Dredging giant Boskalis’s announcement that it has just deployed its first ROV from its own Remote Operations Centre (ROC) is a sign of the growing business in onshore operations carrying out offshore work.
After 18 months’ development and some £40 million (€46 million) investment, Boskalis’s ROC in Aberdeen expands the company’s remote operations and provides a central hub for fleet operations.
“The Remote Operations Centre is a proud milestone for our team and a significant step forward in the way we deliver subsea operations,” said Bart Heijermans, COO and member of the Board of Management. “It demonstrates how innovation and technology can make our work safer, more efficient and better integrated. It also represents an important investment in our subsea services offering from our Aberdeen office.”
The ROC has completed a week’s intensive test phase, during which ROVs were deployed from Boskalis’ construction support vessel BOKA Northern Ocean in the North Sea to validate remote operations across a range of anticipated scenarios.
Elsewhere in Europe
Across Europe, several offshore contractors have already set up ROCs capable of deploying and piloting ROVs from shore.
One of the earliest movers was Oceaneering, which launched its ROC in Stavanger in 2015. From there, the company has expanded to Aberdeen and beyond, enabling full ROV piloting via satellite and fibre links.
Norway is also home to IKM Subsea, which operates multiple ROCs that routinely pilot ROVs globally. The company highlights continuous 24/7 remote operations, including long-distance control over thousands of kilometres, positioning remote ROV deployment as a mature, everyday capability rather than a trial technology.
Another key European development is the Remota ROC in Haugesund, created by DeepOcean, Solstad Offshore and Østensjø, through a joint venture. The centre has been operating since 2019 and already manages ROV operations for subsea installation and inspection campaigns in European waters, demonstrating commercial-scale deployment of remote subsea services.
Fugro has also built a global network of remote operations centres linked to its fleet of electric ROVs and uncrewed vessels. These hubs support inspection, survey and positioning work, forming part of a broader shift toward remote and autonomous offshore operations.
