For the first time ever, Egypt's 40,000 km of high voltage transmission lines will be cleaned and maintained using helicopters At last and after two years of negotiations, both ministries of Electricity and Civil Aviation reached a deal to use helicopters to wash electric transmission towers, replacing the traditional water washing vehicles. A five-year joint venture contract was signed by Smart Aviation airline, with 60 per cent of the shares, Egyptian Company for Electricity Transmission -- 20 per cent and Heli Portugal Company -- 20 per cent. Aviation Minister Ahmed Shafiq, Electricity and Energy Minister Hasan Yunis and State Minister for International Cooperation Fayza Abul Naga attended the signing. "This type of joint venture is what we have been looking for to promote and propagate aviation culture to be adopted in each field of activity," commented Shafiq. According to Smart Aviation CEO Wael El-Maadawi, the contract will be effective starting January 2011. "By then, we should have completed taking delivery of three new helicopters which will be used to wash and maintain insulators of high voltage transmission lines," explained El-Maadawi. This includes washing some 6,000 high voltage transmission towers. "Under the contract, Portuguese teams, each consists of a pilot and a technician, will carry out the washing and maintenance process at the beginning. Within two years, Egyptian teams should be prepared to carry out the mission for the rest of the contract duration," he explained. "Pilots are to be provided either by the Petroleum Air Service company PAS or the Egyptian Air Force, as both are the only operators of helicopter fleets in Egypt." Established in 2007, Smart Aviation started business operating a fleet of three Cessna Citation Sovereign planes, mainly provide air taxi services. In 2009, two more aircraft of the same class joined the fleet, basically to serve as air ambulances. The helicopter provides an airborne, mobile, ungrounded, integrally bonded platform for both washing and technical maintenance works. Some 600 litres of washing fluid tanks and pump assemblies are contained in the helicopter. As for maintenance, the helicopters are provided with thermal cameras to discover about any disturbances in electric cables and fix them before an accident happens. "Accumulated dust on insulators affects the efficiency of the electricity transmission process. And since the majority of transmission lines are allocated along the isolated Egyptian deserts south, west and east of Egypt, it is really difficult to be reached by traditional water washing trucks," explained Electricity Transmission Co. chairman Hasan Fathallah. Seven months ago, the three partners implemented a trial washing operation of two high voltage towers by a helicopter at Belbees desert, east of Cairo. "Adopting modernised methods of washing electric towers is part of the continuous upgrading process we have been working on. It opens new horizons to reach mountainous and difficult to reach areas," he explained. He added that each tower is to be washed periodically according to its location, be it in the desert, on a farm, or coastal area.
