Offshore wind energy is playing a key role in helping us to achieve our climate goals. Wind farms at sea have a twenty-year service life. They are often situated far from the coast. We have always developed smart solutions to ensure the efficient operation and maintenance of these wind farms, whether in the form of modern maintenance concepts or service ships. We have realized that we can conduct our business activities even more flexibly and directly with future technologies such as drones, while at the same time significantly cutting carbon emissions. That is why we launched an offshore logistics drones research project. This project „Upcoming Drones Windfarm“ is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
The research project
Drone technology will play an even larger role worldwide, particularly in the area of logistics. Many sectors see real potential for the transportation of people and materials. The EnBW research project will examine whether the use of drones is promising for the offshore wind sector and especially establish which requirements will need to be met.
Logistical challenges associated with ever larger offshore wind farms are expected to be met by automated transport drones in the future to reduce operating costs.
Logistics drones can make the maintenance of offshore wind farms more efficient while also cutting carbon emissions.
Landing pads will be needed so that drones can land on individual wind turbines.
The offshore conditions place unique demands on the drone technology.
Our approach
Business models are being drawn up within the research project and the efficiency of drones examined.
From a technological perspective, the transport drones should be able to carry loads in the form of tools, maintenance consumables and spare parts, but later also personnel, to and from their work locations in the wind farm. For such uses, the project is evaluating suitable configurations and load-bearing systems for the drone and shaping the interaction between offshore wind farm and drone.
Interfaces must be created at both hardware and software level to enable the use of transport drones. Legal framework conditions must also be taken into consideration in these concepts. How will drones and wind farms be certified for this purpose in the future? Which international conditions must be taken into account for such OWP in the future? The automation concept is developed and validated in a simulated environment set up as part of the project. At the same time, operational aspects relevant to the implementation of the transport mission are worked on. The aim here is to achieve a high degree of efficiency and maximum operational safety.
Our partner
- The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is involved in the research project.
- We are also pleased to have associate partners on board. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) is supervising our project in its role as the licensing authority for wind farms in the German exclusive economic zone.
- The Dutch wind turbine manufacturer 2-B Energy is contributing its expertise gained from the development of landing pads on wind turbines.
Let´s take off for future – with the research project Offshore Logistics Drones!
The Offshore Drone Challenge
We are inviting drone manufacturers and service providers to demonstrate how their technology can transport heavy loads and people. In 2023, we will officially announce the task and technical framework and call on interested parties to register. We are planning on holding the Offshore Drone Challenge in Germany in the summer of 2024. The event is divided into two parts. On the one hand, the drone manufacturers will demonstrate their technological solutions during live flights, which our jury members will evaluate.
In addition, we are offering the companies a platform to showcase themselves and bring together the various players. Drone companies and logistics specialists from the industry will gather at lectures and workshops and share their thoughts and ideas on the requirements, use cases and latest developments.
We will be contacting drone companies in 2022 to tell them about the project. The representatives will attend workshops, where they will get exclusive insights into the research project and we will share our initial findings with them. This will ensure that the drone companies are made aware of the special offshore requirements at an early stage.
Manufacturers will demonstrate their drones live in the Offshore Drone Challenge. A jury will evaluate the flights.
A look into the future: This is how tools and spare parts may reach their destination in the wind farm.
The Timeline
The framework conditions for participation in the Offshore Drone Challenge will be announced in September 2022. Interested parties and investors will thus receive key figures for their strategic planning, for engineering teams and for their own corporate communications at an early stage. In addition, it is planned that the high-ranking jury - a panel of experts from business and science - will still be formed in 2022. The leading trade fairs for wind energy and urban air mobility are further milestones on the way to the challenge in the summer of 2024. In the meantime, there will be a broad call for participation among experts. Below is the rough release schedule. If you would like to be kept up to date on this, please email us.
Be part of it!
Are you a drone manufacturer, service provider or investor? Are you looking for a viable business model for this pioneering technology? Do you feel confident operating on an industrial scale with multinational players in the logistics sector?
If so, then our Offshore Drone Challenge is just right for you!
You will get answers to all of your questions on the subject of offshore logistics drones. This provides a valuable starting point for your product development. We will give you key insights free of charge from the ongoing research project. You will be given the opportunity to come up with a solution for this demanding use case and present the results to industry players.
