On 2 September RES, the independent renewable energy company and services provider, announced the acquisition of Sulzer Schmid (Sulzer & Schmid Laboratories AG). The acquisition further strengthens RES’ breadth of digital solutions and services to meet growing demand from renewable energy asset owners for ‘smart’, data-driven operations and maintenance (O&M).
Sulzer Schmid, based in Switzerland, is a pioneer of autonomous drone inspections for the renewable energy sector and its AI-driven technology is employed to enable quicker and more cost-effective blade inspections and repairs.
The company’s proprietary technology, 3DX Blade Platform, can carry out condition monitoring of wind turbine blades using autonomous drones, providing 100% coverage and good quality inspection data, backed by a powerful SaaS platform. It supports customers in building up lifetime records of wind turbine blades across entire fleets and portfolios. Through comprehensive trend analysis and benchmarking over time, platform users can gain fleet insights that can define blade repair work and schedule preventive measures.
The acquisition is part of RES’ drive to combine its global O&M service expertise with growing digital solutions products.
Established in 2016, Sulzer Schmid has conducted 100 GW of inspections and serviced more than 50 GW of turbines. The wind O&M market is expected to grow from $32.4 bn in 2023 to $53.7 bn in 2030, with larger turbines and more demanding weather conditions driving demand for more innovative approaches to blade maintenance.
Eduardo Medina, CEO of RES, commented: “Digital innovations in the renewable energy industry are a key enabler of the global energy transition, helping scale infrastructure build-out quickly and efficiently, alongside maximising production from operating assets. This strengthens RES’ position in the sector by integrating cutting-edge digital technology into our global O&M capabilities.”
Sulzer Schmid will start operating immediately as RES with all employees and technologies transitioning to RES. Its products such as 3DX Blade Platform and 3DX SmartPilot will join RES’ suite of digital technologies, products and solutions.
