Rovco, a leading provider of tech-powered offshore wind solutions, has chartered the MV Patriot for its specialist fleet. It will join Rovco’s existing two site characterisation vessels. Driven by the growth of the offshore wind sector and the decommissioning needs of the oil and gas industry, the addition of the 74m vessel strengthens the British scale up’s subsea capabilities.
Rovco will utilise MV Patriot to support assets across all lifecycles. The new vessel will contribute to the Bristol-based company’s wider mission of accelerating the industry’s clean energy transition with deep-technology solutions. Rovco remains committed to combining AI, robotics and SLAM (simultaneous location and mapping) technologies to support the planning, development, construction, maintenance and decommissioning of offshore sites.
MV Patriot’s active heave crane and 682sqm deck capacity will bolster Rovco’s construction and operations and maintenance (O&M) expertise. The vessel consolidates the company’s site clearance ability, including debris and boulder removal and unexploded ordinance (UXO) navigation.
MV Patriot’s significant deck space is set to reduce the volume of trips back to shore. In addition, its DP2 station keeping capability will provide a stable platform for launch and recovery in marginal weather. This will allow Rovco to schedule wider working windows across surveys and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inspections.
As with Rovco’s other vessels, MV Patriot will be permanently installed with best-in-class ROVs. The WROV onboard will be fitted with Rovco’s state-of-the-art SubSLAM technology, allowing for live inspections and precise 3D reconstructions. The MV Patriot will enable full site data capture offshore and ship-to-shore communications, with live streaming assisting real-time decision making.
Rovco will take delivery of the vessel at the end of March for a three-year period. It has an option to extend the agreement by a further two years. The addition of the MV Patriot follows the long-term charters of Rovco’s Glomar Supporter and Glomar Worker.
Commenting on the expansion of Rovco’s fleet, Director of O&M Marc Coull said: “We’re delighted to be adding the highly versatile and capable MV Patriot to our fleet. This provides a further platform for our leading technology in areas such as visual pilot assist, autonomous general visual inspection, as well as ensuring that auto-eventing and reporting can be utilised more widely.”
Brian Allen, CEO at Rovco, added: “Expanding our fleet of vessels means we can support more stages in offshore wind – from survey stage right through to decommissioning. By accelerating timelines and bringing down costs throughout the lifecycle of an asset, we can help change the economics of offshore wind and accelerate progress towards the UK’s 50GW by 2030 target.”