Participating companies will also benefit beyond the Offshore Drone Challenge itself, because by taking part you will be positioning your company as one of the first in a future market that is seeing strong growth.
Your contact
The Offshore Drone Forum #2 - Be there!
“Drone industry meets wind energy” and you can be there: At the Amsterdam Drone Week (ADW), we are continuing the dialogue between engineers, the business world, scientists and regulators. Together with our Partner DLR (German Aerospace Center) we will discuss at our Offshore Drone Forum #2 under which framework conditions offshore windfarms can be particularly promising for the drone industry.
Discuss with high-level speakers from the industry about how urban air mobility technologies can be used to transport people and materials. You can find further information about the broad range of subjects and the experts on this page.
Reserve your free place and register here or simply drop in any time. Don’t have time to join us for the whole morning? No problem. The Offshore Drone Forum #2 is an open event format and you can also just drop in for individual elements of the discussion.
The event will be held in English. It is free of charge and flexibly open to all visitors of the Amsterdam Drone Week. Please note that an ADW conference ticket is required for access to the venue. We are glad to provide you with a 50% discount link upon request (send an email to einladungen@enbw-events.de). The number of tickets is limited.
We look forward to engaging in dialogue with you and we hope to see you in Amsterdam!
Speakers
Agenda
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Time
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Topic
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Speaker
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Time
9.00
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Topic
Welcome
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Speaker
Host of the Forum
Diana van den BerghHost, Project Manager Fuel Switch (Combined Cycle Gas Turbines)Diana van den Bergh is project manager for conventional power stations at EnBW and joined the company in 2008. She has a background in industrial engineering majoring in chemical engineering and started as a corporate trainee. Afterwards she worked in the field of Carbon Capture and Readiness and investigated new technologies on the verge between demonstration and market readiness. Since 2013 she is project manager for new build conventional power stations from development over construction up to commissioning. She is currently managing the implementation of two large scale H2-ready combined cycle gas turbines in the southwest of Germany. |
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Time
9:10
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Topic
The drones use case Offshore Wind - we are serious about it
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Speaker
Dr. Michael SplettHead of Operations Wind Offshore, EnBW HamburgDr Michael Splett has held various positions at EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG since 2010 and is currently responsible for the operational management of all of the company's offshore wind farms. He is also the managing director of EnBW Offshore Service GmbH, which carries out the monitoring, maintenance and servicing of the offshore wind farms. He is also the managing director of EnBW Hohe See Management GmbH and EnBW Albatros Management GmbH. Regenerative energy supply is a basic need. |
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Time
9:20
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Topic
Going Offshore with Delivery Drones - The Windpark Use-case from the Perspective of UAS Research
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Speaker
Johann DauerHead of Department of Unmanned Aircraft, Institute of Flight Systems, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Johann Dauer has been researching unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at the Institute of Flight Systems of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) since 2008. He currently leads a department that focuses on design, implementation, and the safe operation of a wide variety of UAS. The department operates unmanned multicopters, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and a gyrocopter. Johann Dauer led the first phase of DLR projects on Automated Low Altitude Air Delivery, or ALAADy for short, which dealt with unmanned air transport at low altitudes and over sparsely populated areas. On-board autonomy, especially automatic control, software design and the use of artificial intelligence on the way to increasing levels of automation represent special research interests of Johann Dauer. He is fascinated by the possibilities offered by new technologies in unmanned aviation. |
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Time
9:30
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Topic
Heavy Duty Drones in a new use case – aviation and Safety aspects
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Speaker
Helge HackbarthExecutive Consultant at Lufthansa Industry SolutionsHelge Hackbarth completed his studies as Dipl.Wi.Math at the University of Hamburg in 1994 and then started a management consulting career at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Since 2002 he has held various IT consulting roles at Lufthansa Industry Solutions, since 2015 he has increasingly focused on IoT, robotics, AI, unmanned aircraft systems including their security aspects. In addition, he is currently doing his doctorate at the TUHH at the Institute for Air Transport Systems. The degree of automation determines the cost-effectiveness, scalability and safety of autonomous systems. |
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Time
