Fugro has ordered two uncrewed surface vessels that will help support remote controlled inspections at offshore wind projects and installations.
The order is for the 12 metre SEA-KIT X class of USV.
One will be deployed in the North Sea and the other in the Asia Pacific.
Fugro remote inspections director Ivar de Josselin de Jong said: “This order cements Fugro’s strategy to lead the development of remote and autonomous solutions, which is key to delivering a safer, more sustainable and more efficient approach to the construction and maintenance of marine assets.
“Integration of the new USVs into our global network of remote operation centres (ROCs) will allow us to provide our clients with an entirely remote-controlled inspection solution for the first time in history.
“In addition to applications in the oil and gas industry, we specifically foresee an important role for our new remote inspection solution in the rapidly growing offshore wind sector.”
Fugro first announced its partnership with SEA-KIT, based in Essex, in England, in March this year.
The two new USVs are the first of multiple planned builds for Fugro as part of the partnership, with the schedule also including the design, build and delivery of SEA-KIT’s 24 metre Omega class USV in 2021.
SEA-KIT chief executive Ben Simpson said: “This order, our first for the delivery of a vessel for commercial use, is a real milestone for the team and testament to their hard work over the past three years.
“Our company vision is all about providing the technology to solve future offshore challenges now and this order is a major step forward in proving the capabilities of our USVs in addressing those challenges.
“It also clearly demonstrates an industry shift towards uncrewed operations and the commitment of key industry players to reducing the carbon footprint of commercial offshore operations.”