Skyports partners with SP Electricity to trial AI-powered BVLOS drone inspections

Skyports Drone Services (Skyports) is partnering with eSmart Systems and SP Electricity North West (SP ENW) for ‘Project VOLT’ (Visual Overhead Line Tracking), which will see SP ENW install 4 ‘Drone-in-a-Box’ setups at substations in the Lake District, piloted remotely 200+ miles away and providing automated, AI-processed data outputs for grid intelligence.

The technology has the aim of improving network uptime through rapid fault finding, prevention and continuous asset condition monitoring, with the overall objective of improving customer service, reducing costs and enhancing operational safety, while informing future decision-making for SP ENW and other DNOs.

Martin Tejada, Innovation Project Manager, SP Electricity North West, said: “We’re constantly looking for new ways to deliver a better service for our customers and the VOLT project has the potential to be a game-changer. By combining advanced drone technology and AI analytics, we can identify issues faster, meaning improved response times and quicker restorations, particularly in those hard-to-reach areas. The project also helps us identify any potential damage before it becomes a bigger issue, meaning a safer and more resilient service for the communities we serve.”

How new technologies can help tackle a changing climate

As severe storms become more frequent and destructive, distribution network operators like SP ENW are increasingly at risk of storm damage and onward outages for customers. Identifying the location of these faults after incidents can be problematic, owing to physical access restrictions by foot patrols. Project VOLT looks to overcome these risks with drone technology and AI analytics, providing a rapidly deployable and safer alternative to ground inspections that can speed up emergency responses, getting customers back online quicker.

Photo: Skyports

Alex Brown, CEO, Skyports Drone Services, said: “Traditional inspections are largely reactive, relying on manual assessments after issues have developed. Using remotely piloted drones that can be instantly deployed allows operators to identify faults much faster and prioritise repairs without delay, ultimately getting customers back online quicker.

“Through this pilot, we hope to prove a new model for powerline inspections that can be replicated across the country, improving the UK’s overall grid resilience.”

Using BVLOS drones to conduct remote fault response operations

The project will deploy 4 ‘Drone-in-a-Box’ setups for 12 months, available 24/7, flown Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and piloted from Skyports Remote Operations Centre in Buckinghamshire, 200+ miles away.

The data captured will then be live-streamed into SP ENW’s control centre and analysed by AI through eSmart’s Grid Vision software, helping to quickly identify faults. The service will work alongside SP ENW’s existing fault response processes.

Photo: Skyports

The project is being supported with Ofgem Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) funding, which encourages distribution network operators to carry out innovative projects that focus on the energy system transition and/or address consumer vulnerability.

Proactive early oversight to avoid degradation and enable preventative maintenance

Beyond providing a rapid fault-finding service, the drones will also fly continuous asset condition monitoring patrols along the lengths of power lines adjacent to the substations. With multiple data outputs, analysed through eSmart Systems Grid Vision, the drones can detect loose connections, insulator damage, overheating & failing hardware and vegetation encroachment. Replacing expensive helicopter surveys, this provides a structured digital asset health baseline and enables proactive maintenance over reactive fixes, helping to improve the resilience of power networks.

Joscha Köllner, Vice President Commercial, eSmart Systems, said: “Across Europe we are seeing a clear shift from periodic inspections to continuous grid intelligence. Permanent, efficient remote inspection is not simply a cheaper patrol; it changes what an operator can know about their network. Degradation trends can be followed over time rather than sampled every few years, and a defect is no longer just a finding from a particular day but part of a trend with direction and speed. When severe storms or wildfires occur, that continuously built understanding of asset condition provides critical context for rapid assessment and recovery. Project VOLT is an excellent example of how resilience and security of supply will be delivered in the years ahead.”

Within the project, Skyports will be handling regulatory approvals, infrastructure deployment, remote drone piloting and data capture and transfer, whilst eSmart Systems will be responsible for the processing of the drone-captured data.