A drone has demonstrated the capabilities to inspect offshore wind turbine blades in operation. Danish startup Quali Drone, in collaboration with RWE, Statkraft, TotalEnergies and DTU, carried out this validation at the Rødsand 2 wind farm in Danish waters.
AQUADA-GO project inspects without stopping turbines
Conventional inspections require stopping the turbine, but the new solution allows real-time visual inspections without physical contact and without interrupting power generation. The drone is equipped with machine vision and artificial intelligence algorithms that identify surface defects and possible internal fractures.
This technological development is part of the AQUADA-GO project, funded by the Danish EUDP program and running from 2022 to 2026. At its core, the initiative combines autonomous drones, advanced thermography and machine learning to reduce downtime, improve personnel safety and optimize wind infrastructure maintenance.
The AI model developed by DTU learns with each inspection performed, adjusting its ability to detect blade anomalies even under complex conditions. This system allows informed decisions to be made without interrupting production.
By reducing turbine downtime turbine downtime, this translates intoemissions, this translates into economic savings for operators, helping to reduce indirect CO₂ emissions associated with maintenance. The technology also improves working conditions by reducing human exposure in high-risk marine environments.
For its part, RWE has confirmed its intention to expand the use of this technology in its wind farms. And Quali Drone claims to have a commercial solution ready to integrate with the current needs of the sector.
The favorable outcome of this demonstration was made possible through a partnership between strategic players in the energy and technology industry in Denmark. In addition to RWE and Quali Drone, DTU, Statkraft, TotalEnergies and the Danish Energy Cluster are participating.
The AQUADA-GO project advances as a reference in technological innovation within the European offshore sector, with a focus on digitalization, applied artificial intelligence and data-driven predictive inspection.
Source and photo: RWE