Reach Subsea secures additional EU funding for USV development

Norwegian operator Reach Subsea has been granted funding of up to €14.3 million (US$15.4 million) from the EU Innovation Fund under the Net Zero Technologies initiative.

The funding will support the scale-up of the company's Reach Remote project, which focuses on developing advanced remote unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for efficient and sustainable operations in ocean-based industries.

The first stage of Reach Remote is to introduce USVs dedicated to survey, inspection, and light repair projects. These USVs will serve as mobile power banks, data centres, and communication modules for underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), with both the USVs and ROVs operated from an onshore control centre.

Design and development of the USVs is being undertaken by Norwegian technology firm Kongsberg Maritime. Massterly, a joint venture between Kongsberg and shipping company Wilhelmsen, will be responsible for controlling and monitoring the craft from a remote operations centre via VSAT, 5G, and other wireless connections, and near real-time data acquisition results will be provided continuously for quality control and made available for employers in a visualised solution.

Reach Remote 1, the first USV to be developed under the program, was handed over earlier this year.