Power Station Inspections in Hong Kong with the Elios
Key Benefits at a Glance
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Speed Power stations often have towering structures like turbine halls and exhaust pipes, which previously required days of scaffolding setup for inspections. The lightweight Elios drone has revolutionized this process, reducing inspection time to just one or two days without the need for scaffolding, making work significantly faster. |
Cost Savings CLP Power has established an in-house drone team that conducts inspections using the Elios. By eliminating the need for scaffolding in high-risk areas, they save millions annually. The drones also collect LiDAR and visual data, or thermal imagery, in a single flight, enabling more comprehensive analysis of power generation assets. |
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Safety The use of drones eliminates the need for working at height, significantly reducing scaffold erection and keeping teams safe on the ground. |
Access The Elios 3 allows CLP Power to access high-rise assets, such as boilers over 30 meters tall, as well as underground or confined spaces like silos and pipes, which were once difficult to reach. |
Founded in 1901, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited supplies electricity to over 80% of Hong Kong’s population—approximately 7.4 million people. As a vertically integrated utility, the company handles generation, transmission, distribution, and customer services. Ensuring reliable power supply is central to their mission, but traditional manual inspections in complex power station environments posed significant challenges.
In 2016, CLP Power began exploring innovative technologies to enhance inspection efficiency. They pioneered the use of drones, and over the past five years, have worked closely with Elios drones to streamline indoor inspections. This approach not only collects extensive data but also improves safety and operational efficiency by reducing the need for work at height and in confined spaces.
Exploring Drones for Indoor Inspections at Power Plants
Power plants are filled with large, complex structures, including high-rise buildings, massive equipment, and underground elements. As the technical backbone of the company, CLP Power’s Generation Engineering Department focuses on researching and applying cutting-edge technologies to maintain the integrity of its power stations.
Ng Ki-on, Director of Generation Engineering at CLP Power, recalls how his team sought alternatives to reduce reliance on scaffolding during high-risk inspections. They aimed for an internal solution rather than outsourcing. While drones had been used for outdoor inspections since 2016, their GPS dependency made them unsuitable for indoor use.
After discussions with Dronesurvey Asia, the team discovered the Elios drones, which offered stable, contact-free inspections without relying on GPS. Inspired by this, they envisioned using the drones to inspect boilers, fume exhaust pipes, and other critical indoor assets.
Building a Drone Program for Power Plant Inspections
When the Elios 2 was introduced, Ki-on’s team saw its potential. They developed workflows to integrate the drone into their inspection processes. The Elios 2’s collision tolerance allowed confident operation in complex environments, from stockpile measurements to 30-meter-tall boilers.
In 2022, the Elios 3 was launched, offering enhanced capabilities with simultaneous LiDAR and visual payloads. This enabled even more efficient and detailed inspections. Ki-on noted, “At first, some thought we were looking for recreational drones, but the Elios proved otherwise—it's a powerful tool that streamlines inspections and enhances safety.â€
Drones Have Found Their Permanent Place in Power Plant Inspections
Today, CLP Power uses Elios drones for various tasks, including boiler inspections, indoor storage checks, pump pit assessments, and general site surveys. For example, boiler inspections used to require scaffolding and long downtimes. Now, the Elios 3 can complete both internal and external inspections in a single day, allowing for quicker follow-up actions.
Pump pit inspections, once requiring draining water and setting up scaffolding, can now be done quickly using the Elios drone. The team has also used the Elios 2 for thermal and visual inspections, while the Elios 3 captures LiDAR and visual data side-by-side. Overall, the process is faster, safer, and produces higher-quality data.
What's Next for Drones in Power Plant Inspections?
Ki-on is excited about the future of drone technology in inspections. He envisions AI being used for deeper data analysis, helping teams process large volumes of information more efficiently. Recently, CLP Power hosted a media briefing showcasing the Elios drones and other tools that improve safety and productivity. The event sparked interest among local authorities and organizations eager to learn more about real-world applications.
As CLP Power continues to innovate, the integration of drones like the Elios represents a major shift in how power plant inspections are conducted—making them safer, faster, and more data-driven.
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