The German-Dutch project Smart Maintenance at Sea (SMAS) aims to develop, test, and validate innovative autonomous technologies for the maintenance and inspection of offshore wind turbines. The background is the growing demand for cost-efficient, safe, and weather-independent maintenance solutions in the offshore wind sector.
Currently used manned vessels and helicopters are expensive, personnel-intensive, and risky. SMAS offers a future-oriented alternative. Drones reduce turbine downtime through faster and more precise inspections. Autonomous ships flexibly transport materials and equipment, or even the drones themselves for inspection tasks. The AI-powered control center enhances efficiency through data-driven decision-making.
At the heart of the project is the development of demonstrators, including a drone and a fast, autonomous SMAS vessel with an integrated drone box. This vessel can transport spare parts and deploy and retrieve smaller drones for inspection purposes. The system is complemented by two AI-supported mission control centers located in Eemshaven (NL) and Emden (DE), which intelligently coordinate and optimize the deployment of drones and ships based on real-time operational data.
Geographically, the wind farms are located in the northern North Sea, predominantly within the German continental area and the Natura 2000 region of the Wadden Sea. They are accessed from the northern ports in both the Netherlands and Germany. This project supports sustainable innovation and cross-border cooperation in the maritime sector.
