31 March 2025
Utilising drones to enhance Transpower's maintenance program
We continue to operate at the cutting edge of asset inspection technology. Our drone team captures and assesses the health of overhead network assets faster and safer than traditional inspection methods.
9
months programme duration
546km
overhead assets inspected
73029
images taken and processed
Transpower’s North Island maintenance program focuses on proactively detecting conductor damage, corrosion, and wear, reducing the risk of conductor failures and preventing power outages.
Our drone inspections team inspected 546km of overhead conductor across Transpower’s North Island network as part of Transpower’s maintenance program. By leveraging drone technology, the team provide high-resolution images of conductors, and quickly process these to provide reports on their condition.
Inspections in populated areas
A large part of the work involved operating drones in densely populated areas and major road corridors. The Civil Aviation Authority accredited drone team obtained permissions from various local councils and regulatory bodies to fly drones in these locations.
The use of drones allows the team to undertake inspections in complex urban environments without disrupting traffic or requiring road closures and delivers high resolution images of the conductors. Using drone technology also eliminates safety risks associated with traditional inspection methods, such as low-altitude helicopter flyovers and manual tower climbs.
Providing data post-inspection processing
Our drone inspections team processed and analysed the images taken by the drones in the field.
From June 2024 to March 2025, the team processed 73,029 conductor images and provided Transpower with a report detailing the condition of each conductor. This enabled Transpower to carry out cost effective, targeted repairs on their conductors to enhance the resilience of their network.
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