Ørsted has completed a cargo drone trial at Hornsea 2 in the North Sea with drone operator Skyports Drone Services, according to a Skyports release published on 7 October 2026.
The release says the trial "assessed whether drones could deliver maintenance kits and reduce routine vessel trips, helping turbines generate electricity more consistently while lowering operational risks and costs."
How the trial worked
According to Skyports, "The four-week trial brought together specialists in safety, aviation, warehousing and site operations, alongside drone operator Skyports, working within the UK Civil Aviation Authority's regulatory framework."
The release describes the loads: "Each maintenance kit contained the tools, spare parts and materials required for a specific task. The kits, weighing approximately 55–65 kg, were packed in bags and flown to different turbines before technicians arrived. After the work was completed, the drone collected the kits and returned them to the Service Operations Vessel (SOV)."
Skyports says the team "developed a new load-collection method using an automatic hook attached to the drone. This removed the need for an operator to connect the bag manually, making the process more automated, efficient and safe."
It also says: "The turbine can continue generating electricity while a delivery is in progress, reducing lost production."
Beyond visual line of sight
The release says: "In a milestone for offshore drone operations, the team completed its first delivery beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) inside the wind farm. The drone travelled around 4 km, with the flight planned, coordinated and monitored from a specialist service vessel."
It adds: "The Civil Aviation Authority were integral in helping with the airspace approvals to conduct the project."
What the companies and the CAA said
Alex Brown, chief executive of Skyports Drone Services, said: "The offshore environment is a challenging one – traditional turbine logistics, either through vessels or helicopters, involve time, coordination, varying levels of risk and cost. At Hornsea 2, we've shown the potential for cargo drones as a viable alternative that minimises these factors. These drones give wind farm operators like Ørsted a practical way to reduce lifting and vessel movements, get technicians working faster and maximise the time turbines spend generating."
Richard McCrilley, project lead at Ørsted, said: "As we had a daily presence, we were able to cater for a variety of ad-hoc flight requests and get equipment sent out to support the teams. We were able to cover both planned and reactive works".
Ed Clay, head of technical strategy, future safety and innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: "Continued industry collaboration and evidence gathering will be vital as we work towards integrating routine BVLOS operations into the airspace system and unlocking the full potential of this technology."
The release does not name the drone model used in the trial.