Our recent visit to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm was a truly enlightening experience, offering us valuable insights into the operations and opportunities for our drone technology.
An Early Start and a Warm Welcome
The day began early—very early. With a 3:30 am start to catch the 4:30 am train to Newcastle, myself, Chris, and Kenny were ready for a day of exploration and learning. The visit was kindly arranged by Tom Nightingale from Equinor, and upon arrival, we were greeted by Steve Myers from Northstar, who guided us through the tour.
Touring the State-of-the-Art Facilities
Our first stop was the relatively new Dogger Bank facilities at the Port of Tyne. Here, we had the opportunity to meet the control room team and learn about the progress of the wind farm’s construction, with 27 turbines now installed. It was fascinating to see the scale of the operations and the dedication of the team working on this pioneering project.
One of the highlights of the visit was touring the service operation vessel (SOV) docked at the port for a crew changeover. The vessel operates on a two-week on, two-week off schedule, with crew changeovers completed in under six hours—an impressive feat. We were particularly struck by the quality of the facilities on board, including the surprisingly spacious bedrooms complete with heated bathroom floors.
Exploring Drone Operations from the SOV
A key focus of our visit was to explore how Airspection’s drone technology could be integrated into the operations at Dogger Bank. Specifically, we discussed the potential of launching and operating our drones directly from the SOV to provide inspection services. With the Dogger Bank wind farm spread across a vast area, it can take several hours to travel from one side to the other. However, with our drones, this journey could be completed in just 30 minutes, significantly increasing efficiency.
The Benefits of SOV-Launched Drone Inspections
Launching our drones from the SOV offers several advantages. As with our other operations, safety, reliability, and efficiency are at the forefront of what we do. However, at Dogger Bank, there’s an additional benefit—speed. Our drones can perform inspections twice as fast as traditional methods, which not only improves operational efficiency but also frees up valuable bed space on the SOV, a crucial factor for operators.
Our visit to Dogger Bank has further solidified our belief in the potential of Airspection’s technology to revolutionise wind turbine inspections. We are excited about the possibilities and look forward to continuing our work with industry leaders like those at Dogger Bank to enhance the future of offshore wind energy.
For more on the visit and to see Tom Nightingale’s post, check out the link: Tom’s LinkedIn Post.
