Equinor has opened a new, dedicated facility in Norway for the testing, qualification and development of marine robotic technologies, such as subsea drones, robots and unmanned vessels.
The Kårstø Marine Robotics Centre (KNARR) was opened on October 28 by Norway's Minister of Research and Higher Education, Eileen Fugelsnes, at the processing plant at Kårstø in Tysvær, on Norway's west coast.
The center is an extension of several established test centers for the early phase of technology testing and is said to be Norway’s and one of the world’s first of its kind connected to a facility in operation, allowing the development of technology in an already operational environment.
Three test areas have been set aside in water depths of 25, 140 and 250 meters, respectively. It will be available for use across the maritime industries and will, among other things, establish solutions for inspection, autonomous operations, environmental monitoring, securing and maintenance of offshore installations.
According to Equinor, three kilometers of subsea cable and associated electronics have been laid to test sensor technology over time, which, together with existing power cables, export pipelines and subsea structures, provides an opportunity to test distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), among others.
The company said that it had, together with Gassco, so far set aside NOK 16 million (around €1.5 million) to establish the center, revealing the possibility of expanding the facilities for new functionality in the future.
“The Norwegian continental shelf is important for a reliable and secure supply of oil and gas to Europe, and technology is crucial for maintaining oil and gas production and getting more value out of existing fields and infrastructure. At the KNARR centre, we can test and mature technology that makes offshore operations safer, more efficient and more data driven. This is done in close collaboration with suppliers, research communities and industry partners,” said Hege Skryseth, Executive Vice President for Technology, Digitalisation and Innovation at Equinor.
“The strong environments we have in advanced robotics and digital technology in Norway are among the strategic advantages that will be able to strengthen our competitiveness in the decades to come. We have a long coast, and a rich maritime industrial history that we want to strengthen through good cooperation across industries such as aquaculture, oil and gas extraction, wind power, shipping and the defence industry.”