Bourbon has entered into an agreement with Automated Ships (ASL) to support the building of the world's first autonomous, fully-automated and cost-efficient prototype vessel for offshore operations.
Bourbon will provide detailed input to the development and design of the Hrönn project, and then Bourbon and ASL will join forces to search for subsidies to finance the effective construction of the prototype.
Hrönn is a light-duty, offshore utility ship servicing the offshore energy, hydrographic and scientific and offshore fish-farming industries. It can also be utilised as an ROV and AUV support ship and standby vessel, able to provide firefighting support to an offshore platform working in cooperation with manned vessels.
Automated Ships has progressed the original catamaran design of Hrönn since the project launch on November 1, 2016, opting for a monohulled vessel of steel construction, to provide more payload capacity and greater flexibility in the diverse range of operations.
Kongsberg will contribute its technology expertise and deliver all major marine equipment necessary for the design, construction and operation of Hrönn, including all systems for dynamic positioning and navigation, satellite and position reference, marine automation and communication. Its vessel control systems including K-Pos dynamic positioning, K-Chief automation and K-Bridge ECDIS and radar will be replicated at an onshore control centre, allowing full remote operations of the vessel.
Hrönn's sea trials will take place in Norway's officially designated automated vessel test bed in the Trondheim fjord and will be conducted under the auspices of DNV GL and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA).