A Backbone for Renewable Energy
The electrical grid is often described as the world’s largest machine—a vast and intricate system that powers the lives of billions. Within this monumental structure lies a multitude of essential components, each critical to keeping the lights on and the wheels of industry turning.
One such vital piece of this immense system connects two large rocks: Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. This is the Maritime Link, an engineering marvel that bridges the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It serves as a lifeline, transporting clean, renewable energy from Labrador’s Lower Churchill Project to the rest of Canada.
The Maritime Link spans 400 kilometers of above-ground powerlines and 170 kilometers of submarine cables, showcasing its status as a technological triumph. Capable of transmitting up to 500 megawatts of electricity, it ensures a stable and sustainable energy supply for generations to come. It’s more than just infrastructure; it’s a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets necessity. However, maintaining this critical connection presents unique challenges. Traditional inspection methods—whether conducted by foot, vehicle, or helicopter—can be time-intensive, costly, and often fail to capture the full picture. For a system as important as the Maritime Link, relying on outdated practices isn’t an option.
A New Era of Inspection
When Emera Newfoundland & Labrador (ENL) approached Detect, they were ready to embrace a fresh approach. DetectOS, our advanced inspection and analysis platform, offered the ideal solution. By combining state-of-the-art drone technology with AI-driven analytics, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the Maritime Link that transformed the way grid inspections are performed.
SCOPE OF WORKS
The project spanned 400 km of critical infrastructure and involved the inspection of 2600 towers. This was all accomplished in the summer of 2024, over a period of just 30 days, with a dedicated team of 3 operators.
Data Captured
The inspection generated a total dataset of 1051.8 GB, consisting of 122,714 photos. Each image was meticulously analyzed to ensure no detail was overlooked.
Findings
The inspection uncovered 1270 minor issues requiring attention, with 95 minor actions needed and 1 major action flagged for immediate intervention. If this major issue had gone unnoticed, it could have led to a critical fault, resulting in an outage lasting over a week. The potential costs of such a failure—including repair expenses, lost revenue, and disruption to thousands of customers—would have been astronomical. Beyond financial impact, ensuring safety by proactively addressing vulnerabilities prevents hazards to both inspection teams and the general public. This exemplifies our philosophy: "We see it before it happens."
The results were unprecedented. DetectOS delivered a detailed view of the entire network, identifying potential vulnerabilities before they could escalate into significant issues. With precise data and predictive analytics at their fingertips, ENL gained the insights needed to maintain and optimize their grid more effectively than ever before.
Impact Beyond the Numbers
The impact of this approach goes beyond statistics. The use of drones eliminated the need for costly and intrusive inspections, reducing the environmental footprint and improving safety for inspection teams. Moreover, DetectOS enabled ENL to act proactively, ensuring the long-term reliability of a critical energy artery that powers communities across the region.
A Glimpse into the Future
The success of the Maritime Link inspection highlights the future of utility management. Technology like DetectOS isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a revolution in how we think about infrastructure maintenance. By combining speed, accuracy, and advanced analytics, we’re proving that the future of grid reliability isn’t just on the horizon—it’s already here.
For ENL, the cost of this comprehensive inspection was a fraction of the potential losses from unaddressed vulnerabilities. The results speak for themselves: peace of mind, operational efficiency, and a secured energy future.
Ready to See the Bigger Picture?
DetectOS has redefined what’s possible for grid inspections. Imagine what this technology could do for your utility. Whether it’s identifying risks, optimizing maintenance, or revolutionizing your approach to infrastructure management, Detect is here to help.
The Maritime Link is just one story.
Your grid could be next. Let’s secure the future—one inspection at a time.
