DSV and Ørsted to Test Cargo Drones at Anholt Offshore Wind Farm

DSV Global Transport and Logistics and Ørsted have partnered to explore opportunities for using drone technology at sea to transport spares and tools for an offshore wind farm in Denmark.

The oversea trials from Grenaa to Anholt are the first of their kind, and the partnership between Ørsted and DSV is breaking new ground in drone technology applications.

The test flights will run over two weeks, during which the drone will demonstrate that it is capable of delivering components from Ørsted’s operations base at the Port of Grenaa to the offshore substation 25 km out at sea and, potentially, to the wind turbines.

The trials will be conducted using an electric drone with a range of 100 km and a payload capacity of 2.5 kg.

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.

Peter Matthiesen, DSV's Head of Innovation & Digital Products 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.”

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Klaus Baggesen Hilger, Head of Operations Digital & Innovation at Ørsted, said: “At Ørsted, we’re constantly exploring new opportunities to minimise downtime for wind turbines and increase renewable power production.

"Together with DSV, Ørsted has launched an initiative to bring the spare parts warehouse closer to the service technicians, thereby ensuring that the wind turbines get back online more quickly.

"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.”  

DSV has engaged the services of Swiss drone supplier RigiTech and Danish operator Holo, both of whom specialise in autonomous mobility solutions. RigiTech and Holo will both support the drone test flights.

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