On August 28, next to the 74th tower of the 110kV Tongya Line in Pingtang, a drone operator remotely piloted a heavy-load insulated drone with a 100-kilogram capacity from the ground. Hovering beside the live conductors, the drone precisely lifted a set of surge arresters into position using an insulated hoist rope. The full process, including alignment and fastening, was completed while the line remained energized throughout the operation.

This marked the first time that China Southern Power Grid's Guizhou branch used a heavy-load drone for live installation of surge arresters on a 110kV line. Compared to previous practices, this operation not only eliminated the need for power outages during maintenance but also broadened the application of heavy-load drones from material transport and distribution network tasks to live installation of equipment on 110kV transmission lines.

"In the past, we had to carry equipment on foot through mountainous terrain, climb towers to work, and shutdown the power, with the entire process taking at least half a day. Now, with aerial drone operations, personnel can complete the task from the ground without disrupting power supply to local residents," said Liu Wenbin, a mid-level operator for transmission line operation and maintenance at the second transmission management office of Guizhou Power Grid.

This operation has opened up a new method for live maintenance of high-voltage transmission lines for Guizhou Power Grid and has further demonstrated the potential of heavy-load drones in power grid maintenance across mountainous regions.