Ørsted is deploying heavy-lift cargo drones (HLCD) for the first time in an operational campaign at the Borssele 1 and 2 Offshore Wind Farm in the Netherlands.The heavy-lift cargo drone will transport cargo from a vessel to all 94 wind turbines of the offshore wind farm. Building on previous trials and expertise using drones in other offshore wind farms, Ørsted is using the 70 kg drones, which have a wingspan of 2.6 metres, to transport cargo of up to 100 kg. The concept was tested last year at the Hornsea 1 Offshore Wind Farm in the UK. For this specific campaign, Ørsted has decided to update some critical evacuation and safety equipment in each of the turbines. The drone will fly back and forth from an offshore supply vessel directly to the top of the nacelle. The drone flight from the vessel to the turbine takes about four minutes per turbine.
