On July 5, The Net Zero Technology Centre confirmed the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the National Robotarium as consortium partners for the delivery of the OLTER project, which is part of the Net Zero Technology Transition Program.
Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK —The Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has attracted partners for the Offshore Low Touch Energy Robotics and Autonomous Systems (OLTER) project.
NZTC has allocated £4.5 million (US$5.48 million) to the project from the £16.5 million (US$19.5 million) Scottish Government Energy Transition Fund, which supports the development of various energy transition projects in Scotland.
The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the National Robotarium have agreed to be consortium partners in OLTER, with the 36-month project set to receive a further £9.6 million in funding from the industry.
The aim is to position Scotland as a leader in the development, testing and delivery of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) technologies to support the energy transition.
Courtesy OLTER
OLTER (Offshore Low Touch Energy Robotics and Autonomous Systems) provides on-demand, standardized autonomous systems.
According to NZTC, RAS technologies are evolving rapidly accelerating, becoming smarter and more versatile. Potentially they could enhance offshore operations through real-time, data-driven decision-making.
The OLTER project funding will provide a test bed and environment for developing RAS concepts and products, and it could ultimately lead to the formation of a RAS center of excellence.
“The ORCA Hub [formed in 2017] has demonstrated both the potential and success of academia and industry collaboration in accelerating the adoption of RAS in offshore energy," said Stewart Miller, CEO of the National Robotarium. “ORCA’s achievements to date range from launching tech that can help humans and robots to speak the same language to autonomous drones that can inspect offshore turbines.
“The National Robotarium’s approach to working with industry is ideally suited to benefit the OLTER project. Our facilities will assist with joint working, experimentation, test and validation, which all help to demonstrate the significant benefits of RAS.
