Orsted and DSV, the global Danish transport and logistics company, are aiming to assess the role cargo drones potentially can play in sustainable logistics for offshore wind farms.
The two Danish companies are to test long-distance drone transport of spare parts and tools in the Kattegat, off Denmark.
Offshore wind farms are usually located far from shore, and the service technicians and necessary spare parts are usually transported by ship.
Technicians bring their tools and the components most often needed for the wind turbines, but if special spare parts are needed, they must go back onshore to get them.
This is both costly and time-consuming, and the repairs are therefore often delayed until the next day.
As an alternative, cargo drones can offer logistics support, especially for small spare parts, contributing to a much faster wind turbine restart, Orsted said.
Orsted head of operations digital & innovation Klaus Baggesen Hilger said: “At Orsted, we’re constantly exploring new opportunities to minimise downtime for wind turbines and increase renewable power production.
“Together with DSV, Orsted has launched an initiativeto bring the spare parts warehouse closer to the service technicians, thereby ensuring that the wind turbines get back online more quickly.
“The drones are powered by renewable electricity and will fly autonomously to the offshore substation, but we’re hoping to test the drones on flights to the wind turbines at a later stage.
“By being able to quickly and efficiently deliver the spare parts needed for repairs, wind turbine downtime can be reduced, thereby increasing the production of clean energy.
“At the same time, the need for transport by ship is reduced as well as the carbon emissions from operating offshore wind farms.”
DSV is already using drones in its own logistics centres and sees potential opportunities in using drone technology in new contexts.
DSV head of innovation & digital products Peter Matthiesen said: “At DSV, we’re constantly working to create optimal supply chains for our customers, so it was a good opportunity for us to collaborate with Orsted on optimising their supply chain from the shore to offshore wind farms.
“It’s fast, cost-effective, and renewable, so we’re looking forward to performing the test flights.”
The oversea trials from Grenaa to Anholt will explore opportunities for using drone technology at sea.
The test flights will run over two weeks, during which the drone will demonstrate that it is capable of delivering components from Orsted’s operations base at the Port of Grenaa to the offshore substation 25km out at sea and, potentially, to the wind turbines.
The trials will be conducted using an electric drone with a range of 100km and a payload capacity of 2.5kg.
The aim of the trials is to test whether cargo drones can serve as a realistic logistics supplement for the company’s many offshore wind farms in operation.
DSV has engaged the services of Swiss drone supplier RigiTech and Danish operator Holo, both of whom specialise in autonomous mobility solutions.
RigiTech and Holo will both support the drone test flights.