Van Oord’s first uncrewed survey vessel (USV) specialised for operations at sea has completed its first multi-day offshore operation at a wind farm in the Netherlands.
VO:X Barentsz was deployed at Ecowende’s Hollandse Kust West offshore wind farm, where it supported monopile and cable installation works carried out by installation vessels Boreas , Nexus and Subsea Viking .
“With the deployment of VO:X Barentsz, we demonstrated how unmanned survey vessels can operate remotely over multiple days, delivering high-quality data while continuing to advance innovation in offshore surveying,” said John van der Marel , USV lead at Van Oord.
VO:X Barentsz is the fifth USV developed through the joint effort of Van Oord and DEMCON Unmanned Systems. The seven-metre USV was christened on 25 April 2024 , in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Building upon the same hardware and software as the four previous USVs and expanding with new technologies and more functionalities for offshore operations, the USV is designed for challenging offshore conditions, supporting dredging, offshore wind and maritime infrastructure projects, according to Van Oord.