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Vattenfall Utilizes Elios 3 to Map Hazardous Zones in an Abandoned Power Plant
Vattenfall, one of Europe's leading energy providers, recently employed the Elios 3 drone to map restricted areas within a decommissioned power plant. This initiative allowed their teams to gain critical insights into zones that are too dangerous for human entry, significantly enhancing their understanding and safety during the decommissioning process.
**Key Benefits**
- **Enhanced Safety**: The Elios 3 enabled personnel to access hazardous areas without putting themselves at risk. By using LiDAR technology, the drone collected detailed data from "no go" zones, ensuring that workers could analyze these areas remotely.
- **Accurate 3D Mapping**: The drone provided real-time 3D maps using SLAM technology, while post-flight processing with GeoSLAM software delivered even more precise models. This helped Vattenfall better understand the layout of the facility.
- **Easy Access to Confined Spaces**: The compact and durable design of the Elios 3 made it ideal for navigating the complex internal structures of the power plant, allowing for efficient data collection in tight and challenging environments.
A video demonstration highlights the drone’s performance in mapping a restricted staircase inside the plant:
**Introduction**
When power plants are decommissioned, they often remain abandoned due to ongoing safety and security risks. These hazards include falling objects, confined spaces, and structural instability, making it difficult for personnel to enter. Additionally, the sensitive nature of power generation methods means some facilities must be kept secure even after being shut down.
Despite these challenges, companies like Vattenfall must maintain and monitor these sites. However, limited access can hinder maintenance efforts and create gaps in knowledge about the plant’s structure.
**Customer Needs**
Vattenfall, a major European energy company, sought innovative robotic solutions to map areas of its decommissioned power plant that had not been accessed for decades. The company is already a long-time customer of Flyability, and when the Elios 3 was introduced—a compact drone equipped with LiDAR for indoor mapping—they saw an opportunity to test its capabilities.
The Elios 3 uses FlyAware, a real-time SLAM algorithm, to generate 3D models during flight. Post-flight processing with GeoSLAM software allows for even more detailed reconstructions. Vattenfall’s R&D team wanted to evaluate whether this technology could meet their needs for accurate and safe mapping.
**Results**
The mission was a success. The Elios 3 was able to navigate a restricted staircase in the power plant, capturing high-quality LiDAR data that was used to create detailed 3D models. Both real-time and post-processed models were found to be sufficient for Vattenfall’s decommissioning efforts.
“The LiDAR capability is a game-changer,†said Anders Lindström, Digital Inspection Specialist at Vattenfall. “It’s the only drone in this size category with such advanced mapping features.â€
By flying up to 30–40 meters (98–130 feet) into the stairwell, the Elios 3 demonstrated its ability to operate over long distances while maintaining a strong signal. This eliminated the need for costly and time-consuming manual inspections, saving both time and resources.
**Conclusion**
After completing the project, Vattenfall shared the 3D models internally, showcasing the potential of drone technology in improving safety and efficiency. The results were well-received by stakeholders, who were particularly impressed by the Elios 3’s ability to map dangerous zones without human intervention.
With successful tests behind them, Vattenfall is confident that drones like the Elios 3 will play a key role in future decommissioning projects, offering a safer, faster, and more cost-effective way to explore hazardous areas.