9:40
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Topic
Financing and innovations in offshore wind – improving the business case with drones
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Speaker
Barbara ZuiderwijkGreen GiraffeBarbara is a founder of Green Giraffe. Green Giraffe is a specialist advisory firm focused on renewable energy. Barbara has a strong track record in the contracting and financing of onshore and (offshore) wind farms in Northern Europe. Barbara supported the development, contracting, and (re)financing of Northwind (216 MW, Belgium, 2012), Gemini (600 MW, the Netherlands, 2014), Veja Mate (402 MW, Germany, 2015), Norther (370 MW, Belgium, 2016 and 2020), Windpark Fryslân (383 MW, The Netherlands, 2019),Baltic II & Co (1.5 GW, Poland, 2019), Windpark Zeewolde (322 MW, The Netherlands, 2020) and Deutsche Bucht (252 MW, Germany, 2021). Barbara has been supporting consortia participating in several European offshore wind tenders as well as having been involved in other technologies such as the ground-mounted solar farm Duurkenakker (64 MWp, The Netherlands, 2020). Barbara is currently involved in raising financing for a portfolio of projects that combine on-site renewable energy generation with electric vehicle charging infrastructure and battery storage. Before founding Green Giraffe, Barbara worked at the project developer Econcern, and as investment banking trainee at ABN AMRO. Barbara is recognised in the top 100 most influential female business leaders in the 2021 Women in Power list. |
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Time
9:50
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Topic
Legal Implications for Offshore Logistics Drones on EU / National level
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Speaker
Dr. Oliver HeinrichLawyer/Partner with BHO LegalDr Oliver Heinrich is founding partner of the law firm BHO Legal in Cologne, a leading European law firm for high-tech projects, especially in the aerospace sector. Oliver founded the firm's UAS practice group in 2012. Since then, he actively followed the development of drone regulations and advises clients on all aspects of the civil and military use of drones. Oliver distinguished himself through presentations and publications on UAS at national and international conferences. He is a member of the Oversight Committee of United Systems Europe (USE) and headed the Legal Working Group and the Air Law Section of UAV DACH e.V. for many years. Clear regulations - an essential base for regenerative energy sources. |
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Time
10:00
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Topic
Panel Discussion
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Speaker
Diana van den BerghHost, Project Manager Fuel Switch (Combined Cycle Gas Turbines)Diana van den Bergh is project manager for conventional power stations at EnBW and joined the company in 2008. She has a background in industrial engineering majoring in chemical engineering and started as a corporate trainee. Afterwards she worked in the field of Carbon Capture and Readiness and investigated new technologies on the verge between demonstration and market readiness. Since 2013 she is project manager for new build conventional power stations from development over construction up to commissioning. She is currently managing the implementation of two large scale H2-ready combined cycle gas turbines in the southwest of Germany. |
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Time
10:20
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Topic
Break
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Time
10:35
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Topic
Welcome
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Speaker
Host of the Forum
Diana van den BerghHost, Project Manager Fuel Switch (Combined Cycle Gas Turbines)Diana van den Bergh is project manager for conventional power stations at EnBW and joined the company in 2008. She has a background in industrial engineering majoring in chemical engineering and started as a corporate trainee. Afterwards she worked in the field of Carbon Capture and Readiness and investigated new technologies on the verge between demonstration and market readiness. Since 2013 she is project manager for new build conventional power stations from development over construction up to commissioning. She is currently managing the implementation of two large scale H2-ready combined cycle gas turbines in the southwest of Germany. |
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Time
10:40
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Topic
Offshore UAS Operations - The Regulatory Perspective
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Speaker
Dr. Falk GöttenHead of Sub-department Operational Authorizations / LUC at Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Aviation Office of Germany)Dr. Falk Götten is head of the sub-department Operational Authorizations / Light UAS Operator Certificates (specific category) at the German Federal Aviation Office. Falk is a member of EASA’s UAS Technical Body, JARUS Working Group Safety and Risk Managements, and several national standardization bodies. Falk holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and worked in the UAS sector for the last 10 years. |
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Time
10:50
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Topic
Trends in Autonomous Flight
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Speaker
