success of drone patrolling on 10,000 towers of 220 kV, the company has now expanded the initiative to include 23,000 towers of 400 kV and 132 kV.

Minister Tomar stated that this technology has been highly effective in accurately identifying faults and enabling timely repairs, resulting in a significant reduction in breakdowns on EHT lines. In difficult-to-reach areas, high-tech monitoring of towers is now possible. MP Power Transmission Company has been able to repair faults even before they occur, leading to fewer breakdowns in the lines patrolled by drones over the past year.

Drone Patrolling in Progress-

He informed that around 8,040 kilometers of Extra High Tension lines are being monitored using drones in Madhya Pradesh. This includes 21 lines of 400 kV and 245 lines of 132 kV. Currently, drone patrolling is being conducted specifically for towers of 400 kV and 132 kV high voltage lines.

Drone Controlled Over a 4 km Range-

Using drones, towers located up to 4–5 kilometers away can be patrolled from a single location. The images captured by drones are analyzed for faults.

23,000 Towers Being Patrolled

Minister Tomar further stated that Madhya Pradesh has transmission lines spread over more than 43,000 circuit kilometers, with around 90,000 transmission towers. At present, drone patrolling is being conducted on approximately 23,000 towers. Initially, only a few selected towers were included in the program. Following the success observed in these cases, the initiative was expanded. Drone patrolling by MP Power Transmission Company has made it easier to monitor towers in remote areas and has helped identify faults before they occur, thereby preventing unnecessary disruptions.

Data to be Available on Mobile-

The data collected through drone patrolling will be available to senior maintenance officers and staff on their mobile phones. It will also be accessible via a web portal and mobile app, which will include detailed information about identified faults and the corresponding repair work. This data will be globally accessible for transmission line maintenance personnel.

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