Europe’s Largest Cargo Drone Makes Its Debut in the Netherlands
The Dutch company Drone Lift has introduced a cargo drone capable of carrying loads of up to 100 kilograms. During a demonstration in the port of Eemshaven, the FlyingBasket FB3 drone showcased its capabilities in front of invited guests and industry professionals. The company is now awaiting final approval to fully deploy the drone operationally.
Smart Solution for Hard-to-Reach Locations
The FlyingBasket FB3 was developed to transport goods quickly and efficiently to hard-to-reach locations, such as offshore wind turbines and oil platforms. According to Joris Binnema of Drone Lift, the drone offers a smart solution for delivering spare parts, tools, and even lunch packages to technicians working at great heights. “Whatever you can imagine, we can lift,” Binnema stated.
The control of the drone is similar to that of conventional drones but requires additional expertise. “Correcting for the movement of heavy loads in flight demands a combination of precision and experience, much like operating a crane,” Binnema explained.
The first assignments are already in the pipeline. Binnema said: “Especially applications we hadn’t initially anticipated are proving very popular — such as transporting heavy sensors, air conditioning units, solar panels, and antennas.”
Awaiting Broader Operational Approval
Drone Lift is currently operating under an alternative permit. Meanwhile, the company has been waiting for 35 weeks for approval of an amended SORA application by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). “Every day we hope for the green light,” said Drone Lift. A further relaxation of the regulations would make it possible to conduct heavy drone flights more frequently and also operate them safely within urban environments. Additionally, the TUG requirements for drones over 25 kilograms continue to pose a significant bottleneck.
The FlyingBasket FB3 is manufactured in Italy and is currently the largest drone being actively used for heavy transport in the Netherlands. According to Drone Lift, there are currently no other drones of this size on the European market offering comparable performance.
In August of last year, Danish energy company Ørsted became the first to use the FlyingBasket FB3 cargo drone to transport loads from an offshore supply vessel to the top of a wind turbine at sea. This resulted in significantly faster deliveries compared to conventional transportation methods.
Future Vision: Even Greater Payload Capacities
Drone Lift is looking ahead with ambitious plans. In the future, the company aims to deploy drones capable of lifting payloads of 200 and even 500 kilograms. With this, Drone Lift seeks to address even larger and heavier transport challenges, always with safety, efficiency, and innovation as its core principles.
