RIO DE JANERIO: Wilson Sons, a port and maritime logistics operator with more than 188 years of experience, is set to conduct its first drone operations to deliver and pick up documents for platform supply vessels (PSVs) and to perform other services in Guanabara Bay. The initiative began last year in the Port of Salvador (Bahia) and will once again be conducted through its Shipping Agency. This time, the tests have been run with the support of its Offshore Support Base in Rio since April 6th.
The uncrewed aerial vehicles and systems are owned by Speedbird Aero, which specializes in drone operations and has completed over one thousand offshore flights in Singapore. To carry out operations in Brazil, all necessary authorizations and licenses were obtained from the Brazilian authorities, including the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA). The testing period is for the so-called Proof of Concept and to check technical feasibility.
Rodrigo Lopes, Operations Manager at Wilson Sons’ shipping agency, the largest and most experienced shipping agency in Brazil, explains that “Wilson Sons’ use of delivery drones is a milestone in the port and logistics industry, as it makes operations even safer and more efficient, thereby supporting, through innovation and new technologies, the decarbonization of the offshore energy industry and the sustainable development of Brazil.”
The drones provide operational speed, with safety first, a non-negotiable value for the company, by transporting lightweight documents (objects weighing up to five kilograms), for example. The average travel time between Base Rio and the vessels is estimated at nine minutes, covering an air distance of nearly eight kilometres.
For Edwardo Valverde, General Manager of Offshore Support Base Operations at Wilson Sons, the start of drone testing at the Rio Base heralds a trend in the energy industry in Brazil: “This technology increases the efficiency of offshore operations and directly contributes to sustainability goals, strengthening our role in supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by our partners.”
About Wilson Sons
With more than 188 years of operations across the Brazilian territory, Wilson Sons is a port and shipping logistics operator. As a reference in this segment, it offers comprehensive solutions to over 5,000 clients, including shipowners, importers and exporters, the offshore energy industry, renewable energy projects, the agribusiness sector, as well as other players across various economic segments.
