Vattenfall Deploys AI Drones + Uncrewed Vessels Across 3 Offshore Wind Farms, Cutting CO2 95%

Vattenfall is deploying AI-equipped drones across multiple offshore wind operations in the German and Dutch North Sea, including blade inspection at DanTysk and Sandbank offshore wind farms and seabed surveys at Hollandse Kust Zuid using the 12-meter uncrewed surface vessel Blue Essence developed with Fugro. "After take-off of the drone, it will autonomously capture high-resolution images of the blades from different angles. The drone will then land on the blade to conduct an ultrasonic scan of the potentially damaged area, giving us complete information of the structural health of the blade. With this detailed information, the maintenance team can initiate repair planning as needed," said Tomas Jansen, product manager O&M Automation for Vattenfall Offshore Wind in Germany. "The results of our recent demonstrations in our wind farms provide a glimpse into the future of automated and intelligent offshore transport solutions and we have already planned additional tests," said Roddy Douglas, automation engineer at Vattenfall Offshore Wind in the UK. The context was that aerial drones are being used in Vattenfall's offshore activities for the inspection of wind turbine blades and are being tested for spare part delivery, while unmanned vessels are used for seabed surveys and the inspection of foundations below the water level. Regulations for 'Beyond Visual Line of Sight' (BVLOS) operations, where the operator has no direct visual sight of the drone and other airspace users, are evolving to keep pace with the new technology. Technically, data and images collected by inspection drones are merged and analysed by machine learning algorithms to detect cracks, erosion, dirt, and other anomalies. The data is stored in the cloud, categorised by severity, compared with historical data, and reports are generated for maintenance teams. The Blue Essence uncrewed vessel features advanced sensors, sonar, and high-definition cameras that provide real-time data on cable and foundation conditions, operating 24/7 with wind speeds up to 38 km/h and wave heights up to 1.5 m. It is remotely operated from Fugro's control rooms in Aberdeen, Scotland. At scale, Fugro's initial operations have shown that uncrewed vessels emit approximately 95 per cent less CO2 compared to traditional survey vessels. Additionally, their smaller size reduces the impact on marine life.