5th December 2024 Automated inspection of offshore wind farms Scout, developed by Beam, promises to revolutionise the maintenance of offshore wind farms with its ability to perform independent inspections and deliver 3D views in real time at unprecedented resolution.
Beam, founded in 2016, is a British company developing automated solutions for offshore wind farm projects. This includes AI and autonomy on robotic ships and underwater robots, which aim to provide immediate time and cost savings across all life-cycle stages of a wind farm. At the recent Web Summit in Lisbon, Beam announced its latest innovation, known as "Scout". This autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) could revolutionise subsea inspections. Set for market release in 2025, it promises to transform daily offshore wind operations with groundbreaking autonomy. As demonstrated in a successful world-first deployment at SSE's Seagreen Wind Farm – Scotland's largest offshore wind farm – in September 2024, the system's fully autonomous self-driving capabilities require minimal human intervention.
Unlike traditional inspection methods that demand specialised vessels and expert crews, Scout is designed to be self-driving and will perform inspections by itself, reporting back at the end of the mission. Beam intends for Scout to be deployed directly by people from existing Crew Transfer Vessels during routine visits, enabling a wider pool of people to confidently manage subsea maintenance of wind farms. It should therefore help to alleviate the skills gap that threatens the sector's ability to scale. This new way of conducting operations will eliminate the need for expensive, third-party services – meaning inspections that were once infrequent can become routine management. Scout will enable 3D reconstructions at 4K resolution, such as year-on-year site comparisons, equipping teams with unprecedented insights into the integrity and structural health of their assets. This will minimise the need for reactive repairs and reduce long-term operational costs. Scout will also significantly reduce the carbon footprint of subsea inspections. By eliminating the need for dedicated inspection vessels, Beam's autonomous robotics solution will lower fuel consumption and the emissions associated with specialised underwater campaigns. "Our mission has always been to make offshore wind not just a viable energy source, but the most desirable one," said Brian Allen, Beam's Founder and CEO. "Scout will place world-leading technology directly into the hands of wind farm operators and accelerate the industry's growth at a critical time. Meeting national and international capacity targets will require all operators, not just those with extensive resources, to scale their operations at pace. Scout is therefore a crucial part of enabling the future of offshore wind."
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