‘World’s First’ O&M Campaign Using Heavy-Lift Cargo Drones Underway at Dutch Offshore Wind Farm

August 7, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

Ørsted has deployed heavy-lift cargo drones (HLCDs) for maintenance work at the Borssele 1&2 offshore wind farm in the Netherlands. This is the first time heavy-lift cargo drones are being used in an operational campaign, according to the company which tested the concept in 2023 at its Hornsea One offshore wind farm in the UK.

An aerial photo of a heavy-lift cargo drone at a Borssele 1&2 offshore wind turbine — Ørsted

At the 752 MW Dutch offshore wind farm that has been in operation since 2020, the 70-kilogram drones will transport cargo of up to 100 kilograms from a vessel to all 94 wind turbines. The campaign now underway at Borssele 1&2 is being performed to update some critical evacuation and safety equipment in each of the turbines.

A drone can complete a task that typically takes several hours in minutes, according to Ørsted.

“The drone flight from the vessel to the turbine takes about four minutes per turbine, while the conventional approach without using drones can take approx. six hours. Taking vessel transport between the turbines and from-and-to shore into account, Ørsted has been able to complete the tasks at Borssele 10-15 times faster than normally,” the developer stated in a press release on 7 August.

Deploying HLCDs in an actual campaign comes after trials on other offshore wind farms and testing the concept last year at the UK’s Hornsea One offshore wind farm.

In October 2023, after deploying the HLCDs at Hornsea One, Ørsted said it had become “the first offshore wind company in the world” to use giant autonomous drones to transport cargo to wind turbines.

Using drones for cargo transport at Borssele 1&2 will reduce costs and time as there is less work disturbance since wind turbines do not have to be shut down when cargo is delivered, according to the developer.

Drones also prevent risk, making it safer for personnel working on the wind farm, and minimise the need for multiple journeys by ship, reducing carbon emissions in the process, the company pointed out.

Ørsted also said it was actively seeking partnerships with the best cargo drone operators and service providers to help grow the supply chain.