Building to meet 2022 demand

Seawork 11th - 13th June 2024	Speed@Seawork 10th June 2024	Get Set for Workboat 2050

The 25th edition of Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition, provides businesses the opportunity to showcase their services, equipment, vessels and supplies to an international audience.	Speed@Seawork on Monday 10 June in Cowes offers a sector specific event that showcases fast vessels operating at high speed for security interventions and Search & Rescue.	The Commercial Marine Network, in partnership with Seawork and Maritime Journal, introduce Series 3 of ‘Get set for Workboat 2050’. An online conference series of expert panels navigating the waters of decarbonisation compliance and looking at practical applications across the workboat industry.
Visit the Seawork Website	Speed@Seawork on the Seawork Website	View the Conferences on Maritime Journal

A pioneer in the Uncrewed Surface Vessel is to build a sixth 12m USV, paving the way to meet increased market demand for unmanned vessels and penetrate new sectors of the global maritime industry.

SEA-KIT X-class USV

New build X-class USV will have the potential for three different propulsion packages within one hull: diesel-electric, hybrid and hydrogen hybrid.

SEA-KIT has positioned itself as being sharply focused on driving down the environmental impact and cost of geo-data collection. The company says the latest build is set to be even more versatile and fuel efficient than its predecessors, with the potential for three different propulsion packages within one hull: diesel-electric, hybrid and hydrogen hybrid. The SEA-KIT X-class will be constructed at the company’s Essex UK base for launch in 2022.

SEA-KIT CEO, Ben Simpson, commented, “Our X-class USV has changed very little since we won the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE with USV ‘Maxlimer’ back in 2015. The fact that this will be the sixth build of this class is testament to its robust and now well proven design. We want to continue to push boundaries in other sectors of the maritime industry and this new addition to our fleet will enable us to demonstrate the benefits of uncrewed vessel technology to new markets.”

SEA-KIT is currently leading a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition funded project to demonstrate zero emission maritime operations using a hydrogen fuel cell manufactured by Bramble Energy. The silent running and low vibration that can be achieved with hydrogen propulsion enables highly sensitive acoustic devices and sensors to monitor underwater environments more efficiently and with minimal disturbance, a huge benefit for activities such as marine mammal observation.

Ben Simpson continued, “Interest in SEA-KIT’s designs is increasing now that we have vessels operating on commercial offshore projects globally and we are keen to develop new strategic partnerships to build our client base. With the launch of this vessel, we will be able to offer tailored capability demonstrations as well as charter options and additional services from next summer. It opens the door for customers to order zero emission vessels as the industry collaboratively works towards its net zero goals.”