Denmark is moving forward with a new partnership between the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, the Ministry of Transport, and Vestas to establish the country’s first automated offshore wind farm.

The project will explore how drones can take over inspection and maintenance tasks that today rely on diesel-powered vessels and helicopters. By cutting fuel use, the technology is expected to lower operational costs, improve worker safety, and reduce CO2 emissions.

Studies from DTU suggest that drone inspections could halve the cost of monitoring wind turbine blades, potentially driving down the levelized cost of offshore wind energy by 2–3% across a turbine’s lifetime.

“Replacing diesel ships and helicopters with drones not only reduces emissions but also brings cheaper green electricity to households,” said Climate and Energy Minister Lars Aagaard.

By easing administrative hurdles and testing new technical solutions, the partnership aims to make offshore wind operations more efficient and attractive to investors, reinforcing Denmark’s leadership in renewable energy.