Stinger to Test SPICE AUV for Kawasaki
Ocean News
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. have contracted Stinger for services related to planning and preparing site testing of an AUV equipped with a robot arm for performing subsea pipeline inspections.
The underwater intervention drone is based on a fusion of submarine technologies and industrial robot technologies fostered in-house over many years in Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. The preparation also includes the installation of an about 700m pipeline down to an ocean depth of 230m. Installation of pipeline and testing are planned to be conducted in the newly established Tau Autonomy Centre (TAC), on the west coast of Norway.
Kawasaki has been developing state-of-the-art underwater technologies, and employing specialist know-how, it is now developing leading key technologies for AUV operation. The offshore oil & gas industry is targeted as the initial market, in particular, maintenance work of subsea pipelines laid on the seabed.
“SPICE” (Subsea Precise Inspector with Close Eyes) is AUV system including subsea docking station, developed by Kawasaki. SPICE is now focused on long distance pipeline inspection jobs.
SPICE has a Robot Arm which can realize several closed inspections of pipeline, and non-contact recharging system and high data rate transfer system in underwater. In combination with subsea docking station, SPICE can continue own operation without frequent launch and recovery.
SPICE contributes to reduction of operating cost, and mitigation of HSE risk during subsea inspection.
SPICE can be utilized not only in oil & gas field but also other fields such as renewable energy.