Florian-Michael Adolfautonomy79.aero | VolocopterFlorian-Michael Adolf contributed to the drone revolution in various positions at DLR since 2006 and joined Volocopter in 2018 as Head of Autonomous Flight. He is currently an independent drone expert at autonomy79.aero. At Volocopter, he was responsible for the company's unmanned flight strategy and led development projects from concept to full-scale flight demonstration.Highlights include the first EASA Design Verification for the Volocoper 2X, a deterministic automation concept for VTOL aircraft, and the large-scale demonstration for the CORUS-XUAM U-Space project with a VoloDrone and a rescue helicopter in real-time coordination. Drones have evolved enormously - let's make them viable for offshore wind energy! |
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Time
11:00
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Topic
Two perspectives under one roof: operator and OEM
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Speaker
Alexandra HofProduct Line Leader – Offshore Wind Services, GE Renewable EnergyAlexandra Hof is the Product Line Leader- Offshore Wind Services at GE Renewable Energy, where she provides Service solutions for Offshore Wind. Before joining GE Renewable Energy in 2022, she worked at GE Power as Service Operations Leader and was responsible for global business process management, continuous improvement, and digital transformation for a $2 Billion order business segment. Prior to this role, she was Global Sales Manager and responsible for Service & Upgrade Sales activities in Latin America. In her 8 years working for Alstom Thermal Services, she worked in Business Development, Commercial and Project Management across the globe and prior to that, she worked at MAN Turbo in Switzerland as a System Engineer for industrial applications. Alexandra possesses a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Applied University of Mannheim, Germany and Executive Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Mannheim Business School, Mannheim, Germany. 3 reasons to look into drones for Offshore Wind - Safety, Efficiency and Costs |
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Time
11:10
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Topic
Wind energy use cases in concrete evaluation and realisation
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Speaker
Moritz MoroderCEO, FlyingBasketMoritz Moroder specialized in informatics and electronics during high school, and graduated in Software Engineering at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Economics faculty of the Free University of Bolzano. Founded FlyingBasket in 2015 together with his brother Matthias. Since it’s creation FlyingBasket has been the pioneer of high cargo drone logistics in Europe and has been granted authorization for SAIL II flights thanks to the unique combination of drone manufacturer and drone operator and the dedication of the team to help National Air Authorities to shape European drone regulation. The use of cargo drones in offshore parks will help to develop a more sustainable sector. |
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Time
11:20
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Topic
Logistics industry delivering to renewable energy assets
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Speaker
Holger MeyerGobal Vice President Renewable LogisticsFor a better - TOGETHER |
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Time
11:30
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Topic
Panel Discussion
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Speaker
Diana van den BerghHost, Project Manager Fuel Switch (Combined Cycle Gas Turbines)Diana van den Bergh is project manager for conventional power stations at EnBW and joined the company in 2008. She has a background in industrial engineering majoring in chemical engineering and started as a corporate trainee. Afterwards she worked in the field of Carbon Capture and Readiness and investigated new technologies on the verge between demonstration and market readiness. Since 2013 she is project manager for new build conventional power stations from development over construction up to commissioning. She is currently managing the implementation of two large scale H2-ready combined cycle gas turbines in the southwest of Germany. |
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Time
11:50
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Topic
End of forum, goodbye and invitation to our booth
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A review of the “EnBW Offshore Drone Forum #1”
As part of WindEnergy Hamburg 2022, EnBW held the “EnBW Offshore Drone Forum,” bringing together experts from the wind energy industry with those from the drone industry for the first time. The “EnBW Offshore Drone Forum” provided an intensively used platform for promoting dialogue between engineers, the business world, scientists and regulators. Together with high-level speakers from the industry, people were given the opportunity to discuss how advanced air mobility technologies can be used to transport people and materials to and from offshore wind farms.
“There were numerous opportunities at the event for people to chat with the EnBW and DLR teams as well as other experts and familiarize themselves with this valuable use case. This opportunity was seized with considerable interest, which makes us very happy,” says EnBW project manager Jonas Janke. “For us, it is about embracing interdisciplinary thinking within a network and creating synergies that will enable us all to take another important step toward innovation and sustainability.”
Players in the drone industry were given initial insights into offshore wind energy, while interested parties and investors obtained KPIs at an early stage that will aid their strategic planning, engineering teams and their own corporate communications. A top-class jury is set to be assembled in 2023, made up of experts from the worlds of business and science.
