A joint venture between Norwegian offshore vessel owners Solstad and Østensjø, together with services provider DeepOcean, has contracted Astilleros Gondán shipyard in Spain to build its first unmanned surface vessel (USV).
The JV called USV, in which the three partners each own 33.33%, was announced last year with the intention to invest in unmanned vessels equipped with work-class ROVs and capable of considerably reducing operating expenses compared to conventional vessels that are used for subsea inspection, maintenance and repair work.
Delivery of the USV is expected by the end of 2024, with plans for the unit to be operational in 2025. The USV will be capable of operating offshore for up to 30 days without charging or refuelling, and it is estimated that it will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to a conventional offshore vessel in operation.
The concept development for the USV began in 2018 and has been conducted in close collaboration with clients, Salt Ship Design, technology providers, and the relevant authorities to enhance the capabilities of the USV. The 24-m-long USV features a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system with a battery package.
The unit will be remotely controlled from shore but will have many autonomous features to ensure the safety and integrity of the spread. During operations, both the USV vessel crew and ROV operators will be co-located in the same remote operating centre.
“With our new USV, we are moving the captain onshore who will still remain in control over the offshore operations. We will operate the vessel and the ROV from an onshore remote operations centre. This is an excellent way of reducing cost, CO2 footprint and limit personnel exposure to offshore operations,” said Øyvind Mikaelsen, chair of USV and CEO of DeepOcean.
