Irish secure €2.88M for prototype robotic subsea drill

The Irish government has allocated €2.88 million for a project that aims to develop a prototype subsea robotic drilling system for the offshore wind sector, amongst others.

Mincon Group and its partners Subsea Micropiles, the National University of Ireland and the University of Limerick will design and build a prototype robotic drilling system and anchor template for the installation of micropile anchor foundations.

The focus of the Sempre-Subsea Micropiles: Robotic Drill & Prototype Foundation Development, Test & Evaluation project is to develop micropiles for subsea anchoring use with the goal of reducing the cost of offshore wind by up to 20%, as well as improving seabed access.

The anchors will be load tested to prove suitability for various operations, including those in the offshore wind sector.

The partnership secured the grant in the third round of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF).

Established under the National Development Plan in 2018, the fund commits a total of €500 million of government funding, alongside enterprise co-funding of projects.