Robots have long been utilised for subsea inspection and maintenance in the offshore energy industry. Launching robots at sea is challenging - managing vessel motion, weather dynamics and the significant weight of large maintenance class robots requires large vessels with complex lifting equipment.

The associated cost and carbon footprint of these vessels limits the value and environmental benefits of subsea robotics, in-turn impacting the growth of emerging ocean sectors. Although smaller Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) have emerged as a potential solution, deploying large robots from them is not feasible

HonuWorx's Loggerhead project shall yield a design for an uncrewed submersible mothership configured for the deployment and operation of Remote Operated Vehicles capable of performing inspection and maintenance on offshore assets.

The project mitigates risk by combining proven subsea technologies and focuses resources on deploying advances in energy storage and advanced developing machine autonomy to create a unique and disruptive system for subsea work. The Loggerhead approach is superior to crewed and uncrewed surface vessel deployment because:

1. It is a less capital intensive system,
2. Offers a step change reduction in operations costs and emissions
3. It supports all-weather subsea operations by eliminating splash-zone deployment risks, and
4. The system stays subsea during navigation to avoid regulatory encumbrances.

Loggerhead offers an economically viable and sustainable way to scale subsea robotic operations to support existing and emerging blue-economy sectors.

By reducing the cost of subsea operations by up to 50% and removing emissions, Loggerhead supports the sustainable growth of vital sectors such as offshore renewable energy which must be profitable without subsidy and despite challenging margins. The project is an opportunity to extend the UK's leadership in the energy transition and the development of supporting robotic technologies.