Equinor has opened a marine robotics test center at the Kårstø processing plant in Norway to develop and qualify underwater robots, autonomous vessels and other technologies aimed at improving offshore operations.
The K-lab Marine Robotics Centre (KNARR), inaugurated on October 28 in Tysvær, will provide a testing environment for technologies used in the inspection, monitoring, maintenance and security of offshore installations.
Equinor said the facility is among the first test centers of its kind worldwide connected to an operating plant, allowing marine robotic technologies to be developed and tested in an operational environment.
The center will be available to companies across maritime industries, supporting the development of autonomous operations, environmental monitoring and offshore infrastructure maintenance.
Three testing areas have been established at water depths of 25, 140 and 250 meters, while three kilometers of subsea cable and associated electronics have been installed to support long-term sensor testing.
Together with existing power cables, export pipelines and subsea structures, the infrastructure will enable testing of technologies including distributed acoustic sensing (DAS).
Equinor and Gassco have so far allocated $1.73 million (NOK 16 million) to establish the center, with scope for future expansion.
Equinor estimates that the use of underwater robots and autonomous vessels could generate annual cost savings of several hundred million Norwegian kroner in the coming years.
“We have set a goal of reducing operational costs significantly by 2035. By using underwater drones for smaller tasks, we can work more efficiently and use the larger vessels where they provide the greatest value,” said Hege Skryseth, executive vice president for Technology, Digitalisation and Innovation in Equinor.
KNARR builds on existing technology test centers and will support collaboration between suppliers, research institutions and industry partners.
Equinor expects marine robotics to play an increasingly important role in offshore infrastructure inspection, monitoring and maintenance, reducing personnel exposure to operational risks while improving efficiency and data collection.