After Fraunhofer Institute´s setting up of a drone campus in Cuxhavem, DIOL is paving the way for establishing a drone port also at the port of Esbjerg.
The harbour project manager Maria Anglada, said: "The port will not fly the drones, but we will have to find an area and make facilities available. That’s what we also do with all the other activities at the port. Drones could in many cases replace transport by helicopter or ship, so there is also an element of sustainability". This could represent an adedd value in supporting the offshore energy sector in the O&M of wind farms, which is what the DIOL initiative stands for. The use flying and underwater drones will in fact possibly play an increeasing role in the inspection and maintenance of turbines and in enabling security in logistics hubs perimeters.
Apart from learning from the German DIOL partner, Esbjerg Port´s staff visited Hamburg´s drone port as well as the largest Danish drone center in Odense. Drawings and specifications for the launch stations are now underway, adaptation of the control room is taking place and the infrastructural installation is expected in the next months. A key issue now remains in terms of permits and the evolvement of the legislation on UAVs.
It has become more and more clear to the DIOL partners, in preparing a drone flight test from Heligoland to Esbjerg (foreseen in June 2026), that the major challenge is now obtaining authorisations and ensuring that new standards exist for shared traffic between manned and unmanned vehicles. In general the question is whether to realise special corridors in restricted airspace or use the eVLOS option (Extended Visual Line of Sight) (at the moment deemed not realistic by the Danish Authorities) or performing BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations in “open” Airspace. To raise visibility on this significant aspect with the concerned responsible actors, Franuhofer Institute, together witn Esbjerg Port and Airport, Den Helder Airport, Vives and Skeydrone have planned to get the national CAAs more and more involved. A workshop has been schedule to this purpose for next year. Keep on following us for more info!
Maria Anglada (Porject Manager) and Lone Arendt Rasmussen (Engineer)
Port of Esbjerg
