A powerful UAV-based ICT solution allowing safe, reliable and effective inspections of wind turbines

Project Information

Wind-Drone

Grant agreement ID: 782517

DOI 10.3030/782517

Closed project

Start date 1 September 2017

End date 31 December 2017

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost € 71 429,00

EU contribution € 50 000,00

Coordinated by

BLADEINSIGHT SA
Portugal

Objective

Over the lifetime of a wind turbine, operation and maintenance costs represent 25% of total levelised cost per kWh
produced. Half of this cost concerns the blades. Blade inspection procedures still rely on qualified inspectors roping down
each blade: a hazardous, time-consuming (5h) and expensive method (1500€). ProDrone’s integrated solution delivers a
fully equipped Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based platform for capturing, processing and analysing inspection data,
enabling a turbine downtime lower by 6 times and a cost saving of over 50%. Pro-Drone is targeted at wind park operators
who seek a reduction in the cost of blade inspection and additional revenues from decreased downtime. Within the overall
project, Pro-Drone intends to fully automate the UAV blade inspection process eliminating human intervention in the drone’s
take-off and landing phase; optimization of the post-processing algorithm for automatic fault recognition; and complete a
sound demonstration and validation of the technology in operation with wind turbine operators. There is over 154 GW of
installed wind energy capacity in the EU (over 60.000 wind turbines) and 433 GW globally (314.000 wind turbines!) which
can asily adopt this solution and benefit from safer and more economical turbine analysis. The Pro-Drone will effectively
contribute to the European 2030 targets of at least 27% renewable energy in final energy consumption at European level
and an anticipated €1 million plus will be saved on the total amount of energy installed in EU.

Fields of science

• social sciences › economics and business › business and management › business models
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › renewable energy › wind power
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › robotics › autonomous robots › drones
• medical and health sciences › health sciences › public health › occupational health
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › renewable energy › hydroelectricity

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.3.3. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy Main Programme
• H2020-EU.2.1.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument

Topic(s)

• SMEInst-09-2016-2017 - Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for a low carbon and efficient energy system

Call for proposal

H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017

Funding Scheme

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Coordinator

BLADEINSIGHT SA

• Net EU contribution: € 50 000,00
• Address: Taguspark av. jacques delors, edificio inovacao ii gab 4 ; 2740-122 Porto salvo ; Portugal
• Region: Continente › Área Metropolitana de Lisboa › Área Metropolitana de Lisboa
• Activity type: Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
• Other funding: € 21 429,00