Offshore expansion boosts robotics and autonomous systems

ORE added that with high-growth forecasts, wind energy (onshore and offshore) is expected to open a new robotics frontier that will be valued at £1.3bn by 2030, increasing to £3.5bn by 2050. In oil and gas, declining production will see robotics peak at £5bn in 2030, before reducing to £3.3bn by 2050.

The UK is targeting a seven-fold increase in offshore wind capacity by 2050, which will require more operations and maintenance (O&M) activity. With windfarms set to be located in deeper, more remote, often challenging waters, securing safe access for humans presents an industry challenge that can be met by robotic systems.

ORE believes that accelerating and investing in the development of advanced RAS (robotics and autonomous systems) will mitigate this risk and means robots will handle not only routine maintenance tasks, but also improve pre-emptive maintenance, which will extend the life of components and turbines at sea.

BladeBUG completes successful offshore wind trials