Norwegian shipowner Reach Subsea is banking up to €14.3m ($15.5m) from the European Union for its autonomous ship project.
The grant from the EU Innovation Fund’s Net Zero Technologies initiative will allow the company to expand its Reach Remote project, in which 24-metre offshore support vessels will be operated from a control centre on shore.
Chief executive Jostein Alendal said: “This is a significant step forward for Reach Subsea’s innovation agenda, our Reach Remote scale-up plans and our commitment to driving sustainable ocean technology. We are excited to contribute to a cleaner, more efficient future.”
The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest finance pots for advancing zero-emission and innovative technologies.
In 2022, Reach said it had ordered the first two in a series of “game-changing” unmanned survey ships, scheduled to be deployed this year.
Domestic group Kongsberg Maritime was contracted to build the duo.
The unmanned offshore surface vessels will serve as mobile power banks, data centres and communication modules for underwater remote-operated vessels (ROVs), Reach said.
Alendal has said Reach Remote will enable a reduction in costs for clients of between 20% and 30%, while emissions will be cut by between 90% and 100%.
Big-name backing
Wilh Wilhelmsen-backed autonomous shipping operation Massterly has also been involved.
Wilhelmsen took a 21% stake in Reach in 2022 for $17m to help fund the work.
The total investment for the first two units, which includes the Kongsberg contract as well as upfront development and infrastructure spending for future units, is in the range of NOK 380m to NOK 400m ($34.7m to $36.6m).
Reach is not disclosing the number of ships it plans to order.
The company became a shipowner in 2022, purchasing a multipurpose ROV support vessel from Ostensjo Rederi.
Reach, which operates chartered ships, paid $29m to acquire the 85-loa Edda Sun (built 2009).
