The Spring Festival Guardians of the Power "Artery" in Huangshi, Hubei

To ensure the safe and reliable operation of the ultra-high voltage (UHV) "major power artery," Chen Rui, a transmission line operation and maintenance worker at State Grid Huangshi Power Supply Company, and his colleagues remained at their posts during this year's Spring Festival holiday.

On-site line inspection 

Photo provided by State Grid Huangshi Power Supply Company

At 9:00 AM in Mingshan Township, Daye City, Huangshi City, Hubei Province, the three-person team led by Chen Rui had already arrived at the foot of the mountain to begin their daily line inspection task.

While reminding his teammates to check their tools, Chen Rui opened the transmission line navigation application on his mobile phone. With a light tap on the screen, a white line immediately popped up. "By simply clicking on the transmission line pole number, a route is instantly planned, and the inspection details can be entered into this software, making it both accurate and efficient," Chen Rui explained.

During the inspection, Chen Rui picked up his binoculars to look at the distant transmission towers, Yan Yuhao used a drone for a synchronized check, and Yu Zhaohua kept a close eye on the drone controller screen to record information at any given moment. Under the dual inspection of the drone and binoculars, the trio completed the inspection task for the five transmission towers in front of them in less than an hour.

Chen Rui explained that in the past, inspections relied entirely on walking and climbing, allowing them to inspect only about 10 towers a day. Now, with the application of technological means such as drones, they can inspect 50 towers a day.

State Grid Huangshi Power Supply Company's Smart Transmission Monitoring Center.

Photo provided by State Grid Huangshi Power Supply Company

The local power company has also deployed over 1,300 smart monitoring devices in crucial sections, supported by the smart transmission monitoring platform for 24-hour surveillance. This setup has enabled the identification and warning of various potential risks and hazards along extra-high voltage (EHV) and ultra-high voltage (UHV) lines, making every effort to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the power grid's main artery during the Spring Festival.