An 18-month, £900,000 joint industry project will explore using autonomous surface vessels – integrated with existing manned shipping operations – to support offshore windfarm operations and maintenance.

The Windfarm Autonomous Ship Project – 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 – aims to develop a timeline for the phased introduction of autonomous vessels.