Eesti Energia Testing Helicopter for Forest Trimming
To speed up the process of keeping forests from encroaching on its power lines, energy giant Eesti Energia has begun testing an airborne tree trimming method that uses a helicopter.
The company has 15,000 kilometers of lines in forested areas that must be cleared every five or ten years, and using a 5-meter set of spinning saws dangling from a helicopter speeds up the process, Postimees reported today.
The process is expensive, costing 1,000 euros per kilometer, amounting to three million euros annually, but the cost of clearing trees that fall on power lines during storms each year is similar and the method will allow trees to continue growing as it only removes branches that threaten lines.