Danish offshore wind giant Ørsted proudly announced that it would be the first-ever company of its kind to launch massive autonomous cargo drones to transport loads to turbines, according to the press release.
Flight test details
Ørsted already utilized smaller drones across its operations in other countries to deliver lighter cargo. Now, the company is accelerating the move toward this innovative technology.
The giant drones weigh 58 kg with a 2.6-meter wingspan that can carry a maximum cargo of 68 kg in the UK, as noted by Electrek.
The drones have orange bags attached through long cords to store the cargo for delivery. Then, it will drop the cargo on the wind turbine’s platform by unleashing the long cord.
Significance
Ørsted noted that the adoption of giant cargo drones in the Hornsea 1 wind farm would aid the company in many aspects, including cost and delivery time reduction.
In addition, these flying technologies will also improve Ørsted’s operational efficiency and safety. The company emphasized that drones avoid work interruption as they do not require the turbines to shut down during cargo delivery.
Moreover, drones also cut CO2 emissions by reducing the need for numerous trips by ship just to deliver the necessary cargo.
With this approach, the company will oversee the drone operations from its crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and Service Operating Vessels (SOVs).
“At Ørsted we want to use our industry-leading position to help push forward innovations that reduce costs and maximize efficiency and safety in the offshore wind sector. Drone cargo delivery is an important step in that direction. We believe the UK can be the first country to commercialize this system in offshore wind farms, acting as global leaders.”
Mikkel Haugaard Windolf who is heading the project for Ørsted’s offshore logistics team
About UK’s Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm
The Hornsea 1 is a 1.2 GW offshore wind farm in the UK’s North Sea. It has 174 7-megawatt wind turbines producing sufficient wind energy to supply more than 1 million households in the country.
As EV-a2z reported, the offshore wind farm features 165 Siemens Gamesa’s 8 MW turbines.
Ørsted continues to seek potential collaborations with the best cargo drone companies to expand the supply chain in the UK. It is part of the company’s determination to push the country to become the world’s first to commercialize this advanced cargo delivery system in offshore wind farms, which improves safety and operational efficiency.
