Offshore wind sector studies autonomous vessels to cut costs

Industry players have teamed-up to explore the potential cost cuts to the offshore wind sector by using autonomous surface vessels to support operations.

The new 18-month £900,000 ($1.2m) Windfarm Autonomous Ship Project (WASP) joint industry project will explore the technical, regulatory and societal issues surrounding these vessels, aiming to develop a timeline for their phased introduction.

The project is part funded by Innovate UK and led by ASV Global, in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, SeaRoc Group, Houlder and University of Portsmouth.