The onshore and offshore wind sector

Back in December, this new column was introduced focusing on the opportunities for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) in the clean energy industries. We are kicking off with a look at the wind sector, an exciting area for the UK promising significant contributions to decarbonisation, energy resilience and economic growth. The current UK capacity for offshore wind is approximately 16 GW, with 2030 targets of approximately 50 GW and a mighty 2050 target of 125 GW. To put this into context, the current peak electricity demand in the UK is approximately 50 GW. The current UK capacity for onshore wind is similar to that of offshore wind, with an ambition to double it by 2030.

Wind turbine components, whether onshore or offshore, are inspected at manufacture, in service and also at other intervals, for example after transportation and after commissioning. Key components include the nacelle, blades, tower and foundations and are made of different materials; blades are usually made of composite materials. Visual inspection is used to detect surface defects and anomalies and this is increasingly carried out using drones for the outer surfaces and automated crawling systems for the inner surfaces. Thermal imaging and shearography (measurement of deformation under stress) are used to inspect large volumes of material in a non-contact way. Ultrasonic testing is used for detailed interrogation of subsurface defects.

The sheer size of wind turbines makes their inspection ripe for automation. At least one non-destructive testing (NDT) solution provider supplies a fully automated system for inspecting the full length of blades at manufacture, with comprehensive data management. In-service inspection poses additional challenges with multiple risks to human inspectors, often requiring rope access and/or working in confined spaces. A collaboration project, partly funded by Innovate UK, saw the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and BladeBUG^[1] demonstrate a robotic system that can ‘walk’ over a wind turbine blade (even when vertical) and perform ultrasonic inspection. The in-service inspection of wind turbines that are installed offshore obviously adds complexity compared to those installed onshore. In another project funded by Innovate UK and on which the ORE Catapult was a partner, a multi-robot amphibious solution was trialled^[2]. This involved corrosion mapping and weld inspection on monopiles (the lower part of the tower), both above and below the water level.

Within the offshore wind sector, floating offshore wind is also gaining momentum; the UK has a 2050 target of 5 GW. These turbines do not have fixed bottoms but are tethered to the seabed, allowing installation in deeper waters further out at sea and thus often capturing stronger winds (and fewer public complaints!). The scope of NDE is increased further here with mooring lines and dynamic cables, which are subject to high fatigue and corrosive conditions, also requiring inspection. This is definitely an area to watch and perhaps one to explore in this column in the future.

With the growing number of wind turbines in service and several coming to end of life, there must be efforts to recycle/reuse the materials as effectively as possible. Several such initiatives include the use of inspection technology to identify and thus separate the materials appropriately, for example the EoLO-HUBS project^[3].

Operators in the wind sector are under pressure to seek reliable, cost-effective NDE solutions that simultaneously overcome the challenges of ever-increasing scales (both size and quantity) and hazardous conditions. Data-driven decision-making (including the use of artificial intelligence) is being ardently explored to estimate remaining useful life of installed turbines and to plan ambitious new projects. Some operators seek a hybrid approach of analysis of NDE data and simulation.

Readers who would like to dive deeper into the topic of wind turbine inspection are encouraged to read BINDT’s ‘Report from the Workshop on NDT and SHM Requirements for Wind Turbines’ (2019)^[4].

Readers are also encouraged to read about the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), which is the UK’s flagship organisation dedicated to strengthening the offshore wind supply chain and thus increasing the economic benefit that can be gained from offshore wind. In December 2025, the OWGP awarded £2.4 million to scale up nine UK supply chain companies, several of which are related to inspection^[5].

This column will return in June with a look at NDE for another of the clean energy industries. Please send any comments or queries to the editor Corinne Mackle at ndtnews@bindt.org

References

ORE Catapult, ‘First robotic ‘blade walk’ on a wind turbine opens door to significant cost cuts in offshore renewables’, 5 November 2020. Available at: ore.catapult.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/bladebug-completes-worlds-first-blade-walk-on-offshore-turbine (Accessed: 16 February 2026).
ORE Catapult, ‘Amphibious iFROG robot leaps ahead in ability to inspect and maintain offshore assets’, 2 December 2020. Available at: ore.catapult.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/ifrog-leaps-ahead-in-ability-to-inspect-and-maintain-offshore-assets (Accessed: 16 February 2026).
www.eolo-hubs.eu (Accessed: 16 February 2026).
BINDT, ‘Report from the Workshop on NDT and SHM Requirements for Wind Turbines’, 13-14 February 2019. Available at: www.bindt.org/Downloads/2019 Wind Turbines Workshop.pdf (Accessed: 16 February 2026).
Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, ‘Offshore Wind Growth Partnership awards £2.4 million to scale up UK supply chain’, 1 December 2025. Available at: owgp.org.uk/owgp-awards-2-4-million-to-scale-up-uk-supply-chain (Accessed: 16 February 2026).

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