Optus 5G drone demonstration takes the electricity grid into an exciting new era

By Optus Enterprise

Storms, floods, bushfires, and other natural disasters can interrupt electricity supply, disrupting the lives of customers and communities in affected areas for extended periods. In an Australian first, Optus Enterprise has worked with Endeavour Energy, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Unleash live, to fly drones using 5G to inspect physical electricity infrastructure.

Funded by the Federal Government’s 5G Innovation Initiative to the tune of $648,000, Project Endeavour aims to enable the swift identification of any damage to powerlines so essential power supply can be more quickly be safely restored.

The solution uses a combination of 5G, cloud, AI, drone technology and ultra-high definition (UHD) cameras to live-stream footage of damaged assets to control centres in real-time, so that crews and materials can be efficiently deployed for repairs, reducing outage times.

In non-emergency scenarios, the drones can also be used to accelerate network maintenance and improve worker safety by identifying network faults or damaged equipment at the top of poles that are more difficult for workers to identify from the ground – with the aim to avoid disruption to power supplies of homes and businesses.

On-site inspections are currently undertaken by Endeavour Energy via a large fleet of vehicles, helicopters and a team of technicians to physically identify and carry out remediation. It’s expected that the use of drones should save Endeavour Energy time inspecting their vast network made up of more than 60,000km of powerlines, 400,000 power poles and 32,000 substations spread over 25,000km². It should also help to reduce the number of vehicles and helicopters needed to identify and carry out essential maintenance.   

Endeavour Energy’s electricity distribution network supplies power to more than 2.6 million people living and working in Sydney’s Greater West, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, Illawarra and the South Coast of NSW. With the demonstration proving a success, the solution will now be rolled out across Endeavour Energy’s electricity network as a pilot program in Blacktown and Penrith to help the energy provider improve network safety and avoid disruptive unplanned power outages.

Together with representatives from Optus and the other partners, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts was onsite to watch first-hand as drones flew over the network at St Marys, with footage being streamed via Optus 5G to Endeavour Energy’s training ground in Hoxton Park.

“By employing drones to undertake remote inspections of critical infrastructure, the technology developed through Project Endeavour will assist in restoring power supplies as quickly as possible after interruption - including during natural disasters,” he said.

Central to the solution is the ultra-low latency offered by 5G. Zorawar Singh, Head of Core Product of Optus Enterprise said: “The successful test of Project Endeavour shows the value that 5G brings to enterprise businesses and critical infrastructure. 5G’s ultra-low latency allows customers like Endeavour Energy to leverage a range of technologies like never before.”

Scott Ryan, Chief Asset and Operating Officer of Endeavour Energy said, “Finding a better way to deliver a safe, reliable, and sustainable electricity supply is in our DNA. We’re thrilled to work with Optus, AWS, and Unleash live, with the support of the Australian Government to expedite the use of 5G drone technology to make faster decisions and expedite critical maintenance to continue to keep the lights on for our customers. We are committed to being at the forefront of the current energy transformation by embracing digital innovation.”

Scott recently spoke with Channel Nine's Rebound TV duo, Tommy McCubbin and Steve Sammartino about the project. Watch it here and below.

Find out more about what Optus Enterprise is achieving in 5G with its customers here.