The intensive use of renewable energy is a key component in the fight against man-made climate change. Offshore wind farms offer great potential in this regard. And drones can help to tap into this potential as efficiently and comprehensively as possible – for example, by supplying the numerous wind turbines with tools, spare parts, or even evacuation and safety equipment. Whereas a supply ship would otherwise have to approach each individual wind turbine and several employees would be busy for hours transporting the cargo upwards with two cranes, heavy-duty drones can do the whole job in a matter of minutes.
The fact that this also works on a large scale was recently demonstrated in a project at the Hornsea 1 & 2 wind farms off the east coast of England and Walney 1 & 2 in the Irish Sea. With the help of a heavy-lift drone developed and manufactured by UAV DACH member FlyingBasket, UAS service provider SkyLift transported a total of 38 tons of equipment to more than 400 wind turbines. An average of 70 kg of material was transported to a height of over 100 meters per flight.
It took only 60 days at sea to deliver to all the turbines. Using conventional methods, it would probably have taken 535 days. According to Danish wind farm operator Ørsted, this not only reduced costs by a factor of 10, but also drastically reduced emissions caused by ship diesel consumption. In addition, the wind turbines did not have to be stopped for delivery, so there was no reduction in green energy production.
To ensure that drones can be used effectively and sustainably for the benefit of all, we are working together with our member companies and partner organizations to establish the best possible framework conditions for commercial UAS operations throughout Europe. This is in the interests of the UAS/AAM industry and in the interests of maximizing added value for society.