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I was an interested spectator in the connection of electricity lines by ZS-reg helicopter to a "Power ship" (floating generator) moored offshore Nacala, Mozambique. Very impressive flying by the South African (presumably) pilots.

Despite Mozambique's Electricity supply being somewhat intermittent (and that's being kind), the power was in fact destined for Zambia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Karadeniz_Powership_İrem_Sultan

aerial wrote:This sounds like a good example of safety - and the proper management of risk - being used as an enabler to allow things to happen rather than an excuse to stop them.
Very impressive.

To an extent yes, but...

We tested and certified the rig for operation on live lines. That is one of the great advantages, you don't need to shut down that section of the grid whilst you work on it, with the attendant cost and aggravation that that would entail.

However, I understand from my contacts that the company seniors have rather lost their nerve and are seemingly authorizing work on de-energized lines only. Strangely I don't see this as actually reducing any of the risk, it simply negates a lot of the value of the operation whilst retaining the full suite of risks.

I imagine the crews are rather frustrated by this sort of thinking.

However, that doesn't detract from the enormous technical challenge, and thus satisfaction, involved in developing and certifying the thing. When we bid the contract we boldly told the customer we could do it - when we won we, quite literally, looked at each other and said "crikey, how the hell are we going to do that then?"