Heavy-Lift Drone Successfully Strings Conductors Across Yangtze River for Chongqing 500 kV Project

On the afternoon of April 11, at the conductor stringing site for the line section of the Chongqing Banan Xinyu 500 kV Power Transmission and Transformation Project spanning the Yangtze River, the State Grid Chongqing Electric Power Company innovatively deployed a heavy-lift drone equipped with a four-stage launcher for the first time. The drone successfully towed a pilot rope across the river.

Conductor stringing operation site. Photo by Chen Mingyue

Conductor stringing operation site. Photo by Xu Yuanyuan

Conductor stringing operation site. Photo by Xu Yuanyuan

The stringing operation across the Yangtze River faced complex conditions: a span of 1,423 meters and a river width of 686 meters, fast-flowing water, busy shipping lanes, and year-round regional winds of force 3 to 5. Zhang Yunpeng, technical lead of the State Grid Chongqing Electric Power construction project department, explained that previously, drones had to hover for extended periods, requiring high-altitude personnel to manually untie the pilot rope. By carrying the four-stage launcher this time, the drone only needs tens of seconds to automatically complete the drop once it reaches the airspace above the opposite tower base. This significantly reduces the risks of gust disturbances and enhances safe operational efficiency.
The Banan Xinyu 500 kV Power Transmission and Transformation Project is a key project implementing major national energy strategies. It traverses the three districts of Banan, Jiangjin, and Jiulongpo, involving the construction of approximately 65 kilometers of new overhead lines and 170 new transmission towers. It is expected to meet the conditions for energization by the end of May 2026. Upon commissioning, the project will ensure the accommodation of power transmitted via ultra-high-voltage lines into Chongqing, providing robust support for strengthening the power supply to the city's load centers.