Offshore wind developer Ørsted and logistics firm DSV have partnered up to test the use of cargo drones on offshore wind farms says Offshore Engineer.
The idea behind Offshore Farms
Ørsted said: “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.”
Offshore Substations First
Klaus Baggesen Hilger, the Head of Operations Digital & Innovation at Ørsted, said: “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.” According to Ørsted, the oversea trials from the Port of Grenaa to the Anholt offshore wind farm site are the first of their kind.
Trials
Test flights will be run for two weeks. During this time, the drone will demonstrate its capability of delivering components. That is, from Ørsted’s operations base at the Port of Grenaa to the offshore substation 25 km out at sea. Further, potentially, to the wind turbines. Electric Drones will be used for the conduction of trials. The range being 100 km and has a payload capacity of 2.5 kg. The trial aims at testing whether cargo drones can realistically serve as a logistics supplement for the Ørsted’s offshore wind farms.
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Source: Offshore Engineer
