Danish energy company Ørsted and transport and logistics company DSV have announced plans to test the long-distance transport of spare parts and tools using drones.
The aim of the trials is to test whether cargo drones can serve as a realistic logistics supplement for the company’s many offshore wind farms in operation.
The pilot project is part of Ørsted’s efforts to lower carbon emissions from service logistics, and will take place at Anholt offshore wind farm in Denmark.
The energy giant said that cargo drones can reduce the need for transport by ship and make quick deliveries if technicians find that special spare parts, especially small parts, are needed for repairs.
Klaus Baggesen Hilger, head of operations, Digital & Innovation, at Ørsted, explained: “The drones are powered by renewable electricity and will fly autonomously to the offshore substation, but we’re hoping to test the drones on flights to the wind turbines at a later stage.
“By being able to quickly and efficiently deliver the spare parts needed for repairs, wind turbine downtime can be reduced, thereby increasing the production of clean energy.”
Further reading:
- Danish port adopts digital twin to optimise offshore wind projects
- Aircraft detection lighting installed at German offshore wind farm
- EDF deploys underwater drone to inspect offshore wind foundations
DSV is already using drones in its own logistics centres and sees potential opportunities in using drone technology in new contexts.
Peter Matthiesen, head of Innovation & Digital Products at DSV, said: “At DSV, we’re constantly working to create optimal supply chains for our customers so it was a good opportunity for us to collaborate with Ørsted on optimising their supply chain from the shore to offshore wind farms.
“It’s fast, cost-effective, and renewable, so we’re looking forward to performing the test flights.”
The test flights will be conducted over two weeks and will demonstrate the ability of the drone to deliver components from Ørsted’s operations base at the Port of Grenaa to the substation 25 km (15.5 miles) offshore.
The trials will be conducted using an electric drone with a range of 100 km and a payload capacity of 2.5 kg.
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