Fugro and SEA KIT forge autonomous underwater vehicle partnership
By:
Tom Russell
25/03/2020
Fugro
Dutch geo-data specialist
Fugro and SEA KIT International, winner of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE,
have announced a strategic partnership. The companies aim to develop a
new range of agile and compact uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) which can
deploy remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles
(AUVs) for marine asset inspections.
The first USVs are expected be launched before the end of this year, and
a larger USV model is being designed for delivery in 2021. These inspection-related
USVs are being developed alongside Fugro’s range of USVs for hydrographic
data acquisition.
Mark Heine, Chief Executive Officer at Fugro, said: “We are excited
to be partnering with SEA-KIT International to develop a range of USVs
that will transform the marine industry. Together with other strategic
alliances, this partnership represents a major acceleration to our strategy
of leading the development of remote and autonomous solutions, which is
key to delivering a safer and more sustainable approach to constructing
and maintaining marine assets.”
Ben Simpson, Managing Director of SEA-KIT International, commented: “We’re
delighted to announce our partnership with Fugro, which will combine our
design and build expertise with Fugro’s track record in the marine inspection
market. Together we can push for better sustainability in the marine industry
and lead the way for others to follow.”
In addition to investing in USVs and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs),
Fugro has built a global network of seven remote operations centres (ROCs)
to deliver inspection and positioning services, including two new ROCs
in Aberdeen, Scotland, and Leidschendam, the Netherlands, both opened in
2019. By the end of 2020, Fugro aims to be the first company in the world
to provide offshore subsea inspections via USVs and ROVs that are operated
from onshore ROCs.
International will accelerate the development and use of uncrewed vessels,
remotely operated from Fugro’s ROCs, to improve safety, efficiency, and
reduce the environmental impact on marine activities. Fugro and SEA-KIT
claims the new range of USVs will consume up to 95 % less fuel than traditional
vessels.
