Orsted is deploying heavy-lift cargo drones (HLCD) for the first time in an operational campaign at the Borssele 1&2 Offshore Wind Farm.
This move marks a significant leap forward in operational efficiency and safety in the offshore wind industry, the Danish developer said.
The heavy lift cargo drone will transport cargo from a vessel to all 94 turbines of the Borssele offshore wind farm.
Building on previous trials and expertise using drones in other offshore wind farms, Orsted is using the 70kg drones – which have a wingspan of 2.6 metres – to transport cargo of up to 100kg, in an actual operations campaign, after the concept was tested last year at the Hornsea 1 Offshore Wind Farm in the UK.
For this specific campaign, Orsted has decided to update some critical evacuation and safety equipment in each of the turbines.
Normally, a vessel would sail from one turbine to the next, using a crane to lift each box containing the equipment onto the transition piece, after which the box would be lifted with the nacelle’s crane to reach the nacelle and then be moved to the top of the hardware.
Instead, the drone will simply fly back and forth from an offshore supply vessel directly to the top of the nacelle.
The drone flight from the vessel to the turbine takes about four minutes per unit, while the conventional approach without using drones can take around six hours.
Taking vessel transport between the machines and from-and-to shore into account, Orsted has been able to complete the tasks at Borssele 10-15 times faster than normally.
Orsted’s chief commercial officer and deputy-chief executive Rasmus Errboe said: “Orsted has led offshore wind’s journey from a niche technology to a cost-competitive and large-scale source of renewable power.
“We have done this through some big leaps by for example pioneering new turbine models, but also by continuously moving a lot of new and innovative ideas from the drawing board to real life application.
“The drones at Borssele 1&2 are a great example of this, as they will improve safety, bring down carbon emissions, and reduce the cost of operating offshore wind farms, which all further improve the commercial fundamentals of offshore wind for investors, governments, and corporations.”
The use of drones to deliver cargo to the wind farm will reduce costs and time as well as improve operational safety and efficiency, Orsted said.
Drones mean less work disturbance as turbines do not have to be shut down when cargo is delivered.
They prevent risk, making it safer for personnel working on the wind farm, and they minimise the need for multiple journeys by ship, reducing carbon emissions in the process, it added.
The company is actively seeking partnerships with the best cargo drone operators and services providers to help grow the supply chain.