Energy Cluster Denmark is the neutral Innovation platform for the Danish energy sector.
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Energy Cluster Denmark has approximately 500 members, including companies and universities. Together, we manage an exciting portfolio of innovation projects worth over DKK 3 billion – and we hope you'll join us!
Accelerate to Innovate
Den 9. mars 2026 kl. 12 er fristen for alle, der vil søge støtte til innovation i form af forstudier eller proof-of-concept-projekter gennem den danske energiklynge.
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Participants will range from startups and established energy companies to municipalities, utilities, researchers and suppliers across the energy value chain.
The programme combines innovation site visits to selected energy projects in North Jutland, a networking dinner and the Annual Meeting conference at Aalborg Congress & Culture Center (AKKC) with keynotes, debates and workshops focusing on the technologies shaping the next phase of the energy system. The event will also feature the announcement of the Energy Cluster Denmark Innovation Award.
“Energy Cluster Denmark’s Annual Meeting brings the energy sector together to discuss and shape the future of green innovation. We provide both a professional overview of emerging innovation trends and a strong platform for building partnerships. Through our innovation tours, participants also get the opportunity to visit some of the technological solutions that are currently taking shape in practice,” says Glenda Napier, CEO of Energy Cluster Denmark.
On 12 May, participants can choose between two innovation tours. One takes place on the water and offers a unique perspective on Aalborg’s energy infrastructure and industrial landscape from the fjord, with insights from organisations including Aalborg Portland, Aalborg Forsyning and Port of Aalborg. The other tour heads north by bus to selected innovation environments and technologies already in operation, including SkyClean and Green Therma. The day concludes with a networking dinner where conversations and collaborations continue.
On 13 May, the Annual Meeting conference takes place at AKKC with presentations and debates focusing on the innovative solutions shaping tomorrow’s energy system. Participants will also have access to parallel sessions covering key innovation areas in the energy cluster, including wind standardisation, digitalisation of the energy system, CCUS, and batteries and energy storage. Participants will gain both strategic insights and concrete opportunities to engage in innovation projects and collaborations.
Speakers at the Annual Meeting include:
- Henrik Stiesdal, founder of Stiesdall
- Astrid Haug, author and speaker, presenting on citizen engagement in energy projects
- Lasse Frimand, Mayor of Aalborg Municipality
- Ann-Louise Andersen from Aalborg University
- Tommy Bysted, CEO of Force Technology
- Søren Møller, CEO of Dansk Salt
- Kasper Roed Jensen, Vice President, New Concepts at Vestas
- Caroline Bundgaard, Development Editor at Det Nordjyske Mediehus.
The Annual Meeting is open to stakeholders across the entire energy value chain, from startups and suppliers to industrial companies, utilities, municipalities and research institutions seeking to stay close to the latest knowledge and the partnerships that determine what gets scaled, standardised and implemented.
For members of Energy Cluster Denmark, participation in the Annual Meeting is free of charge.
Register and see the full programme here.


In order to examine the condition of wind turbine blades, inspections of blade damages are usually carried out when the turbine has been stopped. In the AQUADA-GO project, the partners have developed a drone technology for automated, contact-free, real-time blade damage detection, while the turbine is spinning. Inspections that are done without stopping the turbine’s normal operation can help save turbine downtime. Now, for the first time ever, the operational concept has been successfully demonstrated offshore.
“We have proven that it is possible to autonomously inspect offshore wind turbines with a drone of a certain size equipped with a visual camera, while the turbine is in operation. This is a major accomplishment for us. We have worked on everything from developing drone software and hardware to mission planning and online data infrastructure. Now, we have a commercially ready solution that can be tailored to wind farm operators’ needs and make inspections easier, faster and more cost-effective,” says Jesper Smit, CEO, Quali Drone.
Drone-based blade inspection delivers significant savings
The core idea of the project is to combine drone technology with thermography and computer vision, enabling detection of surface damage and potential subsurface fractures on operational offshore wind turbine blades. This saves wind farm operators considerable costs due to increased efficiency, while also reducing CO₂ emissions and improving inspection safety.
The new technology has been successfully demonstrated several times onshore by the project partners, which, in addition to Quali Drone and RWE, include Statkraft, TotalEnergies, DTU and Energy Cluster Denmark. Most recently, the solution has been demonstrated offshore with visual drone footage of blade damage on the surface at Rødsand 2 Offshore Wind Farm, operated by RWE since 2010 and located south off the coast of Lolland, Denmark.
“For the first time, we have successfully carried out a drone inspection of offshore wind turbines in operation. This is good news for the entire wind industry. Through the technology developed in AQUADA-GO, we can see the potential of monitoring blade conditions without stopping the offshore turbine. This could help to increase efficiency in our production of green electricity and to further improve safety for our employees. By using drones for autonomous inspections, we expect that downtimes and costs can be significantly reduced in the long run,” says Marcus Mejborn, General Manager of Rødsand 2 Offshore Wind Farm, RWE.

AQUADA-GO technology and AI model show great potential
The project is based on the AQUADA technology developed in DTU Wind Energy’s laboratory. DTU has developed an AI model that helps the drone automatically identify wind turbine blade abnormalities to indicate critical damage using AI algorithms and infrared imaging. The AI model, which is trained and improved with new inspection data each time the drone is deployed at wind farms, shows great potential.
“We have developed an AI model that uses deep learning algorithms and computer-vision technology based on thermomechanical models to assist the drone in detecting blade defects – both on the blade surface and below it. We have tested the technology multiple times at onshore wind farms operated by DTU, RWE and Statkraft, and each campaign has fed the AI model with new data that has made it better. We are very pleased with the results and see great potential for future implementation within the wind industry,” says Xiao CHEN, Associate Professor and Head of Section, DTU Wind and Energy Systems, and Project Technical Lead in AQUADA-GO.
Facts about the project
The AQUADA-GO innovation project runs from 2022 to March 2026 with a total budget of DKK 17,796,010 and is supported by EUDP – the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program. The project partners include Quali Drone, the Technical University of Denmark, RWE, Statkraft, TotalEnergies and Energy Cluster Denmark.
Read more about the project here
Do you have questions? Contact Gitte Wad, Project Manager, Energy Cluster Denmark at gwa@energycluster.dk or +45 3152 7516.

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9000 Aalborg
Navitas
Inge Lehmanns Gade 10
8000 Aarhus C
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