SwissDrones has published its Energy Infrastructure Index, which outlines how energy company executives in North America view the current condition of the energy sector, how inspections are being conducted, and the future technologies they plan to adopt to improve sustainability, efficiency, and accuracy.
The Index highlights the main concerns and risks identified by executives and points to how new tools such as inspection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being considered to address these issues.
Energy leaders across North America recognize that infrastructure is aging and under pressure. Weather events are affecting systems across the continent, and executives acknowledge that the likelihood of incidents increases over time. According to the Index, many believe traditional inspection approaches are becoming less cost-effective, safe, or sustainable for long-term operations and future expansion.
As a result, executives are evaluating alternatives such as robotic systems and UAVs to conduct inspections. These approaches aim to reduce risks to personnel while improving the quality of collected data, helping identify potential problems before they affect operations. By adopting new methods, energy companies hope to manage the challenges of aging infrastructure and continue to meet demand effectively.
The Index notes several key findings:
- 98% of executives believe aging infrastructure could cause a major incident within the next decade.
- 69% indicate that current inspection frequency is not keeping pace with rising risks.
- 96% expect UAVs to take the place of helicopters for inspections within the next 10 years.
These findings reflect both the scale of the current challenges and the growing role of new inspection technologies.
Created with input from an accredited research partner, the Energy Infrastructure Index examines how executives are adapting to changing conditions. The full report covers gaps in monitoring that may leave significant assets vulnerable, the limitations of relying mainly on human-based inspections in terms of both safety and accuracy, as well as how UAVs can be adopted for inspections despite existing regulatory considerations.
Overall, the Index provides insight into how energy companies view today’s risks and the technologies they expect to shape inspection practices in the coming years.
