Orsted, Siemens Gamesa and Esvagt are developing a solution to deliver spare parts and tools from service operations vessels (SOVs) to turbines using drones.
The three companies are collaborating on an innovation project dubbed ‘Operative Package Deliveries by Drone’ that will explore how to transport small components to technicians on wind turbines using unmanned aerial vehicles.
“When we transfer a WTG technician from vessel to WTG, they bring both spare parts and tools with them. But it often happens that the technician needs additional equipment, tools or spare parts while inside the WTG,” Esvagt head of new services business development Flemming Hjorth said.
“Today, such a scenario requires the vessel to return to the WTG or that we send a transfer boat over to the WTG with the necessary gear, which the technician then has to get down and get. This process can be optimised,” he added.
Orsted, Siemens Gamesa and Esvagt will collaborate with several partners to find ways of delivering payloads of between 3-4 kg directly to the wind turbine nacelles.
The project is sponsored by the European Regional Development Fund and runs until June 2020.
“Most often, it is the small spare parts that make a difference: smaller electrical components or a specific tool. Delivering these with a drone could potentially spare us a tremendous amount of time and contribute to making the operation of the offshore wind farm even more efficient,” Hjorth added.
Esvagt last year formed a joint venture with EWPL Ocean to provide drone inspection from its vessels and the Danish outfit has been offering drone services since 2017.