COUNTRY SOURCES / SE
Sweden: drone inspection sources
スウェーデン語でWebSearch（'drönare inspektion' に broar・kraftledningar・dammar・vindkraftverk・gruva・avlopp・tunnel・solcellspark・hamn・skorsten などを組み合わせ、Trafikverket・Svenska kraftnät・Vattenfall・Ellevio・LKAB・Energiforsk・Transportstyrelsen などの名称も併用）。検索結果は英語圏・他の北欧諸国（デンマーク、ノルウェー）の記事に偏りやすく、それらは除外した。国の当局（Trafikverket、政府）、国営企業（Vattenfall、LKAB関連）、業界研究機関（Energiforsk）、全国テレビ・経済紙・専門誌、大学、検査会社から選び、すべて本文を確認した。ヨーテボリの下水道事例はデンマークのファイルと重複するため除外。救助用のトンネル内飛行、水中ROV、水上ドローン、ドローンを使わないダム点検は性格を明記して残した。検索予算内で30件に届かず、23件で終えた。通信塔・太陽光・港湾の航空ドローン点検、Svenska kraftnät自身のドローン点検資料は見つけられなかった。 追補（2026-10-22）：Vattenfall、Ellevio、E.ON、Telia、Svenska kraftnät の名称とスウェーデン語の検索語（drönare inspektion elnät／telemast／solcellspark など）で検索し、業界団体誌 Energi、Ellevio、Vattenfall、Elfack、Telia の記事を本文確認して7件を追加し30件にした。Vattenfall のスウェーデン語版記事は既存 se-06・se-17 と同内容のため除外。通信塔・太陽光・港湾の航空ドローン点検は依然として見つからず（太陽光は検査会社の宣伝ページのみ）、Telia の記事も通信塔点検ではなく映像配信の話である。Svenska kraftnät 自身のドローン点検資料も見つからなかった。
Full text read: 30
Nothing matched. Try a shorter keyword.
technical_report · 2024-03-14
Digital bridge inspection
A presentation by a Trafikverket bridge specialist. On a prestressed concrete bridge at Stenungsund, drones with AI defect detection were tested above water and ROV photogrammetry below water. The above-water method is judged ready to replace much of traditional inspection, but AI detections need review and do not replace the inspector's judgement.
- Trafikverket manages about 21,000 bridges (17,000 road, 4,000 rail)
- Pilot: 3,100 images, 112 stitched overviews, 10,600 detected defects (mainly cracks and spalling)
- Bridge spans 55 + 96 + 55 m with two piers in water
⚠ Single pilot bridge; an earlier project gave models of insufficient quality / Multibeam sonar not sufficient for structural inspection; IT, procurement and cloud-security questions open
Why selected: 国の交通インフラ当局の専門家による技術資料
news · 2025-05-14
Drones identify worn rail lines
Summarising SVT, it reports Trafikverket photographing key locations on two eastern lines by drone to plan new technical buildings and replace an ageing signalling system. Train traffic was not affected. Despite the headline, the drones documented sites for planning rather than measuring wear.
- Flights 22 April – 9 May
- 360 trains cancelled on the Tjustbanan the previous year
- New signalling planned from December 2027 on the Stångådalsbanan
⚠ Headline overstates: documentation for planning, not wear detection / No sensors or analysis method described
Why selected: 公共放送SVTの報道を要約した記事。国の鉄道当局の実運用
article · 2023-10-20
Use of drones for inspections and surveys of railway installations
Trafikverket's posting of a student thesis topic: evaluate drones and advanced image and video processing for railway inspections through literature review, stakeholder interviews and field data collection. It shows the agency still treats the area as exploratory.
- Goals: efficiency, safety, less traffic disruption, lower cost
- Based in Göteborg; page updated 20 October 2023
⚠ Thesis proposal, not an operational programme; no current use described
Why selected: 国の交通インフラ当局の公式ページ
case_study · 2020-03-23
ONE Nordic invests in drone services for the power industry and wins a challenging E.ON project
A press release from grid contractor ONE Nordic on launching national drone services and fitting bird diverters by drone on a span over water for E.ON's distribution arm. It also offers close-range inspection of poles, masts and lines and temperature measurement of equipment, after a 2019 inspection pilot on Öland.
