Objective Alerion Technologies commercialises turnkey data solutions for extreme environments through proprietary RPAS that are autonomous and intelligent. After a Feasibility Study, Alerion has decided to focus on windmill inspection market, due to its high barrier of entry, and geographical proximity to important customers that can accelerate international growth. According to the EWEA windmill operations and maintenance represents 30% of the cost of windpark project, and NREL (U.S. Department of Energy) estimates cost of windmill inspections €22K/ MW for onshore and €67K/ MW offshore. Nowadays, most windmill inspection tasks are performed using high-rise equipment and specially trained altitude workers. These solutions are expensive, time consuming, and inefficient for most cases, while effective autonomous and automatic damage identification tool such as an RPAS is a highly desirable solution across the industry. Alerion has estimated that the potential market for autonomous windmill inspection with RPAS is currently €830M annually, with expected growth to €2.6B by 2025. The WEGOOI systems developed by Alerion Technologies will allow customers to drastically reduce windmill infrastructure inspection costs, increase damage assessment effectiveness, and eliminate health risks. This platform is especially suited for structures of difficult access such as windmills, and the company will adapt its technology to fit the exact needs of this market.Alerion has been testing its technological developments in windparks maintained by a multinational company and service provider, and it has already validated Alerion’s prototype RPAS, for its windmill inspections. The prototype version of WEGOOI is at TRL6, capable of inspecting one blade at a time and analysing images in a ground computer. The main goal of WEGOOI is to adapt the existing platform to inspect three blades in one flight and analyse images on-board in real time, and industrialise and commercialise the solution. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensorsengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technologyengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind powerengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsautonomous robotsdronesengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaeronautical engineering 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-2-2016-2017 Funding Scheme SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2 Coordinator ALERION TECHNOLOGIES SL Net EU contribution € 773 185,00 Address MIKELETEGI, PASEO DE 73 B 304 20009 DONOSTIA SAN SEBASTIAN Spain See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Noreste País Vasco Gipuzkoa Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 104 550,00
