Drone technology is a relatively new innovation in Nigeria. Today, many people may easily associate drones with taking pictures, camera and perhaps agric business, but only a few may hazard the idea of employing drones to resuscitate the incorrigibly underperforming energy sector of Nigeria.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria says it is possible and could hold significant investment opportunities for anyone bold enough to put money in it. We are inclined to agree, given that only recently BusinessDay reported the selection of a Nigerian drone startup AMINT Aerial Industrial into Airbus global accelerator program. Nigeria is witnessing significant activities in drone business as new entrepreneurs begin to emerge in the space.
In a recent Advisory Outlook, PwC outlined the potential of drones to improve reliability of producing, transmitting and distributing energy. Drones, they also noted, is helping to bolster cost efficiency and to streamline maintenance and management processes.
Different areas drones can be applied
There are four areas, according to the outlook, drones can be applied. The first is in the pre-construction and investment monitoring. According to PwC, large transmission and distribution networks require the implementation of new technologies for effective investment management.
“Emerging technologies such as drones may become a useful tool for monitoring both the pre-construction and the construction phases of investment projects,” PwC noted.
A second area is in the asset inventory and maintenance management. Given the huge recurring cost that operators in power and utilities incur, innovative technologies like drones offer dedicated cost-effective solutions to address maintenance and asset inventory.
Third, energy can also employ drones in vegetation management which often constitute a major cause of power outages.
“By applying innovative technologies and redesigning vegetation management processes, industry leaders can improve the efficiency of trimming and repair services, as well as preventing future losses caused by falling trees and growing plants,” said PwC.
Finally, drones can also be applied in enhancing water quality monitoring. This can be achieved with satellite images used to estimate some parameters making it more practical to analyse larger areas. Applying drones can also help mitigate challenges such as control over when the satellite collects data or turbidity growing shortly after rain, when it is often too cloudy to see streams from satellite.
“Drones might also be used for mapping and inspecting water supply infrastructure consisting of numerous as well as extensive: pipelines, sewage and drainage channels.
