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How Fred. Olsen Renewables brought blade inspections in-house

Fred. Olsen Renewables moved from outsourced inspections to a fully in-house inspection and repair management model in Scandinavia, with full data ownership, faster decisions and one source of truth for blade condition and repairs.

2Eve systems in-house

339inspections in two years

6,000+findings identified

>50%lower inspection cost

About them

Fred. Olsen Renewables is a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable energy assets, mainly onshore wind. Backed by a heritage of innovation dating back to 1848, it combines long-term operational thinking with a strong commitment to sustainability and asset performance.

The challenge

Reports arrived late and incomplete, often as summary PDFs with no access to the raw data.
Inspections depended on external logistics, which caused scheduling delays and lost inspection days.
There was little insight into the true condition of the turbines, and repair data was scattered across reports and files.

What they did

Fred. Olsen Renewables first engaged Perceptual Robotics to check data quality and the workflow. After this proof of concept, they brought inspections in-house with two Dhalion Eve systems for their teams in Sweden and Norway.

01
Proof of concept

30 Dhalion inspections carried out as a service, to validate data quality and the workflow.
02
In-house systems and online training

Two Eve systems, with existing technicians upskilled through online training only.
03
Inspect

On-site inspections at the best times and in the best conditions, without waiting for an external crew.
04
Analyse and act

Results in 48 hours. Insights are used to prioritise repairs, prevent damage from progressing and manage repairs in one place.

The results

Inspection data, high-resolution images, damage tracking and repair actions in one place, open to internal teams and suppliers.
A better repair process, with improved safety and accountability.
Technicians with no previous drone experience now run the inspections.
Results within 48 hours, and inspection cost down by more than half.
3 of the 12 wind farms are inspected directly by the owner. Erosion is the most frequent damage; open bonds and cracks are the most severe.

A 30 cm crack, caught in time

Over the past two years, regular in-house inspections found several severe blade cracks early, including Category 5 cracks. In one case, a 30 cm crack was monitored through frequent inspections and grew considerably within a year. Because it was found early, the team acted immediately and prevented a major escalation and unplanned downtime.

By bringing inspections in-house, Fred. Olsen Renewables closed the loop between inspection, analysis and repair. The shift has reduced downtime, lowered costs and improved data consistency and safety, positioning the company as a leader in proactive, data-driven blade management.