6 minute read
From divers to drones
Below the surface
Underwater operations and monitoring are being served by the latest technology
BY defi ni� on, much of what needs to be done in fi sh farming takes place underwater, which can present a challenging environment.
One regular task, net cleaning, is much easier with equipment that can carry out the task in situ, remotely operated. In September, Mithal’s Remora net cleaner was deployed at Mowi’s site in Salvågvika, Norway, for the fi rst � me.
The Remora is a Norwegian-developed, autonomous robot that cleans cages gently and in a process that is energy effi cient, environmentally friendly and sustainable, while monitoring the environmental condi� ons and ensuring that the meshes in the net are intact. The system requires minimal maintenance.
The Remora has been developed in collabora� on with SINTEF, the Norwegian Research Council and Innova� on Norway.
In October, Mithal announced the appointment of Brage C Amundsen as CEO. Amundsen has plenty of experience with startups, having previously been co-founder of two tech businesses and a partner with consultancy Elleve.
Ocein AS, located in the coastal town of Kris� ansund, develops technology and smart solu� ons for seawater fi sh farming and it has also developed an underwater net cleaning system.
The company says its StealthCleaner is probably the most effi cient and gentle net cleaner in the market, combining a large volume of water with low pressure to reduce wear and tear of the net.
Ocein says: “A� er cleaning more than 8,000 nets with the Stealth Cleaner, we are very confi dent in its unrivalled performance.” The Stealth Cleaner is produced in close coopera� on with manufacturer, Kystdesign. Featuring the stateof-the-art XCS control system and seven powerful thrusters, the ROV can move swi� ly and under full control in any direc� on. Some underwater net cleaning systems use water at high pressure, and so require pumps to produce that power. NLB’s 225 and 325 Series water-je� ng pumps are specifi cally designed for the demanding rigours of net cleaning in the harshest of environments. Extremely reliable, proven pump systems provide up to 4,000psi (275 bar) of trouble-free, low-maintenance performance. These units can be easily integrated with many exis� ng net-cleaning head systems. Kevin Onclin, CEO of net cleaning business Badino� Canada, endorses the product based on his experience of using them at his own company. He says
This page from the top: Rossshire Diving Services Ltd; Brage Amundsen; The Remora net cleaner
Opposite, clockwise from top right: The Saab Seaeye Falcon topside; The Ocein AS StealthCleaner; The SubCEyes drone; SubC3D biomass camera shot; Saab Seaeye Falcon
cost-benefi t analysis has shown that, using the NLB pumps, repair and maintenance costs could be reduced by about 50%.
Onclin adds: “The � me taken to service or repair the pumps was less, due to the simple way that the NLB pumps are made. They are a working person’s pump.”
As reported in What’s New, Fish Farmer December 2021, SAAB Seaeye – a Bri� sh-based company that builds underwater remotely operated vessels – has signed a poten� ally ground-breaking deal to sell 10 of its latest eWROV vehicles to marine robo� cs company Ocean Infi nity.
The new eWROV product will be built at Saab Seaeye’s facility in Fareham, Hampshire. It is the culmina� on of four years of research and development, resul� ng in a larger and more powerful ROV compared with those designed for light work and observa� on tasks.
Ocean Infi nity is developing the world’s largest fl eet of remote-controlled robo� c vessels – the Armada – and will be the eWROV’s launch customer. No fi nancial details on the transac� on were disclosed. The eWROV benefi ts from Saab Seaeye’s iCON™ intelligent system architecture, making it capable of fully autonomous opera� on.
Thanks to the deal and further contracts, Saab Seaeye is adding a further 3,236 square metres to its Fareham site and is currently recrui� ng.
Magnus Lewis-Olsson, Chairman of Saab UK, says: “Ocean Infi nity’s order is the largest in Saab Seaeye’s history, and highlights the need for intelligent, adaptable and fl exible underwater robo� cs.
“The eWROV is more effi cient and cleaner than the hydraulic alterna� ves and it also requires less human involvement and will play an important role in future autonomous vessel fl eets. We are confi dent the eWROV will serve Ocean Infi nity well.” Of course, not all underwater opera� ons are (yet, anyway) carried out by remotely controlled drones. Human divers s� ll have an important part to play. One example is Rossshire Diving Services Ltd, a commercial diving contractor opera� ng in the West Highlands of Scotland. The company carries out diving opera� ons
from its base in Kishorn, Wester Ross, for clients including Marine Harvest , Sco� sh Sea Farms, The Sco� sh Salmon Company, Cooke Aquaculture and Loch Duart Salmon. In addi� on, Ross-shire Diving Services provides services to harbour authori� es and the fi shing industry. November 2021 saw the start of a project to renovate the company’s catamaran. The renova� ons are designed by Kyle-based naval architect IK Macleod & Associates, with works to be carried out by local boatbuilders Northwest Engineering Limited from its Russel yard at Loch Kishorn. The bespoke design converts the exis� ng vessel to a 16m steel workboat with two Doosan MD136Ti engines rated at 230hp and fi � ed with Dong I 3-1 reduc� on gearboxes. The vessel will have an 18.5 tonne-metre Palfi nger crane on its large working deck, two fi ve-tonne capstans and a fi ve-tonne towing winch. It has been designed with a large wheelhouse, four-berth accommoda� on, dive The company carries out diving opera� ons panels and a moonpool for dedicated dive support. Meanwhile, giving fi sh farmers a greater ability to see and otherwise monitor what is going on below the surface will make a huge diff erence to fi sh welfare. Two recent examples of technology addressing this are Monitorfi sh and SubC3D. Monitorfi sh is based in Berlin, Germany, and off ers ways to use the cogni� ve capabili� es of ar� fi cial intelligence in fi sh farming. Its product, AnFish, is an innova� ve fi sh farm management technology created to reduce the opera� onal risks in aquaculture. It is a “plug-and-play”, cloud-based, intelligent fi sh welfare monitoring system. AnFish off ers real-� me analysis of cri� cal fi sh growth parameters in rela� on to water parameters to detect any abnormal development among the fi sh. SubC3D is experienced in subsea photogrammetry aimed at the metrology market, and developed a single camera system that was used successfully in the oil and gas market. This camera system has been one of the most widely used underwater metrology systems since its introduc� on in 2000. The company’s aquaculture monitoring system consists of a biomass camera module and drone In addi� on, the system can be expanded with sensors to register environmental parameters such as temperature, salt content, current and so on. A� er comple� ng its mission, the system will return to the garage for charging and transferring data. FF
