XOCEAN last week launched an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) in Ireland to carry out an environmental survey of the seabed in collaboration with Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).
Launched off County Louth coast, off the Mid-East Region of Ireland, this was, per XOCEAN, the first time an uncrewed vessel has operated in Irish waters and "represents a major step forward in reducing the carbon footprint associated with offshore survey operations."
"XOCEAN’s carbon-neutral approach to delivering marine data has seen demand for its services grow steadily since it commenced operations in 2019, and with clients across the globe, and revenue tripling in 2021, the company is set to continue its impressive growth trajectory in 2022," XOCEAN said.
According to the uncrewed marine technology firm, the company has to date delivered over 100 projects globally for some of the world's largest companies.
"In the last 12 months, the XOCEAN team has grown from 41 to 120 and plans to recruit 100 additional hires in the next 6 months. Ireland is fast-tracking the development of its offshore wind sector in line with commitments to increase offshore wind capacity to 3.5GW as part of the government’s ambitions to deliver 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, as a result of the 2019 Climate Action Plan. This environmental research survey, utilizing multi-beam echo-sounder sensors will be used to characterize the seabed in this area of the Irish Sea," XOCEAN said.
The uncrewed vessel is around the size of an average car (4.5 meters) and half its weight (750kg) and emits, per XOCEAN, one-thousandth of the carbon typically produced by traditional offshore survey vessels.
"Throughout the survey, a team of qualified mariners and surveyors monitored the USV 24/7 to ensure the safety of navigation and that the highest quality data was collected," XOCEAN said.
"Having operated in 16 jurisdictions globally in North America, Europe, and Asia, XOCEAN is delighted to have completed last week’s survey in Irish waters and is grateful to the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton T.D. and the Marine Survey Office for their engagement and support in enabling this highly innovative project to be delivered," XOCEAN said.
Commenting on the project, James Ives, CEO of XOCEAN said: “Our USV platform has demonstrated itself to be a safe, reliable and low carbon solution for the collection of ocean data. We are delighted to be working in Irish waters and in collaboration with Dundalk Institute of Technology, on this important environmental project.”
Marine Technology Reporter last year interviewed Ives, who discussed the impetus in the design, development, and delivery of the company's next-generation 5.8-meter uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). Watch the interview below:
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