Norwegian subsea services firm Reach Subsea has been granted a trading permit to operate its Reach Remote 1 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) entirely through remote operations - without a support vessel.
The permit was issued by the Norwegian Maritime Authorities, with technical validation and support from DNV. Reach Remote 1 has already been in full commercial operation, and this permit initiates the final phase towards full certification.
This is the first approval of its kind for an USV of this size with integrated Work Class ROV capability, representing a significant milestone for the maritime and offshore industry.
October 11, Reach Remote 1 sailed off to continue its work for Shell on the Ormen Lange field, now entirely on its own, marking a historic moment for Reach Subsea and the future of remote-controlled subsea services.
“The Reach Remote program is central to our strategy to transform subsea operations through ocean robotics. This milestone reflects the extraordinary collaboration across our teams and with the Norwegian Maritime Authorities,” said Jostein Alendal, CEO of Reach Subsea.
“Since start of operations in April a support vessel has enabled human eyes to observe while demonstrating remotely controlled unmanned operations. Our people have proved that Reach Remote has equivalent or better maritime safety level and situational awareness compared to manned vessels, which is validated by DNV and NMA through this trading permit,” added Inge Grutle, COO of Reach Subsea.
Reach Remote 1 is the first in a new class of USVs developed to perform offshore tasks with significantly lower emissions and reduced need for offshore personnel.
Reach Subsea is preparing Reach Remote 2 for deployment in Australia, with Reach Remote 3 and 4 under construction.