Spanish shipbuilder GONDAN has held a steel cutting ceremony for a state-of-the-art Unmanned Vessel, which is used to perform underwater maintenance and inspection operations.
GONDAN will construct the unmanned vessel in collaboration with USV A/S (a consortium of DeepOcean, Solstad and Østensjø Rederi) in a project focused on improving underwater operations with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to conventional methods.
Designed by Salt Ship Design, the vessel will feature a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system that will allow it to be remotely operated and autonomously navigate at sea for up to 30 days. Equipped with the latest underwater inspection technology, the USV will include a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of reaching depths of up to 1,500 meters. The vessel is scheduled to enter service in 2025.