Cargo drones have been used to transport equipment between a vessel and offshore wind turbines at the Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm, developed by CrossWind. The trial was conducted in cooperation with Ampelmann Operations and Siemens Gamesa. The test aimed to assess whether cargo drones can support offshore maintenance by delivering and collecting tools and equipment directly at turbines.
Traditionally, technicians carry large amounts of equipment to the nacelle in advance because retrieving items from vessels during work is difficult. Using drones allows equipment to be supplied on demand, potentially reducing crane lifts and improving maintenance efficiency.
The trial took place in December 2025 and was operated from the service operation vessel Purus Horizon. The campaign also tested unmanned cargo pick-up and automated flight operations developed by Ampelmann. Flights were carried out under winter offshore conditions.
CrossWind is a joint venture between Shell and Eneco
