Coupled with advances in autonomy and AI, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) like drones are rapidly permeating all aspects of modern life. As the regulatory landscape for their use opens up and compliance protocols mature in the user market, there’s almost unlimited potential to augment if not replace many conventional modes of energy surveillance, transport, and beyond line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. But crucially, while drones have the power to revolutionise the energy industry, they are highly dependent on persistent and reliable connectivity, so we need to ensure we have built-in resilience that stands the test of time.
Here, Tristan Wood, CEO and Founder of the world’s leading experts in hybrid network technologies, Livewire Digital, explores the potential of drones for the energy sector, and asks, are they the golden ticket we’ve been waiting for?
Some forecasts predict the drone economy exceeding $90 billion globally by the end of the decade, as numerous industries realise the potential to transform their operations, from enterprise and logistics to first responders and defence.
The market materialised in the late noughties, originally out of a military requirement but was quickly adopted in civilian life, initially for aerial photography and video. News, media, and broadcasters followed quickly.
In the ensuing two decades, the commercial and civil market of UAVs has experienced exponential growth, attaining a worldwide value of $2.9 billion by 2018, more than doubling in size since then. According to Statista, excluding defence, its market value is forecast to reach $4.7 billion by 2028, with nearly one million drones expected to be in operation, in the UK alone, by 2030 (PwC, 2022).
