New uncrewed surface vessel to provide remote offshore surveillance offshore Norway
By Marthe Kristine Sand, Kongsberg Maritime; and Bjørg Mathisen Døving, Reach Subsea
Effectively utilizing traditional offshore survey vessels can often be challenging as the industry is highly volatile and influenced by market fluctuations and crew shortages. Seasonal shifts in demand, coupled with multi-year charter agreements, increase the risk of periods of non-utilization for some vessels. Additionally, survey vessels face mounting pressure to operate efficiently and minimize emissions, especially in environmentally sensitive regions.
According to classification society DNV, there are three main reasons to automate: cost efficiency, safety and environmental protection.
The 24-m REACH REMOTE 1 is the first of a pair of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) designed by Kongsberg Maritime forNorwegian maritime robotics specialist Reach Subsea for subsea work scopes. The vessel design addresses the numerous challenges facing offshore operations, such as environmental—with an objective to reduce emissions by 90%, regulatory pressures, efficiency, crew shortages and safety issues.
Shifting operations to an onshore Remote Operation Center (ROC) eliminates the risks human crews face in harsh offshore conditions and hazardous environments. Environmentally, USVs, being smaller and quieter, greatly reduce underwater noise, minimizing disruption to marine life. Furthermore, the emergence of such vessels is expected to create new job opportunities for crew that face travel restrictions and other limitations.
Kongsberg Maritime has been focused on remote and autonomous technology development in recent years, with several projects demonstrating the benefits of controlling vessels from shore, with a step-by-step move toward autonomous operation. The vessels will be controlled from a ROC, where one captain will be able to control several vessels at the same time. Massterly, which is a joint venture between Kongsberg Maritime and Wilhelmsen, will monitor the vessels from its ROC in Horten, Norway, and they will be followed by a support vessel in the early stages of operation. Increased remote and autonomous functionality will be gradually introduced in a stepwise approach pending technology readiness.
Reliability of onboard systems is critical to the success of this type of operation, particularly as the vessels are designed to have a 30-day operational window. That means they could be out on their own in the North Sea for 30 days. To address this, Kongsberg Maritime has selected a vessel control system, sensors, energy delivery and a launch and recovery system for the remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Kongsberg Maritime is also responsible for the ship design, with the vessel designated as a UT 5208 USV.
Regulatory bodies are increasingly recognizing and approving remote inspection techniques, reducing the need for human presence on offshore platforms. A close dialogue with DNV and the Norwegian Maritime Authority throughout the project has been imperative, as the approval process for an unmanned vessel differs significantly from a manned vessel. The journey toward this milestone has been challenging, but what started as a research project several years ago now aims to transform offshore operations.
A second vessel, REACH REMOTE 2, is set to begin sea trials soon, with delivery to follow shortly after.
