EU fund grants €14.3 million for scale-up of advanced remote USVs

Norwegian Reach Subsea has secured funding of up to €14.3 million from the EU Innovation Fund, under the Net Zero Technologies initiative, which will be used for the scale-up of the Reach Remote project focusing on the development of advanced remote unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

“This is a significant step forward for Reach Subsea’s innovation agenda, our Reach Remote scale up plans and our commitment to driving sustainable ocean technology. We are excited to contribute to a cleaner, more efficient future,” said Reach Subsea’s CEO Jostein Alendal.

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 remotely operated vehicle (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.

Reach Subsea is collaborating with Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor to carry out a technology qualification program for the USVs that aims to validate remote operations for various tasks.

It was reported in June that Reach Remote 1 and 2 were in the final testing stage and the agreement between the two companies confirms the qualification pilot program necessary to validate their intended operations, with Equinor giving financial support.