<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/heavy-lift-cargo-drones-are-now-being-used-at-offshore-wind-farm-in-world-first/>
"In a world first, Danish wind energy giant Ørsted is deploying heavy-lift
cargo drones to transport cargo at the 752MW Borssele wind project in the North
Sea.
Following successful trials at the Hornsea 1 Offshore Wind Farm in the UK in
2023, the heavy-lift cargo drones (HLCD) are being used to transport cargo from
a nearby vessel to all 94 wind turbines as Ørsted updates critical evacuation
and safety equipment.
With a wingspan of 2.6-metres and capable of transporting cargo of up to 100kg
in weight, the use of the drones is being billed as a “pioneering move” and
“significant leap forward in operational efficiency and safety in the offshore
wind industry.”
Updating equipment at an offshore wind farm would normally require a vessel to
sail from one turbine to another, use a crane to lift each box containing the
equipment onto the transition piece, after which the box would be lifted with
the nacelle’s crane to reach the nacelle, and then moved to the top of the
turbine.
Using heavy-lift cargo drones negates much of the hassle, as the drone is
capable of flying back and forth from an offshore supply vessel directly to the
top of the nacelle – a flight which takes around 4 minutes.
In comparison, sailing from turbine to turbine and lifting the material via
crane takes around six hours per turbine. Ørsted claims that, by using
heavy-lift cargo drones, it has been able to complete this operation 10- to 15
times faster than normally.
Use of the drones not only reduces the time necessary to complete the
operation, but also reduces costs as well as increases operational safety and
efficiency.
The drones also mean less work distance, as wind turbines do not have to be
shut down when cargo is delivered, and in addition to making the work safer for
personnel, the drones help to minimise travel distance by ships, reducing
carbon emissions in the process."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
