Gansu conducts first live-line helicopter operations over Yellow River

From May 30 to May 31, State Grid Gansu Extra High Voltage Company, in collaboration with State Grid Electric Power Space Technology Co, conducted live-line helicopter operations on the ultra-high voltage transmission lines spanning the Yellow River in Jingyuan county, Baiyin, Gansu province.

Using helicopter sling methods, they performed defect elimination tasks and installed distributed fault diagnosis devices on the ±800kV Tianzhong Line. This live-line operation took place over the Yellow River, where terrain constraints required the use of helicopters to transport workers to the job site in just a few minutes. This method significantly reduced the time and physical effort needed for material and tool transportation and tower climbing, thereby enhancing both safety and efficiency.

It is estimated that each live-line operation can reduce power outages by over six hours, equivalent to approximately 30 million kilowatt-hours of additional electricity supply. This effectively ensures the bundled transmission of wind, solar, and coal power from Xinjiang and the reliable power supply to Central China.