Robot to ‘roll out’ at Kergord converter station for inspections
AN INSPECTION robot is set to ‘roll out’ at SSEN Transmission’s Kergord converter station very soon.
The energy giant said the robots – which will be used at its high voltage direct current (HVDC) sites across the north of Scotland – mark a “major step to modernise how critical network infrastructure is monitored in real-time.”
SSEN said its staff cannot access many of the electrical environments in its HVDC stations due to the extremely high voltage levels, with the robots now set to carry out the daily monitoring.
The deployment follows three years of collaboration with tech company Ross Robotics.
The new robots will provide detailed reports, inspections and ongoing monitoring for the electrical components housed within the stations.
It follows two years of successful trials with a robot based at the Blackhillock converter station near Keith, which was affectionately named Haggis following a competition with pupils from local primary schools.
Over the next 12 months, the robots are expected to complete more than 5,000 autonomous inspections while travelling a combined distance of over 1,700 kilometres – approximately from SSEN Transmission’s headquarters in Perth to Rome.
By continuously monitoring temperatures and operating conditions within the HVDC halls, the system helps engineers identify potential issues earlier, SSEN said.
It also helps them to make more informed maintenance and asset replacement decisions.
SSEN Transmission’s senior innovation manager Alan Ritchie called this a “really exciting milestone” for the company.
“Over the past three years, we’ve worked closely together to take this technology from an initial concept and trial through to a proven solution that is now supporting the day-to-day operation of our HVDC sites across the north of Scotland.
“It’s been fantastic to see the robots successfully deployed at scale and already providing valuable insights from areas that would otherwise be difficult to access when assets are in operation.
“The information they’re gathering is helping us better understand the condition of our assets, make more informed decisions and continue building a safe, reliable and resilient network for the future.”
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