Offshore Jobs Under Threat? Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Inspects Offshore Wind Farm For The First Time In The World Using Artificial Intelligence

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 23/09/2024 at 18:12

Foto: Reprodução

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For The First Time In The World, An Autonomous Vehicle Was Used To Inspect An Offshore Wind Farm In Scotland, Marking A Revolutionary Advance In Renewable Energy Technology.

Beam, a provider of high-tech offshore wind services, has achieved a significant milestone by implementing the world’s first autonomous underwater vehicle powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

This new technology was successfully used to inspect the coating structures at the Seagreen offshore wind farm, located in Scotland. The farm is a result of a partnership between SSE Renewables, TotalEnergies, and PTTEP.

Typically, inspections of offshore wind farms are manual and time-consuming, but Beam’s solution promises to revolutionize this reality.

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How The Underwater Vehicle Works

One of the highlights of this technology is its ability to reconstruct assets in 3D, integrating precise visual data. This functionality provides a more detailed view of wind assets, facilitating maintenance and long-term planning to prevent structural issues such as erosion or excessive marine growth.

Brian Allen, CEO of Beam, commented on the impact of this innovation: “We are very proud to have implemented the world’s first AI-powered autonomous underwater vehicle. Automation can revolutionize the way we conduct inspections and maintenance of offshore wind farms, helping to reduce costs and timelines. Looking to the future, the potential of this technology is enormous for the industry, and success in these initial projects is vital for us to progress and realize this vision. This would not be possible without forward-thinking clients like SSE Renewables, who are willing to embark on this journey with us.”

The Seagreen wind farm, operational since October 2023, is the world’s deepest fixed-bottom offshore farm.

The use of this new technology by Beam has provided significant learnings for the wind energy sector, especially in applying autonomous technologies in offshore environments. Accurate data collection is essential to ensure the reliability and operational efficiency of wind farms.

Matthew Henderson, Asset Technical Manager at SSE Renewables, highlighted the importance of this advancement for the future of the wind industry.

He stated that Beam’s technology not only reduces the need to send teams for inspections in remote areas but also accelerates the maintenance process and collection of essential data. “As we move into deeper waters, the ability to collect high-quality inspection data in a low-risk manner is critical for delivering our Net Zero Acceleration Program,” Henderson explained.

Beam plans to expand the use of this technology throughout its fleet of vessels and underwater vehicles in 2025 and 2026, promising to further transform operations in the offshore wind sector.

In doing so, the company positions itself as a leader in the use of AI for autonomous underwater inspections, providing a safer and more efficient way to manage wind assets in challenging environments.

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Offshore Jobs Under Threat? Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Inspects Offshore Wind Farm For The First Time In The World Using Artificial Intelligence

For The First Time In The World, An Autonomous Vehicle Was Used To Inspect An Offshore Wind Farm In Scotland, Marking A Revolutionary Advance In Renewable Energy Technology.

How The Underwater Vehicle Works

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Offshore Jobs Under Threat? Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Inspects Offshore Wind Farm For The First Time In The World Using Artificial Intelligence

For The First Time In The World, An Autonomous Vehicle Was Used To Inspect An Offshore Wind Farm In Scotland, Marking A Revolutionary Advance In Renewable Energy Technology.

How The Underwater Vehicle Works

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Workers were opening a modern road in Dover when they found, 6 meters below the asphalt, a 3,500-year-old boat made of stitched oak and plant fibers.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

In just one cast, fishermen are surprised to capture 14,096 mullets in Bombinhas and close a historic season with 58,000 fish; scene recorded in the Santa Catarina paradise marks the last day of the 2026 season.

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