- E-distribución, Endesa’s grid subsidiary, is increasing its investment in this year’s summer campaign by 8%.
- The thorough inspection of power lines using cutting-edge technologies (LIDAR and thermographic imaging), combined with selective tree felling and pruning, helps strengthen the reliability of power supply and prevent incidents.
- Nearly 2,000 people are engaged this year in grid inspection and vegetation management efforts.
- The company has introduced the use of exoskeletons to support professionals tasked with tree felling and pruning.
Through e-distribución, Endesa will increase its investment this year by 8% in infrastructure inspections, grid upgrades, and selective pruning operations. The company’s aim is to ensure a high-quality, continuous power supply and reduce wildfire risks as summer approaches. Technology, innovation, and a significant human effort come together in the 2025 summer campaign, which is backed by a total investment of 77 million euros.
‘We work year-round to ensure that the grid and its surroundings are fully prepared to handle both the rise in electricity demand and the extreme weather conditions of the summer months, which increase the risk of outages and other incidents. Helicopters, drones, LIDAR technology, and thermographic inspections complement our efforts to maintain and preserve the vegetation surrounding the grid. This way, these technologies contribute to minimising risks and ensuring electricity reaches every corner,’ explains José Manuel Revuelta, Endesa's General Manager of Networks.
Given the strategic role of the distribution grid in the energy transition, measures to improve grid resilience and supply reliability are becoming increasingly vital. E-distribución carries out inspections and maintenance operations year-round to strengthen the power infrastructure.
Cutting-edge technologies and human expertise
Nearly 60% of the 320,000 kilometres of power lines managed by e-distribución in Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and parts of Extremadura are overhead. Furthermore, a significant portion runs through wooded or vegetated areas.
One of the key tasks carried out each year is selective pruning of vegetation around power lines. These operations are performed while respecting the regulatory safety clearance between trees and cables, in collaboration with local authorities and agencies.
This year, Endesa will invest nearly 19.5 million euros in these activities, which —along with grid maintenance, upgrades, and thorough inspections— employ over 2,000 people. Seeing that many of these people come from nearby communities, local economic development is also supported.
The creation of vegetation-free corridors beneath power lines, which act as natural firebreaks, remains an essential task. Each year, new tools are introduced to make the work easier, such as remote-controlled brush cutters and exoskeletons. These technologies have been incorporated in this campaign to support tree felling and pruning specialists. EXO-S is a wearable structure that reduces strain on the shoulders and neck. Weighing just 2.3 kg, it is one of the lightest exoskeletons available and is designed to assist body movements and reduce physical fatigue.
This device is complemented by helmets with built-in hearing protection, Bluetooth, and radio systems, allowing up to 16 people to communicate simultaneously within a 600-metre range. The helmets can also connect to smartphones for hands-free calls. During the summer months, crews also wear heat-stress wristbands that monitor body temperature, humidity, and heart rate, issuing alerts in case of risk so that workers can stop immediately if necessary.
Endesa’s grid subsidiary also uses a mobile app designed for tree felling and pruning teams to report on-site hazards that could lead to fires. This app enables the reporting of elements near electrical infrastructure that may pose a risk to the natural environment. These include vegetation debris, illegal dumpsites, or unregistered bird nests (particularly of protected species), enabling authorities to take prompt action.
LIDAR and thermographic inspections
Another crucial task is the laser scanning of overhead high-voltage lines using a combination of GPS and laser sensors known as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). This system creates highly precise 3D maps of the power infrastructure and its surroundings, facilitating preventive maintenance. LIDAR technology enables the measurement of vegetation clearance from cables and helps conduct forest growth studies that are essential for planning pruning and tree-felling operations.
This year’s campaign includes a new portable LIDAR unit (topographic data), designed to be worn as a backpack. It allows for ground-level data collection without the limitations faced by drones.
Inspections are also carried out from helicopters equipped with thermographic and high-definition cameras, which provide detailed views of the infrastructure and its surroundings. These aerial inspections are complemented by ground-level visual checks. The collected data is processed using artificial intelligence (AI) and stored in a comprehensive database to enhance the efficiency of grid maintenance.
Thermography is performed using infrared cameras that detect hotspots invisible to the naked eye, which may indicate cable malfunctions or overheating. When an anomaly is detected, the coordinates of the ‘hotspot’ are logged automatically, triggering rapid repair measures to prevent outages or future faults.
Drones and AI
Endesa also uses drones to assess grid conditions. These drones are equipped with high-resolution, thermographic, and LIDAR cameras. These cameras enable faster visual inspections and greater safety, as no power cuts are required for technicians to inspect the infrastructure.
E-distribución is also using drones to measure the width of safety corridors and paths beneath and alongside the power lines, which serve as firebreaks. Still, the company is exploring additional applications. Through the Resisto project —led by Endesa— AI, sensors, weather stations, thermographic and surveillance cameras, and a fleet of autonomous drones are being combined to develop a predictive analysis system for extreme weather events and other risks. The goal is to detect wildfires at an early stage, ensuring rapid containment and extinguishing while minimising their impact.
Grid upgrades and new technologies
Inspection efforts and the deployment of new technologies are coupled with upgrades to existing grid infrastructure, aimed at preventing service interruptions and ensuring continuity of supply. For this year’s summer campaign, these measures involve a combined investment of over 57.5 million euros. Key upgrades include replacing conventional low-voltage cables with twisted cables, automating medium-voltage grids, and reinforcing connectors, insulators, surge arresters, and other protective equipment.
Digitalisation is one of the most effective measures to enhance grid resilience against extreme weather events and ensure ongoing improvements in supply quality. For this reason, increasing the number of remote control devices (telecontrol systems), as well as digitising and equipping the grid with sensors for remote monitoring and management, are among Endesa’s top investment priorities. These initiatives form part of the company’s 2025–2027 strategic plan, which includes 4 billion euros in investments in distribution grids, pending regulatory updates.