Underwater drone inspects UK offshore wind farm

Images it recorded will be used to create 3D reconstructions of the foundations to monitor the build-up of organisms on them

Analysts say airborne drones will increasingly help to cut the estimated $8 billion and rising annual cost of wind farm maintenance. Bloomberg

An underwater drone has carried out what is thought to be the first autonomous inspection of an offshore wind farm’s foundations.

EDF’s remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) visually inspected the foundations of three turbines at the Blyth wind farm off Northumberland, north-east England, within four days.

Images it recorded will be used to create 3D reconstructions of the foundations to monitor the build-up of underwater organisms on them.

The drone was equipped and operated by the Orca Hub at the National Robotarium, a group of researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.

Maxime Duchet, offshore wind research engineer at EDF, said: “These trials have showcased the ability of autonomous inspection drones to collect high-quality images of offshore turbine technology.

“These images, and the modelling they enable, will greatly enhance our ability to carry out operations and maintenance activities on-site.”

Dr Sen Wang, lead of Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the National Robotarium, said the trial showed how underwater robots could reduce the risks to humans.

“We can obtain high-quality videos and build an extremely accurate 3D model of the turbine foundations, providing rich information in a more efficient manner for companies working in this sector,” Dr Wang said.

Analysts say airborne drones will play an increasingly large part in cutting the estimated $8 billion and rising annual cost of wind farm maintenance.

Research by US-based Levitate Capital, which invests in drones and other new transport technology, said that there was a market for about 21,000 drones to inspect the 400,000-plus wind turbines worldwide.