United for green innovation

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.

The funds for new project processes are allocated as part of the Danish Business Promotion Board's innovation grant to the Danish energy cluster and are targeted at companies and research institutions.

“The process is efficient and it's easy to get help along the way. We therefore hope that many companies and researchers focused on climate-friendly energy solutions will apply for support in the current round,” says Christian Boysen, COO at Energy Cluster Denmark.

“All project proposals within our focus areas are welcome, and in this round particular emphasis will be placed on topics such as electrification of heavy industrial processes, digitalization, safety, new business models within the energy system, and NIMBY,” says Christian Boysen.

Energy Cluster Denmark’s focus areas for innovation are energy production, storage, infrastructure, energy efficiency, sector coupling and CCUS, as well as digitalization and cybersecurity.

Practicalities and application
Applications are open now, and the funding framework typically ranges from DKK 200,000 to 1 million.

It is a requirement that at least two small or medium-sized enterprises participate in the project. Large companies and research institutions may also participate, but it is not a requirement.

Scaling up wind energy, thermal storage, cybersecurity, and pyrolysis.

These are just some of the themes found in Energy Cluster Denmark’s newly published Innovation Roadmap 2026–2027.

The publication contains thematic recommendations from the energy sector’s industry associations and knowledge institutions on what the Danish energy cluster’s innovation projects should address over the next two years across the entire energy system.

One of the contributors is Danish Alliance for Renewables:

“Europe has a strong position in wind technology, which is under heavy pressure from countries that are investing massively to challenge European competitiveness. If we are not to lose our industrial production once again, as we did with solar cells, it is crucial that we prioritize our innovation efforts within wind energy and its integration into our energy system. There is a misconception that wind energy technology is fully developed, but our research environments and industry have shown that there is still enormous potential to increase efficiency, optimize and automate production, ensure physical and cybersecurity, enhance sustainability, and add intelligence to deliver some of the system services that power plants provide today,” says Kasper Roed Jensen, Chairman of Danish Alliance for Renewables, which contributes recommendations through Green Power Denmark.

“The key to the most efficient, secure, and robust energy system lies in research and development in system integration and the interaction between technologies to create the sustainable energy system of the future for the benefit of all,” says Kasper Roed Jensen.

Three areas within storage and conversion
Contributors from the energy cluster to the new Innovation Roadmap include Green Power Denmark, DI Energi, Biogas Danmark, Synergi, Dansk Fjernvarme, Brintbranchen, Dansk Offshore, and the Danish Center for Energy Storage (DaCES).

The latter brings together knowledge institutions and research-oriented companies around a strategic effort in energy storage and conversion, and according to DaCES there are three areas that should be prioritized now:

“High-temperature thermal storage is the key to making industrial electrification both flexible and cost-effective. This requires investments in demonstrators, materials research, and the development of specialized components so that the technology can be scaled and integrated into industry,” says Anne Marie Damgaard, Director of the Danish Center for Energy Storage.

“In addition, active battery components such as battery management systems (BMS) and power conversion systems (PCS) are crucial for safe BESS facilities in the EU and strengthen competitiveness across the entire battery value chain. Finally, our long-term, strategic research initiatives, including innovation missions such as MissionGreenFuels, are important, as these missions play a central role in developing technologies for green fuels and chemicals for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize,” says Anne Marie Damgaard.

Sector coupling and innovation
A third contributor to the energy cluster’s Innovation Roadmap is Biogas Danmark, which sees sector coupling and innovation as the key to a shared green energy system that both drives the green transition and strengthens energy supply security:

“The interaction between biogas and other green technologies, the development of value chains for biogenic CO₂ for carbon storage, as well as future green fuels and materials, are crucial—at the same time, AI can support and accelerate regulatory processes for the expansion of renewable energy,” says Lars Kaspersen, Director of Biogas Danmark.

Download the new Roadmap
The recommendations in Innovation Roadmap 2026–2027 will be made operational through the energy cluster’s board and implemented in concrete innovation projects through Energy Cluster Denmark.