Kraken Robotik GmbH, a German subsidiary of St. John’s-based Kraken Robotics Inc., was one of four companies to be named a winner in the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) competition.
The OWA is a research and development program funded by nine offshore wind developers — representing 75 per cent of the European offshore wind market — and the Scottish government to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy.
The goal of the competition it to help companies with advanced technologies access the emerging market and become a go-to-resource of offshore wind developers for subsea inspection work.
“Kraken’s winning technology is an exciting advancement in subsea inspection,” Michael Stephenson, project manager of the foundations working area in the OWA, stated in a news release.
“Their previous experience in the oil and gas sector shows how transferrable many of the products and skills are to the offshore wind sector, and how it can continue to contribute to the falling costs of offshore wind.”
As winners, Kraken will receive mentoring and advice from the developers, and has a potential opportunity to demonstrate its patented SeaVision 3D underwater laser imaging system on the foundations of already operationing wind farms.
Jakob Schwender, managing director of Kraken Robotik GmbH, stated the market opportunity fits with the SeaVision technology and the company’s robotics-as-a-service strategy.
“Aligning advanced remote sensing capabilities — such as those provided by our SeaVision system — with underwater robotics and predictive analytics should enable the offshore wind industry to make repair and maintenance activities more evidence-based.
“This should enhance safety, increase efficiency, and reduce costs and downtime.”