Iberdrola seeks startups to inspect and digitise wind farms

Spanish energy company Iberdrola, through its startups programme PERSEO, is looking for solutions to improve its offshore wind installations with fully autonomous or remote-controlled equipment.

The goal is to use the equipment to optimise maintenance inspections, reduce time and risk for employees and ensure the equipment can withstand the harsh offshore conditions.

The PERSEO initiative is looking for a company to offer the following:

• Autonomous or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs),
• Subsea component inspection systems for turbines and substations (jackets, foundations, subsea cables…),
• Image or video capture and condition scanning with subsequent data analysis - complete inspection packages including 3D modelling solutions or digital twins - and
• On-site preventive maintenance and repair capabilities when possible or necessary.

Interested companies should send their proposals to Iberdrola, and, following a selection process, the chosen company will conduct tests with PERSEO or another Iberdrola company.

Iberdrola will cover the cost of these activities and provide the winner with the technical assistance needed.

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This includes testing in a real data environment to evaluate the solution, access to tools, equipment, infrastructure, high-tech sites and shared work areas.

In addition, if the trial or test is successful, Iberdrola may offer the winner the opportunity to scale the solution through commercial agreements.

Furthermore, PERSEO may consider investing in the participating company or in the winning solution of the challenge.

Since its creation in 2008, PERSEO has invested more than 175 million euros in startups. The programme has focused its actions on the analysis of business opportunities and technological collaboration with startups and emerging companies around the world.

At the end of last year, Iberdrola had installed capacity of around 1,800MW in offshore wind and some 3,000 MW already under construction, with the aim of reaching 4,800MW of capacity in this technology by 2026.