FAQ
Do you have any questions about the research project on offshore logistics drones? You can find the answers here!
The aim of the research project is to establish the necessary framework conditions for using transport drones in offshore wind farms. This includes the technical interfaces between the drone and the offshore wind farm as well as the legal requirements and the business aspects relating to the use of transport drones.
EnBW is carrying out the research project in conjunction with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) and the wind turbine manufacturer 2-B Energy are involved as associate partners.
The jury of the Offshore Drone Challenge is made up of representatives from future users of the transport drones as well as experts in the fields of aviation and renewable energies and specialists from the insurance and finance world. This composition makes it possible to take into account the requirements for each use case as well as the difficulties faced by the participants.
The jury members will be announced on this website in the course of further planning measures.
Ships used today generally not only have to be a means of transport, but also a hotel and material store at the same time. The reason for this is the long distance between the work location and the coast. Transfer by ship takes several hours, which is why daily transfer by ship to the wind farm is generally not economical. Engineers are accommodated and fed on the ship during their shift. Accordingly, personnel are also constantly needed to keep the ship running. The ship must also have the right equipment to enable the workers to cross over to the turbines in the wind farm even in heavy seas. This high degree of specialization makes the ships that are used very expensive. Nevertheless, ships currently remain the cheapest alternative in terms of logistics.
Helicopters are already available for transporting material and tools. They can be used very flexibly. Engineers and material can be dropped off directly at the work location – on the nacelle of a wind turbine, for instance. Transfer by helicopter to the wind farm takes a fraction of the time of transfer by ship due to the high speed of travel. The biggest drawback of helicopters is the cost. High fuel consumption and maintenance work are significant cost drivers.
Drones offer advantages in terms of cost and flexibility compared to the logistics options currently used. The high speed of travel means transfers are as fast as those involving helicopters. By switching to transport drones, it would also be possible to service offshore wind farms located a long distance from the coast without the need for accommodation in the wind farm. The anticipated operating costs of drones are lower than those of helicopters because drones are less complex. This has a significant impact on the amount of maintenance work needed for the drones. It is likely that drones will become more and more automated in the future, thereby cutting operating costs. The transport of materials in particular offers considerable potential for automation.
Many drone manufacturers have set themselves the goal of starting commercial operation of their drones within the next few years. The offshore wind farms must first be upgraded before drones can be used. Since the necessary framework conditions will only be determined in the course of the research project, it is difficult to estimate the timescale. Once the framework conditions have been established, they must be incorporated into the development of a new offshore wind farm. Such developments generally take several years.
It is not sufficient for drones merely to be available for use as transport drones in offshore wind farms. The relevant offshore wind farm must have the right equipment to enable the use of transport drones. Furthermore, the developed drones may require modifications to make them suitable for such use. It is therefore also necessary to familiarize manufacturers with the circumstances of the use case involving offshore wind energy.
The drone must have a high load-bearing capacity and long range for transport operations between the offshore wind farm and the coast. There are concepts from different manufacturers that promise to meet these criteria. The kind of drone required is not yet available.
The European Union Aviation Security Agency mandates high safety standards for drone flights that carry passengers. Drones used for transporting people must undergo certification similar to that used for aircraft.
Almost all of the currently available drone models are equipped with redundant power systems. In the event of a failure in the drone's power system during the flight, the remaining power systems can compensate for the failure. With many drone models, the flight to the planned destination can even be continued in such cases.
The drones used for transporting passengers are controlled by on-board pilots. It is conceivable that drones used for transporting materials may be controlled by a remote pilot rather than an on-board pilot.
The aim is to purchase drone flights as a service. The drones will be optimally utilized by also being used for other purposes. Idle time can thus be kept to a minimum, which in turn has a positive impact on operating costs.
Preliminary considerations on economic efficiency were discussed in the run-up to the research project. There is considerable potential for transport drones to be used economically in offshore wind farms. However, the use of transport drones does not make sense in every scenario.
Most currently available drone models are electrically powered. In terms of sustainability, this offers advantages over the currently used logistics options. If the drones run on renewable power, emissions can be reduced when operating the offshore wind farms.