Innovations in robotics have greatly supported energy operations in recent years, with robots now aiding both fossil fuel and renewable energy production. The use of robotics in oil and natural gas operations has made the sector significantly safer, reducing the need for personnel to work in dangerous situations. In addition, it has made it possible to run many energy operations remotely, which was particularly important during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the restriction of movement. Further progress in the development of robotics over the coming decades is expected to help accelerate the green transition, as well as continue to support fossil fuel operations.
Robotics now play a vital role in a wide range of energy operations, from oil and gas to wind and solar power. During the pandemic, engineers were able to monitor offshore oil operations using robots at a time when movement was restricted around the globe. This helped ensure that the global energy supply was disrupted to a lesser extent. Robots have also been employed to carry out some of the dirtiest and most dangerous activities on oil platforms so that humans don’t have to. Energy companies have become more open to new technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, in recent years, with their function becoming more apparent during the pandemic. Going forward, renewable energy companies are looking for ways to incorporate these technologies into their operations to make activities cheaper, safer, and more efficient, as well as cut costs.
In the wind energy sector, robots are increasingly being used for equipment maintenance. Previously, energy companies relied heavily on the deployment of large vessels to manage maintenance operations. However, innovations in robotics technology have made it possible for wind turbines to be serviced by robots, which are more precise and efficient in their tasks. This has led to a decrease in the time and resources needed to carry out maintenance and has minimized the potential for error or secondary work.
In addition to streamlining maintenance, many modern robots are equipped with monitoring and diagnostics technologies that help safeguard turbines before they fall into disrepair. Using robots also reduces the need for physical human intervention in offshore settings as they can often be operated remotely. This makes operations safer and reduces costs. Energy companies are now employing skilled engineers to manage robotics operations remotely or focus on higher-value onshore tasks.
One of the new technologies being used in the U.K. wind sector is the robotic crawler, which was developed by the British robotics company BladeBUG. The firm created the robot to conduct meticulous inspections of wind turbine blades and other associated components, to make turbine inspections more efficient, accurate, and safer. Another technology being developed for use in the wind energy sector is Honuworx’s subsea robotic system, Ridley. It is a submersible deployment and operations platform for large subsea robots, which is expected to be deployed in place of a large vessel-based subsea system. This reduces the risk associated with crane-based deployments, can be operated remotely, and provides real-time operational data. As the global wind energy sector rapidly expands, there is great potential to develop more innovative robotics technologies to accelerate the rollout of wind farms worldwide.
In the solar energy sector, robots are being used for a range of activities. In 2023, researchers at Osaka University published a study demonstrating the potential for using an automated system to identify semiconductor materials for use in photovoltaic solar energy, which are highly efficient and have low toxicity. The researchers created “a unique robotic measurement system that's able to perform photoabsorption spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and time-resolved microwave conductivity analyses”. They then used the robot to evaluate 576 different thin-film semiconductor samples. The use of this innovative technology could help scientists discover new materials that can be used in solar panel construction to improve their efficiency.
Robots are also now being used on solar farms to install solar panels. In the U.S., energy companies complain about the lack of skilled workers required to develop new solar farms at the pace needed to meet the growing demand for solar power. In July, AES Corporation, one of the biggest renewable energy companies in the U.S., introduced a first-of-its-kind robot, which is capable of carrying and installing thousands of solar panels. Maximo, as the robot is known, has a large extendable arm that can pick up solar panels using suction cups and place them neatly into rows using AI and computer vision to ensure the correct placement of the panels. It is thought to be able to install solar panels twice as fast as humans can and at around half the cost.
Greater investment in robotics in the coming years is expected to help accelerate the rollout of renewable energy projects, as well as make them safer and more efficient, and cut costs. This is already taking place in the oil and gas sector and is increasingly being seen in the wind and solar energy industries. As robotics technologies improve, the use of robots will likely become more commonplace across a wide variety of energy operations worldwide.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
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