Chinese drones carry 180 tonnes of steel and concrete up mountain
Operation to move materials for solar power project earns praise for environmental benefits, sparks speculation about tech’s military use
The feat drew widespread attention online after news reports noted the labour-saving benefits of unmanned aerial systems, with headlines declaring that workers had moved the materials “while reclining in lounge chairs”.
A fleet of 16 drones carried out precision flights along preset routes, delivering steel and concrete to build three electricity transmission towers at altitudes up to 1,650 metres (5,413 feet). The drones completed the task in just three days – a big improvement from the one month usually required to build cableways.
The aerial drone swarm method boosted efficiency by a factor of 10, according to CCTV.
“The drones flew autonomously along preset routes without manual operation, achieving a precision comparable to aerial courier delivery,” said Wang Fangmin, a senior manager at Yunnan Power Grid Corporation’s planning and construction centre, in comments aired by CCTV.
Wang also revealed that each drone could transport payloads individually or as part of a coordinated swarm, with a maximum single-item load of 420kg (926lbs) and a flight distance of up to 1.3km (0.8 miles). The technology reduced road construction costs by 80 per cent, cut human labour by 60 per cent, and significantly improved transport precision.
Wang explained the drones underwent simulated flights to fine-tune synchronisation, ensuring payload stability.
“We no longer need to build roads, so there’s zero ecological disruption,” Wang said.
While drone technology has advanced to handle increasingly heavy payloads, with records reaching nearly 400kg for a single aircraft, the operation in Yunnan appears to be a first-of-its-kind achievement in both scale and coordination.
The endeavour also prompted speculation about the potential military uses of the technology.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has developed drone swarm warfare capabilities, according to an April report by the China Aerospace Studies Institute, a US Air Force think tank. Chinese military publications and state media have increasingly highlighted advances in drone swarming and coordinated attacks using numerous small unmanned aircraft employing artificial intelligence.
China’s drone industry has flourished due to investment in research and development and benefited from advances in 5G technology. Real-time remote control and data transmission abilities have greatly improved the precision of drone operations, allowing operators to safely manage flights from a distance.
China had more than 50,000 companies engaged in the low-altitude economy as of 2024, with over 600 licensed drone manufacturers based in Shenzhen alone, according to a December report by state news agency Xinhua.
In March, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly published guidelines to promote the use of intelligent manufacturing standards. Drone technology upgrades are a major component of this strategic shift towards intelligent industrialisation.