OceanAlpha launches 3,000m USV/ROV system

The V180 USV-ROV System targets deep offshore survey work as well as maintenance and repair, and it was launched in London recently.

At its core is the V180, an unmanned platform with a full-load displacement of 180 tonnes, fitted with a dual-moonpool configuration that allows the ROV and other mission equipment to be deployed through the hull.

The vessel is equipped with a DP2 dynamic positioning system for station-keeping during operations and uses a dual Starlink satellite link to support remote control from shore. It can operate for up to 30 days without resupply and runs on a hybrid power system. Three modes are available: fully autonomous navigation, remote control and conventional crewed operation.

Pinestone Shi, General Manager of OceanAlpha, said the engineering involved in integrating all the system elements into a single unmanned platform had kept the 24-metre USV-ROV class largely unexplored by the industry.

“Only a very limited number of projects worldwide are currently exploring USVs in the 24-metre class for work-class ROV collaboration due to the significant engineering challenges involved in integrating offshore-class vessel architecture, autonomous navigation systems, dynamic positioning capability and ROV launch and recovery systems into a fully unmanned platform,” he said.

“Against this backdrop, the introduction of the V180 USV-ROV System represents a major step forward in enabling unmanned deep-sea operations and expanding the role of USVs in offshore engineering.”

Shore-based operators control both the USV and the deployed ROV from a single onshore control centre, removing the need for personnel on the vessel in high sea states or during hazardous operations.

The V180 sits at the top of OceanAlpha’s USV range, which spans from the 4.5-metre M40P at the small end through the 7.5-metre L25 and 8.5-metre L42, to a forthcoming 15-metre V11 USV-ROV system.

Each step up the range adds capability, from single-sensor payloads on the smaller craft to the multi-sensor integration, ROV deployment and recovery and cross-domain USV-ROV collaboration available on the larger offshore platforms.