Helicrane – a Boon to the Transmission Industry
Unlike a traditional coal-powered power plant, it
takes 12 to 18 months to complete a wind or solar power plant. However, the
construction speed of transmission lines still hasn’t improved. At present, it takes
nearly 3-4 years to complete its construction. This is a matter of great
concern. No matter how many renewable energy (RE) plants we build, the industry
will be unable to energize these clean energy plants due to lack of proper
evacuation infrastructure. With the world inclining towards clean energy,
overcoming the time constraint in transmission sector is vital.
Leveraging aerial technology for handling some of the
cumbersome tasks associated with construction of transmission projects is a way
forward. Today we will focus on one such technological breakthrough – the helicrane;
and how it can prove to be a boon for the transmission industry.
helicrane |
A
sustainable infrastructure development with helicranes
Used for the first time as aerial cranes back in the
1950s, Bell 47 helicopters were the first helicranes
to be used for this purpose. This technology proved to be a savior
during the Vietnam wars, post which its usage for industrial purpose increased.
Used consistently in the logging industry for lifting large trees, its usage
can prove to be a helping hand in transmission industry.
·
Construction of
transmission towers in treacherous terrains can be a challenge. Due to remote
regions and inaccessible roads, transporting tons of building materials (towers
included) from one point to another gets extremely difficult. Using this
technology for logistics purpose can not only make the task easier, but also
save time.
·
Many a times the path
to the transmission line site passes through areas rich in bio-diversity. Using
road transportation mediums to transfer the cargo have high chances of damaging
the soil construction of the region. With aerial cranes, we avert any harm to
the soil construction as tons of construction materials are transferred via air
route; hence, preserving the bio-diversity of the region.
·
In regions with
unpredictable weather conditions (especially deserts or mountains), the working
window shrinks to mere few months. This leads to the extension of the overall
timeline of the transmission project. Using this aerial technology speeds up
the pace of the construction timeline.
Clearly use of helicranes
in the construction of transmission, infrastructure benefits the industry
with reduced timelines and easy solutions to complex construction challenges.
With this technology, the sector can work towards building evacuation
infrastructure for RE sources in sync with RE power plants.
Comments
Post a Comment