Drone inspections drive major efficiency gains for Xinjiang's Power Grid

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Parizat Abdu) news: On July 23, 2026, Aili Aizezi, an employee at the Langan Power Supply Station of Yutian County Branch, Hotan Power Supply Company, State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., gently pushed the joystick with his finger. A drone equipped with high-definition camera and infrared dual-light functions rose immediately and flew straight toward the tower top near the 10-kilovolt Gannong Line. Two hours later, this 5.68-kilometer distribution line had been thoroughly scanned from end to end by this aerial “sentinel”, leaving no blind spot.

How was the same task done in the past? In the past, two workers, carrying binoculars and notebooks, would hike for a full day through the complex suburban terrain, craning their necks and squinting, observing and recording as they went. The concealed parts at the tops of the towers were often "seen but not really seen" — the naked eye could not reach them, and binoculars could not see clearly. Now, a drone can get the job done, improving efficiency by more than twofold.

"In the past, during manual inspections, many areas on the tower tops were blind spots. Now, with drones conducting overhead patrols, we get a more comprehensive view and higher precision, allowing us to detect defects and hidden dangers earlier," said Liu Chunjun, distribution operation and maintenance specialist at Hotan City Power Supply Branch, Hotan Power Supply Company, State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., speaking with deep appreciation of drone inspections. "With the infrared dual-light camera, the drone can spot early-stage hazards that are invisible to the naked eye — whether insulators are discharging, fittings are overheating, or porcelain bottles are contaminated — all exposed."

Photo taken on July 15, 2026 shows staff members from Hotan City Power Supply Branch, Hotan Power Supply Company, State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., conduct drone inspections on the 10-kilovolt Batu No. 2 Line. (Photo by Zhen Limin)

Currently, as requirements for ensuring grid security and supply continue to rise, the traditional manual inspection model can no longer meet the increasingly complex demands of grid operation and maintenance in terms of efficiency, safety, and coverage. Since 2025, Hotan Power Supply Company, State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., has been comprehensively promoting the deployment of distribution network drones to all power supply stations. At present, full coverage of supply stations has been gradually achieved, and the initiative will be extended to distribution professional teams within the year. The application scenarios have also been expanded from routine inspections to project pre-construction surveys, completion acceptance, flood control patrols, tree barrier clearance, and even emergency repair lighting, initially realizing an intelligent operation and maintenance system featuring multi-purpose drones and full-business integration.

From January to June this year, the company issued a total of 2,015 distribution network drone inspection tasks, with actual patrol mileage reaching 9,695.95 kilometers, and identified a total of 85,800 defects and hidden dangers of various types. These findings, after systematic sorting and precise analysis, provide solid decision-making support for the healthy operation of the lines, and have built an aerial defense line for the reliable power supply to millions of households during the summer peak season.

In recent years, Hotan Power Supply Company, State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., has continued to increase investment in and application of technology. It has successively established a transmission and distribution intelligent inspection center, promoted autonomous cruising of transmission and distribution lines, and advanced intelligent drone inspections at substations, gradually building a multi-dimensional "air-space-ground" collaborative intelligent inspection system and a new integrated "inspection-repair-maintenance" operation model. Going forward, the company will further expand the application scenarios of "digital and intelligent" inspections, continuously improve the intelligent and automated level of grid operation and maintenance, and inject technological momentum into accelerating the construction of a new-type power system.

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