ORE Catapult, National Robotarium to deliver £9.6M offshore robotics project

July 7, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and the National Robotarium have been confirmed as consortium partners for the delivery of the Offshore Low Touch Energy Robotics and Autonomous Systems (OLTER) project aimed at scaling and commercialising robotics as a service.

The project, which is a part of the Net Zero Technology Centre’s (NZTC) transition programme, has been allocated £4.5 million from the £16.5 million Scottish Government Energy Transition Fund awarded to the centre to accelerate a range of energy transition projects that will help deliver Scotland’s net-zero economy.

Set to be delivered in three years, the OLTER project will be match-funded to £9.6 million by the industry. It is expected to bolster Scotland’s position in the development, testing and delivery of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) technologies to support the energy transition.

According to the NZTC, the OLTER project funding will provide the test bed and environment necessary to develop RAS concepts and products, which are rapidly accelerating, becoming smarter and more versatile.

The main object of the project is to galvanise industry support to facilitate the development of RAS in a more coordinated and integrated way across multiple industry sectors and ultimately lead the way for a RAS centre of excellence.

“We are delighted to have agreed the consortium partners for the project which, with the support of industry, will play an important role in successfully driving the rollout of RAS technologies within the energy sector. NZTC has invested significant amounts in air, land and sea robotic projects to date and we are looking forward to further enabling their adoption in an industrial setting”, said Myrtle Dawes, Solution Centre director at NZTC.

The National Robotarium noted that it is progressing research and technology developed by the Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets (ORCA) Hub through OLTER.

Stewart Miller, CEO of the National Robotarium, said that the project partners will use the group’s facilities for joint working, experimentation, testing and validation.

Commenting on the project, Dan Sumner, project development manager for ORE Catapult, said: “As we continue to work towards achieving net-zero, it is clear that robotics and autonomous systems will be a vital enabler. (…) The opportunity this presents for Scotland and the UK is significant – across the supply chain we can create jobs, upskill our energy workforce, build export potential and add value to our economy.”