New underwater robot could save the offshore industry millions of euros

Challenge

A challenge for offshore structures is marine fouling, which permanently adheres to the construction. This results in increased load and material fatigue, primarily due to added wave forces and weight. Additionally, it complicates inspections required to document material integrity. These disadvantages can be mitigated by cleaning the fouling regularly. Alternatively, structures are over-dimensioned during the design phase, which increases costs for production/operation and, consequently, energy production.

Solution

In the ACOMAR (Auto Compact Marine Growth Remover) project, a consortium of partners has developed a specially designed underwater robot that autonomously inspects and removes marine fouling. The technology operates independently of large, environmentally taxing vessels currently used for cleaning tasks. The robot can be deployed directly from a wind turbine foundation or an oil and gas platform, requiring only a support function while the task is carried out.

Result

The ACOMAR underwater robot will reduce marine cleaning costs by 30-40 percent, significantly lowering the overall price of green energy production. The ACOMAR project has also established a research group dedicated to underwater robots, which is beginning to gain international recognition. Furthermore, the project won the Innovation Project of the Year award following a vote by all members of Energy Cluster Denmark.

ACOMAR is ready and tested in nearshore environments. The final trial on offshore foundations is scheduled for 2024, with high expectations:

• 3,600 kg potential CO2 savings per offshore trip
• 60 tons of potential steel savings per wind turbine foundation
• 43 new jobs created by the end of 2025