The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has rbeefed up its drone capabilities to improve its response time to transmission line repairs and diagnosis.
NGCP said it has equipped three of its helicopters with high definition photo and video cameras with gimbal stabilizers, infrared scanning and ultraviolet detection equipment to monitor, inspect and evaluate the condition of transmission lines and equipment, particularly those inaccessible due to terrain and environmental restrictions.
With such improvements, NGCP said it can immediately assess, identify and deploy personnel and equipment, especially crucial during emergency power restoration activities after typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other calamities.
According to Cynthia Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson, manual stringing of a tower segment takes a minimum of half day, but using the newly procured technology enables NGCP to string three to four tower segments for the similar amount of time.