- 28 bird diverters on a 240 m span over water
- In-house drone up to about 25 kg depending on payload
- 2019 pilot on Öland checked poles, conductors and insulators
⚠ Installation task rather than inspection / Company boilerplate gives inconsistent staff and revenue figures
Why selected: 電力工事大手の発表。国内配電網でのドローン作業事例
case_study · 2017-04-18
Drone secures Mälarenergi's waste boiler
Inspection firm Kiwa describes a caged-drone inspection of the waste boiler at Mälarenergi's CHP plant in Västerås. During an outage it checked guide rails 25–30 m up and gas distribution plates, which proved to need repair. It took half a day versus a couple of days and several hundred thousand SEK for scaffolding, though some jobs still need scaffolding.
- Inspection took about half a day; scaffolding estimated at a couple of days and several hundred thousand SEK
- Caged drone with camera, thermal camera and LED lighting
- Block 6 described as the world's largest waste boiler, supplying about half of Västerås's district heat
⚠ Scaffolding still needed for some tasks / Single customer case published by the service provider
Why selected: 検査会社の事例だが、具体的な場所・数値・反省点を含む
case_study · 2024-05-27
Drones make it safer and more efficient
Vattenfall's own feature on its in-house drone team. At the Juktan hydropower plant a laser-scanner drone flew autonomously about 1 km into a mountain tunnel to build a digital twin for a rebuild. The team also uses ROVs in a wet well at Forsmark nuclear plant and drones in district-heating boilers.
- Drone and equipment worth about EUR 150,000; over 30 min flight time
- Drones can be out of radio contact for over half an hour in tunnels
- Avoids lowering workers about 250 m down shafts
⚠ Regulation limits autonomous outdoor flights / Growing data volumes strain IT; robot-dog use at Forsmark not yet in full operation
Why selected: 国営電力会社の公式記事。非GPS・暗所トンネルの国内事例
technical_report · 2020-03
Inspection of water-filled rock tunnels
A report by energy-industry research body Energiforsk reviewing how to inspect submerged rock tunnels at hydropower plants with ROVs and 3D sonar, based on literature and a workshop. Many Swedish tunnels have never been inspected, and without GPS the planar position can drift by hundreds of metres in long tunnels.
- 3D sonar cross-section accuracy about ±1 cm; longitudinal position from cable length about ±1 m
- Long tunnels (about 7 km cable) inspectable with about one day of downtime if accessible at both ends
- 2019 survey of 53 Swedish plants recorded only 6 intake and 16 outlet tunnel damages
⚠ Underwater ROVs, not aerial drones / Literature review; evidence mostly Norwegian; ROVs cannot yet test rock reinforcement
Why selected: 業界共同研究機関の報告書
news · 2026-01-21
Drone flights in our tunnels – for safety's sake
Trafikverket news on testing rescue-service drones inside the E4 Förbifart Stockholm tunnels without satellite navigation. The drones held position with LiDAR and visual sensors, and flights were tried with and without 4G. It is a rescue test rather than inspection, kept as a real GNSS-denied flight example.
- Tunnel reaches about 80 m below Lake Mälaren; tests stopped at 3 km
- Opens to traffic in 2030
⚠ Rescue use, not inspection / Reliability of positioning without satellites still under assessment
Why selected: 国の交通インフラ当局の公式ニュース。非GPS・トンネル内飛行
news ·
New drone strengthens our inspection services – first in the Nordics with a C5/C6-class Tundra 2.1
Kiwa Sweden announces a C5/C6-class drone that can fly under EU standard scenarios STS-01/02 without individual authorisation. A 100 MP camera produces detailed 3D models of buildings and industrial sites, and a green-laser bathymetric LiDAR maps shallow water and shoreline structures.
- Hexadrone Tundra 2.1, C5/C6 class; STS-01 and STS-02
- PhaseOne P3 100 MP camera; Yellowscan Navigator bathymetric LiDAR
⚠ Vendor announcement; undated; no project results
Why selected: 検査会社の発表。EU標準シナリオによる許可手続きの短縮を示す
regulation · 2023-07-13
Assignment to analyse how drone use in Sweden can be developed further
A government decision tasking the Swedish Transport Agency with analysing how to expand drone use. It covers integration into U-space airspace and the infrastructure needed, regulatory simplification, municipal roles and financing, with infrastructure inspection mentioned as an example use.
- Decision LI2023/02917; final report due 30 August 2024
- Work with Luftfartsverket and Boverket
- U-space rules applied from 26 January 2023
⚠ Policy assignment; inspection only mentioned as an example
Why selected: 政府の公式決定文書
news · 2022-12-23
Drone company raises new millions and expands abroad
A business news site reports that Swedish power-line inspection firm Airpelago raised SEK 8.5 million. It inspects lines damaged by fallen trees, including beyond the pilot's sight, aiming to replace helicopter patrols. Vattenfall and Svenska kraftnät are named as major customers.
