RWE and Ampelmann have completed a six-week cargo drone campaign supporting maintenance at the 857-MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farm. RWE, which will take over full maintenance in 2027, is assessing how cargo drones could support its Service Operation Vessel (SOV) logistics model, reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Between August and September, across more than 250 flights, Ampelmann’s drones were used to transfer over 9 tonnes of cargo between the SOV and turbines at Triton Knoll. The project demonstrated the effectiveness of cargo drones when fully integrated into offshore logistics. Turbines were pre-loaded with tools, maintenance parts and safety equipment before technicians arrived at their worksites, while cargo could be retrieved remotely after their shifts had finished.
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Carrying up to 80 kilogrammes
Ampelmann supported maintenance activities across the wind farm by delivering and collecting cargo directly to and from the nacelle and main access platform. The drones are equipped with an unmanned pick-up system that allows cargo up to 80 kilogrammes to be collected and released without personnel having to manually handle the load.
Instead of handling cargo, waiting for crane set-ups and vessel movements, technicians can focus on what matters most: keeping the offshore wind farm running.
Ampelmann flight control software and automated pick-up
Since launching its Cargo Drone Services in 2024, Ampelmann has built up considerable operational experience across a range of projects in Europe. Building on this experience, the company has developed its own flight control software to automate flights between vessel and turbine. Pilots remain responsible for the operation, supervising the flights and intervening whenever required for safety, while the software handles routine flight execution.
Ampelmann has also automated the cargo pick-up process, with the drone, winch and pick-up hook working together as an integrated system to collect cargo without manual intervention during the pick-up sequence. Together, these developments shorten delivery and pick-up cycles, reduce pilot workload and make cargo drone operations easier to integrate into the day-to-day logistics of an offshore wind farm.
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More tool time
‘The productivity gains of our drone service are firmly established,’ says Thijs van ’t Geloof, Business Developer at Ampelmann. ‘By working into the night, we can turn vessel idle time directly into productive lifting work. We can also deliver and retrieve cargo remotely from operating turbines, allowing power generation to continue while we conduct our operations. In addition to reducing vessel movements, crane lifts and manual cargo handling, we increase the effective tool time of technicians by fifteen to twenty per cent.’
Morten Christiansen, RWE Engineering Manager at Triton Knoll, believes that cargo drones can significantly enhance the Service Operation Vessel-based logistics model. ‘By reducing reliance on conventional craning operations, this technology can improve safety, efficiency and productivity, while optimising vessel utilisation and enabling more transfers each day. Supporting the validation of cargo drone logistics reflects our commitment to improving the long-term performance of our offshore wind fleet,’ Christiansen adds.
Drones integrated in day-to-day planning
Van ’t Geloof: ‘The important step they took was not simply proving that drones can move cargo offshore, but integrating them into the day-to-day planning of a wind farm and rethinking the logistical puzzle around technicians, vessels and cargo. Triton Knoll recognised that opportunity and actively reached out to us to explore it.’
Picture: With Ampelmann’s cargo drone services, turbines at Triton Knoll were pre-loaded with tools, maintenance parts and safety equipment before technicians arrived at their worksites (photo Ampelmann).
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