Newbuild USV Challenger Getting Ready for Remote-Controlled Subsea Work
May 8, 2025
Ocean services provider DeepOcean, with its joint venture partners Solstad Offshore and Østensjø Rederi, has taken delivery of a newbuild uncrewed surface vessel (USV), which will be used for subsea survey, inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) work across offshore energy industries.
The vessel - named USV Challenger - will shortly arrive at DeepOcean’s subsea base at Killingøy in Norway, where it will undergo trials of its launch and recovery system (LARS) for the onboard ROV.
The USV Challenger is 24 meters long and 7.5 meters wide. It is equipped with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and a battery package that allows the uncrewed vessel to operate offshore for up to 30 days without charging or refueling.
Designed by DeepOcean, the LARS consists of an electrical winch, a sheave wheel trolley, kicker and rear hatch.
Following maritime authority approvals for its remote operating capabilities, the USV will entera long-term charter agreement with DeepOcean.
The owner of the vessel is USV AS, which is a joint venture company established by Solstad Offshore, Østensjø Rederi and DeepOcean, with the main objective of investing and owning uncrewed vessels.
The USV Challenger will be remotely controlled from shore and will be equipped with multiple autonomous features. It can operate and endure remotely in severe weather conditions.
During operations, both the USV maritime crew and ROV operators will be co-located in the same remote operating centre (ROC) at Killingøy, near Haugesund.
“Needless to say, the USV is fully capable of deploying offshore and conducting subsea operations independently. However, it can also serve as a highly cost-effective supplement to larger subsea vessels. Rather than mobilizing large vessels for every offshore task, operators can leverage the USV and its onboard ROV for parts of subsea installation, survey, or IMR scope.
“By reducing the need for repeated transits of larger vessels, the USV offers significant cost savings. The value proposition is clear - the USV represents a more economical and efficient alternative for a wide range of offshore operations,” says Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean.
The USV Challenger will be equipped with a fully electric work class ROV with hydraulic capabilities that is capable of operating down to 1,500 meters water depth, plus a sizeable tool package that will allow the ROV to perform a wide range of subsea operations.
The ROV is outfitted with survey sensors for pipeline survey, seabed mapping and annual inspection work including measurements and cleaning operations. It can also interface a fly-out ROV to offer visual inspection support for a larger host ROV in busy, congested and high-risk operating environments. The ROV can also perform 3D scanning of the subsea assets.
To facilitate highly efficient subsea inspection work, the ROV has been outfitted with the same software as DeepOcean’s autonomous inspection drone (AID).
The ROV can also perform maintenance and repair work subsea, including light lifting operations, as it is equipped with powerful thrusters and has a through-frame lifting capacity.
“The USV provides a highly cost-efficient transport and launch platform for the ROV, and the well-equipped ROV enables efficient subsea operations. We expect that this combination will provide substantial cost benefits for operators of subsea equipment in both the oil and gas and renewable energy industries,” adds Mikaelsen.
The USV Challenger is also equipped with a wheelhouse and is certified for having four crew members on board for operations within 20 nautical miles off the Norwegian coastline. This is a useful solution, during inshore testing of the USV, LARS, remote technology and future new technologies.
DeepOcean and operator Aker BP have agreed to pioneer the use of the USV for subsea inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) and survey work. Accroding to DeepOcean, it is also in dialogue with other Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) operators regarding utilizing the USV for demonstration projects, with Vår Energi among the participants in a project to demonstrate the USV’s operability and capabilities in 2025.
