ROVOP invests £4 million in new headquarters and facilities

Subsea specialist ROVOP is investing more than £4 million in a new purpose-built headquarters including training facilities, a full remotely operated vehicle (ROV) underwater test facility and an internal 40-tonne overhead crane.

The next-generation facility at Aberdeenshire’s Westhill area will also bring the company’s extensive fleet of ROVs and its ROV Academy under one roof.

In addition, the headquarters will feature high-quality offices including breakout amenities as well as full maintenance facilities including electrical and hydraulic workshops, ROVOP’s £250,000 ROV simulator and an enclosed car park with more than 50 spaces. The three-storey headquarters will have an area of 1,700m² and will be able to accommodate up to 120 members of staff.

ROVOP, which is currently based at neighbouring Arnhall Business Park in Westhill, has experienced exceptional growth since recognising a gap in the market in 2011 for an independent company and is 100 per cent focused on providing ROV services to the oil and gas and offshore wind industries.

Steven Gray, managing director at ROVOP, said, “Establishing our own HQ is the next step in ROVOP’s evolution and enables us to build upon our specialist services in one hub, which is a major development from working across three sites.

“The addition of the test tank will also allow us to carry out maintenance or fit sensors and tooling and then wet test our ROVs on site ahead of their deployment offshore, as well as use them for demonstration and training purposes. With work contracted already as far ahead as 2020, we look forward to our new HQ providing us with the scope to grow our team and fleet to continue to meet future demand for high quality ROV services.”

The new HQ will support the company’s investment in its own ROV academy with the creation of additional training and office breakout facilities. The academy has been developed to ensure a supply of the most competent offshore personnel, predominantly pilot-technicians for its fast-evolving fleet of ROVs, and includes a £250,000 simulator.

Last year, ROVOP also attained ISO 9001 accreditation for its integrated management system by DNV. OSJ