The Offshore Drone Challenge organized by energy supplier EnBW and the Institute of Flight Systems Technology at the German Aerospace Center has tested ways in which drones can be used to support offshore wind farms (as reported). The Danish company Ørsted has now demonstrated a very practical application. The energy company used a heavy-duty drone to update the evacuation and safety equipment on all 94 wind turbines at the Borssele 1 & 2 offshore wind farm off the Dutch North Sea coast.
From a supply vessel, the FB3 drone from UAV DACH member FlyingBasket delivered transport boxes directly to the top of the nacelle. In this way, each wind turbine took just a few minutes to be supplied. Previously, the supply ship had to travel to the individual wind turbines to be unloaded using cranes before another crane pulled the delivery towards the nacelle. A process that can take several hours in total. According to Ørsted, the entire delivery process with UAS assistance is 10 to 15 times faster than the previous method.
A great example of the potential in terms of efficiency and sustainability that can be unlocked with the help of the European drone economy. And an example that illustrates the importance of enabling the innovation potential of the UAS industry to be fully exploited through appropriate framework conditions.