In an extraordinary mission that took nearly 5 years of planning, Fugro has played a key role in locating the wreck of the Montevideo Maru, one of the worst international maritime disasters in history.
Fugro has announced that the 12 m Blue Essence® uncrewed surface vessel (USV), the Fugro Pegasus, has received full navigation licensing from the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
Port of Aberdeen is part of a consortium led by zero-emission vessel provider ACUA Ocean, in partnership with zero-emission infrastructure provider Unitrove, that has won a UK government grant in a major push to decarbonise the maritime sector.
Fugro’s Blue Essence®, a 12 m uncrewed surface vessel (USV), has received approval from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to operate the first USV with an electrical remotely operated vehicle (eROV) in UK waters.
UUVs are used extensively for commercial applications such as oil and gas exploration, underwater infrastructure inspection (cables, pipelines, etc.) scientific research and even underwater salvage.
The complex project, in Europe’s busiest part of the North Sea, involved the inspection of two platforms and over 40 kilometres of pipeline off the coast of the Netherlands.
The unarmed battery-powered craft will be able to dive deeper than any vessel in the current submarine fleet and cover up to 1,000 miles in a single mission.
Developed by Exail, the DriX USV is operated by major hydrographic institutes and energy companies worldwide and has already received Bureau Veritas Approval in Principle (AiP).
