FOD4Wind - Flexible Offshore Drone for Wind

Today we use service operation vessels to deliver equipment such as tools to technicians working on the maintenance of offshore wind turbines. This process is expensive, time-consuming, and challenging for the environment.

Autonomous drones for offshore wind turbine inspection and maintenance deliveries

The FOD4Wind project focus on developing fully autonomous wind turbine inspection and parcel deliveries e.g. of tools using drones and fixed charging stations on offshore service vessels. The goal is to replace the use of vessels with autonomous drones.

Challenges to be solved

Safety is one of the important focus areas, when operating drones close to offshore wind turbines. The conditions surrounding the solutions are therefore essential. The first flight tests are expected to take place from an Esvagt ship to a Siemens Gamesa turbine in the second quarter of 2022.

Flying with heavy payloads is another focus area. The long-term goal is that the drone will be able to carry goods of up to 100 kg. To begin with, the partners will work with payloads of 12 kg.

SDU’s role in the FOD4Wind project is to develop the software for route planning and for autonomous inspections of the wind turbines.

Drones can reduce costs and the CO2 foodprint

The partnership sees great potential in using drones for inspection and maintenance deliveries to offshore wind turbines. By using drones to maintain offshore wind turbines, we can reduce both the costs and the environmental footprint, by reducing CO2 emissions.

Partners

Upteko, Siemens Gamesa, ESVAGT, and the University of Southern Denmark. Energy Cluster Denmark facilitates and manages the project.

Funded by

Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP)

Project period

January 2022 - December 2024

Project website

https://www.energycluster.dk/en/projects/flexible-offshore-drone-for-wind-fod4wind/