In what is said to be a first for Ireland, an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) has been launched to undertake an environmental survey of the seabed.
The USV was launched off the coast of Co. Louth by data specialist XOCEAN in collaboration with Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Hildegarde Naughton, T.D. and Minister of State at the Department of Transport, and former chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action highlighted how the USV was helping the government address the issue of climate change.
“We are constantly looking for innovative ways to promote positive sustainable action on climate change and XOCEAN’s low-carbon approach to delivering marine data in the safest way possible is a very positive step forward,” she said.
“The vision and innovation demonstrated by Irish-based XOCEAN creates opportunity for the development of sustainable projects to be conducted in a sustainable way, such as the preparation of sites and route planning for offshore wind energy projects,” she added.
Around the size of an average car but at just half the weight, the uncrewed vessel uses multi-beam echo-sounder sensors to characterise the seabed. It emits just one thousandth of the carbon typically produced by traditional offshore survey vessels.
Ireland has committed to increase offshore wind capacity to 3.5GW as part of the government’s ambitions to deliver 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
