Unmanned vessels trialled for subsea operations

Reach Subsea vice president for remote solutions Bjørg Mathisen Døving explained how its Remote Reach project, involving construction, commissioning and testing was coming to fruition in 2024 with two vessels set to be trialled in Norway.

Hulls for these vessels were built in Lithuania and transported on a towed barge to Norway where they are being outfitted, commissioned and thoroughly tested. The work-class remotely operated vehicles will be installed and sea trials will commence in a maritime testing area offshore Haugesund, Norway.

Ms Døving said five tests will be carried out mid-year to map the seabed using hull-mounted sensors, then using an ROV, for acoustic and visual pipeline inspections and situational awareness using navigational sensors.

“Kongsberg is working on situational awareness, to provide a view of the sea for the seafarer in a remote control centre with 360° cameras using AI for hazard awareness,” said Ms Døving.

If Remote Reach is successful, Reach Subsea intends to order more remotely controlled vessels for offshore surveys.