- SEK 8.5 million round led by VEQ
- Revenue SEK 6 million that year
- Customers include Vattenfall and Svenska kraftnät
⚠ Funding news; no operational figures
Why selected: 経済紙。国の送電事業者を顧客とする国内企業
article ·
Airpelago (investor portfolio page)
Investor Stena Sessan's portfolio page on Airpelago, founded in 2018, which offers automated drone power-line inspection to replace helicopter patrols, with its own software for planning, automation and analytics.
- Over 140,000 km inspected to date (company figure)
- Over 100 certified drone pilots
- Founded 2018
⚠ Investor page; no dates, clients or Swedish project details
Why selected: 投資家の公式紹介。国内発の送電線点検企業の規模
case_study · 2020-06-17
LKAB uses drones to inspect Kiruna workings after tremor
A mining trade magazine reports that after a magnitude 3.3 tremor in May 2020, state miner LKAB used scanner-equipped drones to survey damaged drifts, production blocks and ore passes people could not enter at its Kiruna mine. The epicentre block could not be inspected.
- About 1.5 km (blocks Y15–Y31) scanned in just over a week
- About 13 km of ore passes planned for inspection that summer
- Ready to deploy in about 15 minutes; about 15 people involved; contractor AMKVO AB
⚠ Epicentre block 22 could not be inspected / No sensor specs, accuracy or final findings
Why selected: 鉱業専門誌。非GPS・暗所の坑内点検の国内事例
news · 2025-07-13
Drones replace helicopters for grid inspections
A national TV channel reports that Piteå Energi in northern Sweden switched power-line inspection from helicopters to drones. High-resolution photos are analysed afterwards to find tree contact and broken insulators for maintenance planning. Quieter flight and keeping the pilot on the ground are cited as benefits.
- About 900 km (90 mil) of lines to be inspected that year
- Previously staff observed lines from a helicopter
⚠ No limitations, costs or results discussed
Why selected: 全国テレビ局TV4の報道。地方配電会社のヘリからの切り替え
research_paper · 2020
Seacat – risk minimisation during inspection from the sea surface
A Chalmers-led research project with the Port of Gothenburg as main need owner. It aimed to complete an all-weather surface drone to inspect marine facilities such as ports, fish farms and wind farms above and below the waterline. Outcomes are described as plans.
- VINNOVA project 2020-04569, 2020–2021
- Partners: Port of Gothenburg, RISE, MMT, Floatel, University of Gothenburg and others
⚠ Surface vessel, not aerial drone / Project page lists aims, not confirmed results
Why selected: 大学の研究プロジェクト公式ページ
news · 2025-12-17
Norconsult Sweden awarded dam safety contract by Vattenfall
A hydropower trade magazine reports that Norconsult Sweden won dam safety assessments and in-depth inspections of Vattenfall dams for 2026–2028. Inspections include measurement, sampling and functional checks, with no mention of drones. Kept as a counter-example showing the scale of conventional Swedish dam inspection.
- 7 dam safety assessments and 14 in-depth inspections for 2026–2028
- Norconsult does about 30 assessments and 100 in-depth inspections a year across Sweden
⚠ Counter-example: drones not mentioned / No dams named or contract value given
Why selected: 水力・ダムの国際専門誌。国内ダム点検の通常手法を示す反例
case_study · 2020-03-30
Drone technology facilitates inspections of hard-to-access areas
Vattenfall's account of its R&D drone inspection tests: the sealing plate inside the Ringhals 3 reactor containment, the inside of a 30 m district-heating boiler in Uppsala, and the faces and interior beams of a concrete dam. Dam interiors were cramped with high collision risk, and repairs still need scaffolding.
- Ringhals 3 containment inspected by drone in 2019; Ringhals 4 planned for 2020
- Uppsala boiler (30 m) inspected in a few hours vs a few weeks traditionally
- About five years of Vattenfall R&D on drones and sensors
⚠ Drones mainly screen; scaffolding still needed for repairs / Dam location not named; no quantified accuracy or savings
Why selected: 国営電力会社の公式記事。原子力・ボイラー・ダムの国内事例
technical_report · 2022-03-21
iBridge – digital and connected bridges for efficient and intelligent management
Final report of a Vinnova-funded bridge-monitoring project. Besides a sensor platform test, it reports Trafikverket's trial of drones for principal inspections of five large bridges. Vegetation and power lines blocked access to parts of the bridges and box-girder interiors caused disorientation and dust problems, so drones were judged a complement, not a replacement, for principal inspection.
