Skyports Drone Services, RWE and Skyways Conduct Germany’s First Long-Range Drone Deliveries to Offshore Wind Turbines

Flying automated ~80km round trip from RWE’s operation and maintenance base, and carrying cargo of up to 10kg, trial demonstrated drones’ ability to improve logistical flexibility in challenging offshore environments

London, UK, 15th October 2025 – Skyports Drone Services (Skyports), the global leader in drone-enabled delivery and inspection, RWE, a world leader in offshore wind, and Skyways, a designer and manufacturer of long-range autonomous unmanned cargo aircraft systems, have successfully conducted Germany’s first long range offshore drone delivery trial to wind turbines at Arkona Windfarm, operated by RWE.

Taking place as part of a three-week flight demonstration, the drone flights were designed to prove the benefits of integrating long range deliveries into the offshore logistics supply chain. With light cargo deliveries to the turbines usually relying on a boat journey which would take at least an hour, the drones provided a sub-30 minute flight which could be booked on demand, demonstrating a more flexible, efficient and sustainable alternative for delivering small, time critical parts.

Building on previous flight trials conducted last year, which saw RWE and Skyports conducting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight deliveries to offshore substations, this next phase saw Skyports and RWE partnering with leading drone manufacturer Skyways, deploying its V2 drone. A dual hybrid aircraft, the V2 has electric motors handling vertical take-off and landing, and a heavy fuel engine powering long range cruise, giving the aircraft a maximum range of up to 770kms.

Taking off from RWE’s operation and maintenance base in Mukran Port on the German island of Rügen, the drone flew an automated route of over 40kms out to the Arkona Wind farm, with up to 10kg of cargo. Once at the wind farm, it approached a target wind turbine, locked on to the turbine nacelle and performed an automated cargo drop. With the cargo drop complete, the drone then automatically flew the return leg back to Mukran Port and its original takeoff point, supervised by Skyports’ pilots.

Over the course of the trial, the Skyways aircraft flew over 2,500kms and clocked up over 65 hours of flight time. Taking place as a part of an ongoing series of trials by RWE, the project looked to validate the benefits of drones for offshore logistics. Longer term, RWE has an ambition to include drones within a hybrid supply chain alongside crew transfer vessels, which it sees as having game changing potential once full integration is achieved. 

Within the project, Skyports provided the full end-to-end service for drone operations, handling regulatory approvals, mission planning, piloting the drones and delivering final project assessment and reporting. Skyports brings with it extensive experience in operating long-range drones in harsh environments, having flown parts to offshore oil rigs in Norway, and conducted thousands of shore-to-ship deliveries around the world.

Alex Brown, CEO, Skyports Drone Services, said: “Drones are a powerful tool when it comes to operating in remote locations and harsh environments – and offshore wind turbines are a perfect use case. With their advantages of speed, cost, safety and improved sustainability, they’re becoming a very attractive option for infrastructure operators. This trial proves their capabilities, and we’re looking forward to continue pushing what’s possible with our drones for RWE.”

Vivek Trivedi, O&M Optimisation Manager, RWE, said: “The trial has proved that drones give us flexibility. In offshore, flexibility is power. They allow us to react faster, reduce waiting times, and optimise resources. It's a whole new dimension of efficiency. Long term, we see that drone operations could become part of a hybrid logistics model for operating and maintaining our offshore wind fleet..”

Charles Acknin, CEO, Skyways, said: "It’s exciting to watch our commercial customers push the limits, flying in remote, hard-to-reach areas with demanding weather conditions. Standing up BVLOS operations is no small feat, and we’re proud that Skyways is the aircraft of choice for those missions."

Further Information:

About Arkona wind farm

The Arkona wind farm is located 35 kilometers northeast of the German island of Rügen. The offshore wind farm has a capacity of 385 megawatts and can supply the equivalent of 400,000 German households with renewable energy. Arkona is a joint project between RWE, Equinor and Energy Infrastructure Partners. RWE operates the offshore wind farm on behalf of the partners.

About Skyports Drone Services

Skyports Drone Services is the world’s leading drone airline. We are experts in BVLOS flight for delivery and inspection use cases. We partner with maritime and offshore industries, healthcare providers, infrastructure and asset owners, and public bodies to improve connectivity, safety and sustainability with drone operations. Skyports Drone Services is committed to scaling the drone industry to enable businesses and individuals to reap the rewards of drone technology.

Find out more at: www.skyportsdroneservices.com

About RWE

RWE is leading the way to a modern energy world. With its investment and growth strategy, RWE is contributing significantly to the success of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the energy system. Around 20,000 employees work for the company in almost 30 countries worldwide. RWE is one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energy. RWE is investing billions of euros in expanding its generation portfolio, in particular in offshore and onshore wind, solar energy and batteries. It is perfectly complemented by its global energy trading business. Thanks to its integrated portfolio of renewables, battery storage and flexible generation, as well as its broad project pipeline of possible new builds, RWE is well positioned to address the growing global demand for electricity, particularly driven by further electrification and artificial intelligence. RWE is decarbonising its business in line with the 1.5-degree reduction pathway and will phase out coal by 2030. RWE will be net zero by 2040. Fully in line with the company’s purpose - Our energy for a sustainable life.

About Skyways
Skyways is building unmanned aircraft systems that revolutionize autonomous cargo drone transportation. Unlike competitors who remain in development phases, Skyways’ aircraft are operational today, carrying meaningful payloads over significant distances for both military and commercial clients. Based in Austin, Texas, Skyways is shifting toward mass producing its autonomous aircraft, building confidence through real-world cargo missions that aim to ultimately enable future passenger applications.

For more information, visit skyways.com.