TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Asia Cement Corporation subsidiary Chiahui Power announced Wednesday (Oct. 30) the launch of a drone inspection system for transmission lines.
Chiahui Power CEO Chen Kuang-tai (陳廣泰) said that manual inspections rely on maintenance personnel operating in high-voltage environments, which is very risky and time-consuming, per CNA.
Chen said drones reduce inspection to one day. Furthermore, drones can be quickly mobilized, reducing accidents and risks.
Chen added that drone inspections do not require plants to shut down, ensuring the daily power supply is unaffected. All images and data will be compiled into a maintenance history database, improving operational efficiency.
Chiahui Power Plant has 11 transmission towers. In the first phase, fully automated drones will be used for towers one to three, with a gradual rollout planned.
The plant has an installed capacity of 1.21 million kWh, accounting for about 3.2% of the nation's total electricity output, making it the largest private natural gas power plant in Taiwan.