Huanggang, Hubei: Smart Inspections Safeguard Spring Festival Power Supply

As the Spring Festival approaches, the electricity load continues to rise with the increasing number of people returning to their hometowns. Targeting mountainous and topographically complex rural areas, State Grid Huanggang Power Supply Company has deployed 115 drones. Utilizing adaptive inspection technology, the company performs three-dimensional patrols of distribution network lines to fully ensure a reliable power supply during the Spring Festival.

O&M personnel from State Grid Huangmei County Power Supply Company operate a drone for line inspection

Photo by Xu Ying

Supported by a grid system of 15 drone bases, drones can arrive at the scene within 10 minutes to transmit images back when a fault occurs, improving emergency repair efficiency by more than 45%. Currently, the company's adaptive inspection mileage for distribution network drones has exceeded 28,000 kilometers, covering all towers across the city.

O&M personnel from the Substation Operation and Inspection Branch of State Grid Huanggang Power Supply Company operate a drone to inspect substation equipment

Photo by Zhou Fan

Smart equipment, including drones, simple robots, and high-definition cameras, operates 24/7 across various substations in the city, transmitting data in real time to a smart inspection management platform. Based on the real-time feedback, O&M personnel can accurately track and address equipment defects and potential hazards such as bird nests and floating objects within the substations.

Smart equipment such as high-definition cameras operates continuously in substations to monitor equipment operation status

Photo by Zhou Fan

Dai Jinshui, a member of the Smart Operation and Inspection Team of the Substation Operation and Inspection Branch of State Grid Huanggang Power Supply Company, introduced that the "Space-Air-Ground" integrated inspection network for substations has been largely completed. Outdoor drones, indoor simple robots, and high-definition cameras in key areas now operate in efficient coordination, building a comprehensive smart inspection system that has improved inspection efficiency by 50%. (Text by Wang Rong, Xu Ying, and Zhou Fan)