Latvian turbine maintenance company Aerones has completed successful field tests of its submersible winch system at ORE Catapult's facility near Levenmouth, Scotland. The new technology, which was deployed during the trials, allows Aerones' robots to conduct essential inspections and repairs on offshore wind turbines, a challenging task in harsh offshore environments.
The system features submersible anchors designed to securely elevate, position, and operate the robots, ensuring efficient maintenance of turbines. This innovation, developed over the past year, was partially funded by the European Union's BLUE project, with €1.7 million from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and a total budget of €2.5 million.
Green Marine played a key role in the deployment, providing vessels to position the anchors and transport the winches to the turbine platform. Once in place, the winches elevated Aerones' robots to inspect the turbine blades.
“We are thrilled to see our technology succeed in offshore conditions,” said Aerones chief executive Dainis Kruze. “This milestone is a game-changer, not just for our company but for the entire wind energy industry. Our mission has always been to deliver the perfect combination of speed, quality, and reliability, and today we're one step closer to making that a reality.”
John Walker, ORE Catapult's engineering manager for development & operations, commented on the broader significance of the project: “Innovation in inspection and repair technologies for the offshore wind sector will be a critical enabler of the global expansion in the renewable sector in the coming years. It presents a global opportunity for this type of innovative robotic solution to be brought to market for the offshore wind sector.”
