It has been more than 30 years since the first offshore wind farm was commissioned in the early 1990s. Now, with hundreds of offshore farms in operation worldwide, wind energy provides power for millions of homes and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has its sights set on achieving 392,000MW of installed capacity in Europe by 2030.
Headquartered in Glasgow, the founding city of the UK’s first windmill for electricity, Interocean Marine Services (Interocean) has been a trusted partner to the offshore energy sector for over 18 years, delivering safe, professional, and high-quality services worldwide. Its core expertise lies in marine assurance, structural inspection, and operational support. Working closely with drilling contractors, asset owners, and classification societies, Interocean plays a critical role in enhancing the safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of offshore operations. Interocean operates a global network of offices in the UK, Norway, Ghana, Angola, Canada, and the UAE, providing specialist services that ensure regulatory compliance and extend asset life.
Leveraging almost two decades of experience across the oil and gas, marine, and new energy markets, Interocean plays a key role in supporting the continued development of the offshore wind sector, including the proactive management of ageing turbine assets.
Looking to ensure optimal performance for its assets, Interocean was approached by a wind turbine operator to perform a comprehensive internal structural campaign utilising Interocean’s industry leading remote inspection techniques. As one of the first companies globally to be approved by ABS and DNV to perform UTM inspections using UAV technology, Interocean is setting a new benchmark for safety and efficiency in offshore asset inspections.
Inspecting the internal structure of wind turbine blades with drones is an emerging method that enhances safety, efficiency, and data quality. Unlike traditional rope access or manual entry, drone-based internal inspections reduce human risk and allow for faster, high-resolution data collection in confined spaces.
Ahead of mobilisation, a comprehensive written instruction is prepared that details the methods that will be used and controls that are to be implemented so to deliver quality results in a safe and timely manner. The turbine is subsequently locked out and tagged out (LOTO) to ensure safety, before a structural assessment is completed to confirm the integrity for internal entry and drone operation. Interocean’s enterprise grade collision-tolerant drone; equipped with high-definition cameras, thermal imaging, and lighting, delivers high-resolution data with enhanced datasets to provide early defect detection and preventing potential structural failures, which is aligned with HSE and engineering best practices.
For this project, the drone was flown along the internal structure, capturing 4K video, thermal images, and LIDAR data. Particular attention was paid to bond lines, leading edges, internal stiffeners and structural steelwork, and trailing edges for signs of cracks, delamination, or water ingress. A live video feed allowed immediate assessment by engineers and data was recorded for detailed post-flight analysis. The non-invasive technique guaranteed faster deployment and inspection time, leading to reduced downtime, lowering overall maintenance expenses.
Interocean completed all inspections ahead of schedule and to client’s specification, delivering measurable performance improvements and reinforcing the long-term viability of the infrastructure.
High winds, confined spaces, and working at height make wind farms one of the most hostile offshore environments. By utilising UAV technology, Interocean drastically reduces the risk to personnel safety, whilst simultaneously producing precise, high-resolution integrity inspections in a matter of minutes.
Interocean remains committed to reducing personnel exposure to risk, enhancing operational efficiency and digitising its inspection processes. By continuously integrating innovative technology, the company is reinforcing its position as an industry leader in safe, efficient, and cost-effective maritime and offshore operations.