Offshore wind developer Ørsted has become the first offshore wind company in the world to use a large drone to transport cargo to an offshore wind turbine
Building on previous experience using smaller drones in other countries, Ørsted is now trialling larger, 58 kg drones, with a wingspan of 2.6 m, to transport cargo of up to 68 kg, in the UK.
The company said using drones to deliver cargo to Ørsted’s Hornsea 1 windfarm will reduce costs and time and improve operational safety and efficiency.
“Drones mean less work disturbance as turbines don’t have to be shut down when cargo is delivered. They reduce risk, making it safer for personnel working on the windfarm and minimise the need for multiple journeys by ships, reducing carbon emissions and climate change impacts,” said Ørsted.
“Instead, drones will be operated from crew transfer vessels and service operation vessels, which are already on site.”
Ørsted has used smaller drones for some time with much lighter loads. The company is actively seeking partnerships with the drone cargo operators and service providers to help grow the supply chain in the UK.
Ørsted project lead Mikkel Haugaard Windolf said, “We want to use our position to help drive innovations that reduce costs and maximise efficiency and safety. Drone cargo delivery is an important step in that direction. We believe the UK can be the first country to commercialise this concept.”
The drone was launched and recovered from the deck of the service operation vessel Edda Mistral.
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