Drones aid winter power maintenance

Drones and de-icing robots have sharply boosted power-line maintenance in east China’s Anhui province, helping keep electricity flowing through vital transmission corridors in the Dabie Mountains amid severe winter weather.

When a sudden cold wave struck the region before the Spring Festival, more than 20 inspection teams mobilized to check high-voltage lines serving the Yangtze River Delta. Rugged terrain and poor visibility forced crews to travel on foot; vehicles could not reach many sites. At a tower over 60 meters tall, technicians deployed drones to conduct rapid, close-up inspections—one drone captured more than 20 detailed images in under five minutes, and crews returned to the lab with some 400 photos. An AI model then annotated the images in minutes, flagging potential defects and ice accumulation.

Operators also used drone-placed de-icing robots that cling to ground wires and autonomously chip away ice under remote control. Teams reported clearing a 20-meter section of iced wire in about a minute—an operation that formerly required climbers to strike lines manually from the tower top. Officials say the robotic approach reduces risk to workers, speeds response times and lessens reliance on costly helicopters.

State Grid Anhui Electric Power highlighted the role of young technicians—average age under 30—who combine field deployment with drone piloting and AI data analysis. The integrated system sends real-time imagery and diagnostics to control centers, aiding intelligent dispatch and predictive maintenance across transmission corridors.

Utility sources say the automation has prevented potential line failures during recent cold snaps and improved resilience for supply to populated and industrial areas. While machines handle inspection and de-icing in hazardous, hard-to-reach locations, human oversight remains central to operations and decision-making.

The Anhui example reflects a broader push to modernize grid maintenance through unmanned systems, robotics and AI—measures considered increasingly necessary as climate variability raises the frequency of ice storms and other extreme weather threats to power infrastructure.