Power to the drones: utilities place bets on robots
Utilities in Europe are looking to long-distance drones to scour thousands of miles of grids for damage and leaks in an attempt to avoid network failures that cost them billions of dollars a year. However the technology faces major safety and regulatory hurdles that are clouding its future in the sector.Snam (SRG.MI) and EDF’s (EDF.PA) network subsidiary RTE have tested prototypes of long-distance drones that fly at low altitudes over pipelines and power lines.Italy’s Snam, Europe’s biggest gas utility, told Reuters it is trialing one of these machines - known as BVLOS drones because they fly ‘beyond the visual line of sight’ of operators - in the Apennine hills around Genoa. It hopes to have it scouting a 20 km stretch of pipeline soon.Fra.....