Three parties form strategic partnership for advanced AUV deployment
Ocean surveying and inspection specialist Argeo Subsea, CSI Nordics and Kongsberg Discovery have formalized a three-party Certificate of Delivery and Acceptance for an advanced HUGIN Superior AUV. This milestone agreement, announced at Oceanology International in London, underscores Argeo’s bold expansion strategy, aiming to establish the world’s foremost AUV fleet comprising seven high-specification units. Notably, Argeo already boasts one operational HUGIN Superior.
CSI Nordics, a subsidiary of CSI Leasing, a leading global equipment leasing company, will procure the unit from Kongsberg Discovery – a standalone entity within the Kongsberg Group renowned for pioneering progress in underwater robotics and sensor technologies – and engage in a long-term leasing arrangement with Argeo.
Argeo CEO Trond Crantz stated that the deal will amplify the company’s operational capacity, putting it in “a unique position within both the marine minerals, oil and gas and renewables segment, increasing efficiency and productivity substantially.”
Crantz continued: “Our expansion plans will establish us as the premier authority in AUV technology worldwide. The strategic combination of Kongsberg’s highly advanced AUVs with Argeo’s proprietary cutting-edge electromagnetic sensor system, Argeo LISTEN, propels us ahead of competitors.
“Argeo LISTEN allows for efficient inspection of cables and pipelines, both buried and on the seafloor, as well as rapid estimation of cathodic protection status and remaining lifetime. By integrating this state-of-the-art system into the HUGIN Superior, our clients can expect expedited project completion and access to comprehensive data derived from multiple sensors concurrently, ensuring unparalleled quality and efficiency,” he continued.
Competitive edge
Speaking on behalf of CSI, Kenneth Mitsem, general manager at CSI Nordics, added: “We specialize in crafting leasing solutions that are both flexible and sustainable, designed to meet the rapidly changing needs of the modern market. Our strategic approach focuses on making advanced technology readily accessible, enabling businesses to quickly respond to new challenges and maintain a competitive edge.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Kongsberg and Argeo to develop smart leasing options, facilitating easier access to innovations such as the HUGIN Superior from Kongsberg Discovery. This partnership underscores our shared commitment to enhancing the acquisition of technology critical for thriving.”
The Superior sits at the top of Kongsberg Discovery’s HUGIN AUV family of products, which, after 30 years of developmental milestones, is the world’s most commercially successful range of AUVs.
The unit’s standard specifications are second to none. It includes a HISAS 1032 dual receiver, EM2040 Mk2 multibeam echosounder, UHD still image camera, laser profiler, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer, in addition to sensors for methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen and more. Combined with the latest in navigation technology, including MicroNavigation systems for enhanced accuracy, the Superior raises the bar for AUV capability.
Customized AUVs
Stene Førsund, EVP, Kongsberg Discovery, said: “We’re delighted to be consolidating our relationship with Argeo and CSI with the leasing of this advanced, high-specification technology. With their second HUGIN Superior onboard, they’ll be able to offer clients excellence in high-resolution seabed mapping and imaging, with the functionality needed for a broad range of applications and the precision and reliability to go further, deeper and into more detail on missions, delivering powerful competitive advantage. Argeo can look forward to achieving some Superior results in the very near future.”
In addition to the Superior, the HUGIN family of AUVs includes a variety of models customized to meet diverse markets, budgets and operational flexibilities. This includes the HUGIN Endurance, capable of conducting missions over a range of 1,200 nautical miles, and the soon-to-launch HUGIN Edge, weighing only 300kg and less than 4m in length.
