Snowy Hydro manages one of Australia’s most complex and iconic hydro-electric systems, comprising a network of dams, tunnels and power stations across the Snowy Mountains in southern NSW. The Snowy Scheme is essential to delivering reliable, renewable energy to the National Electricity Market. The operation depends on 11 kilovolt (KVa) electricity transmission lines to power vital components of the generation process, including water inlet/outlet structures, dams and power stations.

To address challenges such as vegetation management along the 11kVa easements, Snowy Hydro partnered with Measure Australia to leverage LiDAR technology via drones. This approach replaces traditional helicopter-based inspections, enhancing safety, improving data accuracy and streamlining maintenance operations. By adopting innovative tools like LiDAR, Snowy Hydro continues to uphold its reputation as a responsible and forward-thinking asset manager.

Problem: how to protect infrastructure safely and efficiently

Snowy Hydro is responsible for managing an extensive network of power poles, power lines and support structures critical to the operation of the Snowy Scheme. The power lines, carrying 11kVa, traverse rugged, heavily wooded terrain with cleared easements on either side to maintain a safe distance from vegetation.

Snowy Hydro conducts regular inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards to prevent vegetation-related risks, such as branches crossing into the easements or falling onto the power lines during periods of high winds.

Historically, these inspections relied on helicopter-mounted LiDAR technology to capture the necessary aerial data. However, using helicopters increased exposure to safety risk and incurred extra costs.

Switching to ground-level inspections was impractical due to the challenging terrain and the highly subjective nature of human visual inspections.

Solution: drone inspections and advanced data

Measure Australia and Asseti, two sister companies specialising in drone inspections and asset management software offered a tailored solution to address Snowy Hydro’s challenges. Measure Australia replaced helicopters with drones for aerial LiDAR inspections, eliminating the safety risks associated with human-operated flights. The drones’ ability to fly slower and closer to the power lines enabled them to capture higher-frequency LiDAR data, delivering superior resolution compared to helicopter-based systems.

“The reason we chose Measure Australia and Asseti is that we previously relied on helicopters for our LiDAR work,” says Marden Taylor, Manager Regional Support at Snowy Hydro “While helicopters are generally safe, they carry some inherent risks. By transitioning to drone technology, we could eliminate those risks altogether, enhancing both safety and efficiency.”

The advanced data provided by Asseti enables Snowy Hydro to create comprehensive 3D models incorporating power lines, vegetation and surrounding features such as rocks, roads and infrastructure. This allows Snowy Hydro to precisely identify vegetation encroachments: when an issue is detected, teams can be sent to trim the vegetation, thereby reducing the risk of fire hazards and reinforcing Snowy Hydro’s reputation as a responsible asset owner.

The result: enhanced safety, accuracy and efficiency

The collaboration with Measure Australia and Asseti has brought valuable benefits to Snowy Hydro:

1. Improved safety: By transitioning from helicopters to drones, Snowy Hydro eliminated the inherent risks associated with human-operated aerial inspections.
   
   
2. Superior data quality: The drones’ ability to capture higher-resolution LiDAR data has resulted in more detailed 3D models, offering greater clarity and accuracy in identifying vegetation encroachments and assessing asset conditions.
   
   
3.  Lower costs: Snowy Hydro no longer has to pay expenses associated with higher costs and comprehensive maintenance audits required for helicopter use.
   
   
4. Exceptional customer service: Measure Australia and Asseti have always been great to deal with, according to Mr Taylor. “Whenever we have a question or need to clarify something, they’ve been super helpful. Their drone pilots have been absolute gems – nothing is ever a problem. They go out of their way to do the right thing, which is a rarity in today’s business environment. What they do doesn’t come across as a job, but a passion.”

“By transitioning to drone technology, we could eliminate those risks altogether, enhancing both safety and efficiency.”