CASE C18 · AU ·
Australian coal power plant: drone inspection of 25 furnace burners during an emergency shutdown
Australian provider Drone Elevation used a caged drone to inspect 25 furnace burners at a coal plant during an emergency shutdown. Visual checks meant only 9 burners had to be removed, reportedly saving over 300 hours. The figures are inconsistent within the manufacturer article.
| Owner | Government-owned coal power plant (not named) |
| Provider | Drone Elevation |
| Location | Australia |
| Aircraft | Flyability Elios 3 |
| Sensors | 4K camera, laser scanner (LiDAR), UT payload (use on this job unclear) |
Before
Each burner removed for inspection: about 24 hours per burner with two 5-person crews; up to 600 hours in total; confined entry up to AUD 5,000 per day.
With drones
The drone was flown into the furnace to check ceramic tiles, swirler fouling and refractory, so only burners that needed it were removed.
Outcomes
| Metric | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| burner removals | 9 of 25 needed removal; 16 removals (24 h each) avoided | Reported |
| hours saved | over 300 hours (conclusion says 384 hours) | Reported |
| confined-entry cost avoided | up to AUD 5,000 per entry (no total given) | Reported |
Caveats & limits
- Manufacturer case study; plant, location and year not named; hours saved are inconsistent (300 vs 384).
- Unclear whether UT readings were taken; 9 burners still had to be removed.
- The 'inspection started without cooling wait' benefit is stated qualitatively.
Sources
- Drone inspection cuts 300 hours of work in emergency shutdownFlyability Full text read
Sources checked: 2026-10-22