Ampelmann has completed a six-week cargo drone campaign at RWE’s 857 MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farm in the UK, with more than 9 tonnes of tools, maintenance parts and safety equipment transferred between a service operation vessel (SOV) and the turbines in more than 250 flights.
The campaign, conducted between August and September, was carried out as RWE explores the use of cargo drones within its SOV-based logistics model ahead of taking over full maintenance responsibilities for Triton Knoll in 2027.
Ampelmann said the drones were used to pre-load turbines with equipment before technicians arrived at their worksites, while cargo could also be retrieved remotely after maintenance activities had been completed. The system can deliver and collect loads of up to 80 kilogrammes directly to and from the nacelle and main access platform using an unmanned pick-up system.
The company said its cargo drone services can reduce the need for conventional crane lifts and vessel movements while increasing the time technicians can spend on maintenance.
“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 15 to 20%”, said Thijs van ’t Geloof, Business Developer at Ampelmann.
Ampelmann has been developing its cargo drone services since launching them in 2024. Its current system includes flight-control software for automated flights between an SOV and turbine, while pilots supervise the operation and intervene when required. The company has also automated the cargo pick-up sequence, integrating the drone, winch and pick-up hook.
The Triton Knoll campaign builds on previous work by Ampelmann and RWE. In 2025, Ampelmann supported short-range cargo drone trials at RWE’s 295 MW Nordsee Ost offshore wind farm in Germany, where drones transferred loads of up to 30 kilogrammes from an SOV to wind turbines. RWE later reported more than 80 successful cargo drone flights across Nordsee Ost and its 385 MW Arkona offshore wind farm as part of a wider drone programme.
Triton Knoll, located 32 kilometres off the Lincolnshire coast, comprises 90 Vestas V164-9.5 MW turbines and was fully commissioned in January 2022.