Rovco and Vaarst’s new brand makes €17.8M investment in its fleet

Beam, a new brand formed by the merger of UK-based providers of tech-powered offshore wind solutions Rovco and Vaarst, has added two autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) and an electric work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to its fleet.

Under the brand-new name, the companies aim to bring technology to transform offshore wind through artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic automation, alongside the determination to tackle significant challenges.

In light of this, Beam has made a £15 million (around €17.8 million) investment in the Xplorer ASVs and the Quantum EV electric work-class ROV.

“As CO2 levels continue to rise, up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced from their homes as climate refugees by 2050, but we can still change this future. Since 2016, Rovco and Vaarst have been developing and deploying the fundamental technologies needed to scale offshore wind and ensure that renewable energy is more reliable, efficient and cheaper than oil and gas,” Brian Allen, CEO of Rovco, said.

“Beam brings the technology needed to transform the economics of offshore wind through the robotic automation of offshore wind services. We also bring the realism needed to confront the significant challenges we face head-on; and the optimism needed to make the just transition to renewable energy a reality.”

According to Allen, the offshore wind industry needs significant technology advancements that cut costs, shorten project time and improve processes across the entire project lifecycle if global goals are to be met and by automating and accelerating processes, time and cost savings are immediately achieved.

Cutting-edge technologies are also said to be a key solution to the workforce shortage, seen as one of the industry’s most pressing challenges.

“So, it may feel like we’re looking up at an overwhelming challenge now, but when we reach the summit, we will find ourselves in a world rid of its addiction to fossil fuels. And that, we think, is a mountain worth climbing,” Allen concluded.

Earlier this summer, Rovco and Vaarst announced they were in the process of recruiting over 150 technology specialists across the UK, in Bristol, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh over the next year. Globally, Beam will recruit 50 new employees to support international projects, including positions in the U.S. and Asia.