- Trafikverket drone trial: 5 bridges, 15 bidders; WSP 3D models at about 0.5 mm pixel, about 100 GB per bridge
- Trafikverket and municipalities manage over 29,000 bridges, nearly half over 50 years old
- Stockholm owns 928 structures, 534 road bridges
⚠ Drones could not reach whole bridges; indoor box-girder flights difficult / Drone trial still ongoing at time of writing; cost figures date from 2006
Why selected: 大学・市・国の当局が参加した研究報告。ドローンの限界を示す
news · 2020-09-17
Øresund Bridge concrete inspected by drone
The operator of the Øresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark announced drone photography of the pylons, piers and other concrete, with AI used to map damage. It is the third concrete inspection: the first used climbers with hand tools, the second pier-by-pier photography. The AI is not yet tuned to the bridge, so engineers check the results.
- Third concrete inspection; first was 14 years earlier by alpinists
- Contractor COWI; bridge designed for a 100-year life
⚠ AI not yet tuned; engineers verify manually / No findings reported
Why selected: 国際橋の運営会社の公式発表
news · 2020-01-13
Skyqraft, a startup using AI and drones for electricity power-line inspection, raises $505K
Reports funding for Swedish startup Skyqraft, which inspects power lines with drones and AI. Images and 360-degree video are analysed by machine learning, covering both transmission and distribution grids. One contracted customer reportedly stopped yearly helicopter inspections.
- USD 505,000 led by Antler; founded March 2019
- Pilots with Eon and two Swedish municipalities
⚠ Company claims not independently verified; customer unnamed
Why selected: 国際的なテック媒体。国内の送電線点検スタートアップ
news · 2021-04-13
Time for the spring helicopter inspection
A press release from southern utility Kraftringen announcing its annual helicopter line patrol to find trees and branches that could fall on lines before outages occur, which requires fairly low flight. Drones are not mentioned; kept as a counter-example of continuing helicopter patrols.
- Flights from Skåne northwards through Blekinge and Småland, weather permitting
⚠ Counter-example: helicopter, not drones / No km or cost figures
Why selected: 地域電力会社の発表。ヘリ巡視継続の反例
news · 2019-05-22
Vestas launches huge drone inspection campaign in Scandinavia
Reports Vestas' plan to drone-inspect the blades of 1,250 turbines in Sweden and Finland in under 12 weeks, using Sulzer Schmid UAVs and AI image analysis producing automated reports.
- 1,250 turbines across Sweden and Finland in under 12 weeks
- Sulzer Schmid UAVs and 3DX software; WKA deploys drones
⚠ No split between Sweden and Finland; no results or costs / Vendor claims
Why selected: 業界ニュース。国内風車の大規模ドローン点検
regulation · 2020-11-10
Small dam owners' routines for operation, condition monitoring and maintenance
A dam-safety supervision report by Svenska kraftnät summarising county responses on 86 small dam owners. Inspections are often visual only, drawings and measurement records are often missing, and most owners measure only water level, not movement or seepage. Drones are not mentioned; kept as context on Swedish dam inspection practice.
- 86 owners in 18 counties
- About 43% have routines for measurement data; about 35% none
- About a quarter of owners need further effort
⚠ Counter-example/context: no drones mentioned
Why selected: 国のダム安全監督機関の公式報告
article · 2024-09-23
Autonomous drones inspect power plants
An interview in the Swedish energy industry association's magazine with Vattenfall R&D's digital inspection team. It describes caged indoor drones with lidar and a legged ground robot used for cramped or radioactive areas in nuclear plants and for waterways in unmanned hydropower plants. It looks ahead to drone-in-a-box remote missions and names regulation, data volumes and dependence on DJI as obstacles.
- Vattenfall R&D digital inspection team of ten people
- Indoor drone with protective cage and lidar for self-exploration; Geiger counter used for radiation measurement
- Boston Dynamics Spot used where longer endurance or heavier sensors are needed
- Non-Chinese drone alternatives said to cost 3–4 times more
⚠ Interview with forward-looking claims; no deployment counts or measured results / No specific plant named
Why selected: Magazine of Energiföretagen Sverige (national energy industry association); interview with Vattenfall R&D
article · 2022-10-11
Why Vattenfall has 450 drone pilots
A Vattenfall article explaining how it trained 450 drone pilots and bought more than 100 drones in Sweden. Uses include overhead line and substation checks, photographing insulators and nameplates, thermal detection of overheating and fitting bird diverters, plus inspecting chimney interiors, reactor containments and ice at hydropower plants. Drones are framed as a complement to helicopters, not a replacement.
