State-run energy group Equinor has contracted Nordic Unmanned to provide offshore drone services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
This €2.7M (US$3M) contract is one of the biggest drone logistics contracts awarded in the European market and is the largest and most ambitious drone logistics award in the offshore energy industry.
It follows a successful trial of an unmanned aerial vehicle for offshore logistics in 2021, when a drone delivered a cargo from shore to the Troll A gas production platform in the North Sea.
Under this contract, there will be an offshore demonstration period in Q3 and Q4 2022 after initial onshore preparation and flights in Q1 and Q2.
Nordic Unmanned said the offshore scope involves cargo flights between a supply base and the Gullfaks field located 170 km offshore, and daily flights within 30 km between offshore installations and vessels in the Tampen area of the North Sea.
This project uses autonomous take-off and landing systems and integrates the Avinor-provided unmanned traffic management system, enabling daily multi-point cargo deliveries.
Nordic Unmanned will also demonstrate search and rescue capabilities, inspection services and deploy a subsea unmanned intervention device.
Flights will be undertaken with Nordic Unmanned’s latest Schiebel Camcopter S-100 and Staaker BG-class drones with dual delivery winch systems.
Nordic Unmanned chief executive Knut Roar Wiig said this contract is part of a long-standing relationship with Equinor. “We are confident this will change how the global offshore energy industry will integrate industrial air mobility going forward,” he said.
“Use of drones will increase efficiency and contribute to reduced CO2 emissions. Nordic Unmanned is preparing for drone logistics to be in regular use in this industry from 2023.”
Services under this contract will be delivered by Nordic Unmanned Cargo in close collaboration with subcontractors Schiebel Aircraft, Airbus and Planck Aerosystems.
Nordic Unmanned vice president for logistics Pål Kristensen agrees there is strong potential for unmanned aerial vehicles in offshore logistics. “We expect logistics to be a major growth driver for the drone market in the years to come, and this contract lets us showcase our capabilities,” he said.
“Proving our ability to operate our drones safely in the challenging conditions of the North Sea, the scope of this contract will be a verification of Nordic Unmanned having the capacity to deliver such services anywhere. Harsh weather conditions and very busy airspace require first-class operational and regulatory expertise," he said.
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