After Equinor, TotalEnergies enters Reach Subsea’s USV qualification program

A couple of months after Equinor revealed its participation in the technology qualification program for Reach Subsea’s Reach Remote uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), France’s energy giant TotalEnergies joined as a new collaboration partner.

The pilot project with Equinor, TotalEnergies and other “major” energy companies includes a variety of relevant survey, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) intervention, inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) and monitoring-related work scope which will demonstrate the full capacity of the Reach Remote spread, Reach Subsea noted.

The first unit of the Reach Remote fleet of 24-meter USVs, expected to “revolutionize offshore subsea operations, aligning with sustainability initiatives”, was sea-launched on March 25, 2024.

The fleet features hull-mounted survey sensors and a work-class electric ROV. Kongsberg Maritime leads the forefront of USV design, while the Masters of Massterly, a collaborative venture between Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen, is in charge of maneuvering the USVs and controlling the remote and autonomous control systems.

“For TotalEnergies, Uncrewed Surface Vessels present opportunities to increase safety, reduce emissions and reduce cost when performing IMR operations. In support of the ambition of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, together with society, USVs are expected to form part of the suite of tools to support Asset Integrity across the subsea portfolio. The aim is to demonstrate safe methods of operation, and to prepare for this emerging technology,” said Andy Gower, R&D Subsea Robotics Lead of TotalEnergies.

The pilot program is planned to be executed directly after the delivery of the vessels. The scope of work is part of a full-scale operation and will be executed offshore in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea on production fields such as Troll, Gullfaks, Snorre and Åsgard.

“We are pleased that major energy contractors are actively supporting the validation process, which is crucial to ensuring the USVs can be effectively deployed. Conducting the pilot qualification program at full scale for prospective clients who are considering the future use of USVs represents the highest level of validation for our technology,” said Jostein Alendal, Reach Subsea’s CEO.

The company recently secured funding of up to €14.3 million from the EU Innovation Fund, under the Net Zero Technologies initiative, for the scale-up of the Reach Remote project.