- 450 trained drone pilots and more than 100 drones (up to about 9 kg)
- Sweden has about 188,000 km of overhead lines
- Technicians carry drones in their emergency vehicles
⚠ Company's own publication / Helicopters still cover long routes more efficiently; fully autonomous inspection was only being explored in 2022
Why selected: Vattenfall, Sweden's state-owned utility; numbers on in-house drone fleet and pilots
news · 2024-04-15
Climate-smart drones replace helicopters
Distribution operator Ellevio reports a two-year pilot that switched part of its annual overhead line inspection from helicopters to drones. Drones photograph leaning poles and insulators, and inspectors review the zoomable images later at the office. It cites quieter flights that do not scare livestock and keeping staff away from live lines, and sets a goal of doing all inspections by drone.
- Ellevio's network totals about 80,000 km
- Emissions for the inspected line sections fell by two-thirds in 2022
- Goal: 100% of overhead line inspections by drone, expanded gradually
⚠ Company news; contractor and drone type not named / Image review happens after the flight, unlike real-time helicopter inspection
Why selected: Ellevio, one of Sweden's largest distribution system operators; official newsroom
article · 2025-04-02
How drones are changing inspection of the Swedish power grid
An article on the site of the Elfack electrical trade fair following Vattenfall Services' drone work. It traces the progression from topographic data in 2015 to line inspection, thermography, laser scanning and inspection of nuclear plants and boilers. It cites an 80 km helicopter inspection moved to drones and the number of defects found in an 89 km pilot.
- Remote pilots grew from about 40 (2019) to about 500 (2025)
- An 80 km inspection moved from helicopter to drones saved about 800 kg CO2
- Pilot on an 89 km line found 200 deviations, 11 serious and 43 needing prompt action
⚠ Based on interviews with Vattenfall staff; author not named / Overlaps with se-25 (same company), but with newer figures
Why selected: Elfack, the main Nordic electrical industry trade fair; figures from Vattenfall Services
news · 2022-01-24
Telia and Ericsson ONE launch a livestreaming service for drones
Telia announces a service that streams inspection drone video, encrypted, over the mobile network to several people at once. It was co-developed with Ericsson ONE, and Vattenfall took part in the pilot. Vattenfall already uses drones for digital inspection in hydro and nuclear power, and the benefit claimed is that remote engineers can watch live and decide quickly.
- Co-developed with Ericsson ONE; development project with selected customers started February 2021
- Works with existing drones via a mobile router connected to the remote controller
- Longer-term aim is a 5G-based drone service
⚠ Press-style article from the vendor; no latency, coverage or price figures / About the communications link, not telecom tower inspection
Why selected: Telia, Sweden's largest telecom operator; pilot with Vattenfall
case_study · 2025-03-11
New drone technology tested for line inspection
A Vattenfall Eldistribution press release on a drone trial diagnosing insulators along 12 km of regional line on the west coast. A corona camera and a high-resolution camera captured each insulator string from several angles, and rust was graded on a five-point scale. Severely graded insulators were replaced, while tensile tests on removed strings showed adequate strength, so the rest could be replaced on a planned schedule.
- 12 km line Tuve–Ytterby, 39 pole locations, six days of flights
- 20 locations graded 3–5 for rust; those insulators replaced immediately
- Rust attributed to salty coastal air and the FOG insulator design
⚠ Drone model and supplier not named / Single short line; results from the operator's own release
Why selected: Press release from Vattenfall Eldistribution, a major Swedish grid operator; concrete trial numbers
article · 2022-04-26
Here smart drones handle power grid monitoring
The energy industry magazine reports on E.ON combining Airpelago's autonomous flight software with Skyqraft's image AI to inspect lines. Small drones fly a few metres above the line along maps built by a lidar drone, and the AI flags possible damage for human review. It also covers the easing of beyond-visual-line-of-sight permit rules and the expected cost compared with helicopters.
- About 1,500 km of line in Norrland planned for summer 2022
- AI found about 10% of damage at the time; goal 90% within a few years
- About 40 minutes of flight and 30–40 km of line per day; target about 150 km per day
- Ongoing permits now possible for flights below 50 m over power lines instead of temporary restricted airspace
⚠ Cost halving versus helicopter is E.ON's expectation, not a measured result / AI still missed most damage at the time
Why selected: Magazine of Energiföretagen Sverige; covers E.ON Sverige with Swedish drone start-ups