Norwegian offshore services player Reach Subsea has exercised the first in a series of options with Kongsberg Maritime to order two more uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
The contract terms for the USVs, to be named Reach Remote 3 and Reach Remote 4, have been mutually agreed upon and remain confidential between the parties. Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2027.
Reach Subsea placed an order at Kongsberg Maritime for the construction of the first two in a series of unmanned USVs in 2022. They were delivered earlier this year and are now in commercial operation.
Reach Remote 1 is currently completing a series of fully remote-controlled offshore deployments off the coast of Norway for Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell. Reach Remote 2 is heading to Australia to deliver services for Woodside Energy.
The specifications for the second pair will mirror the first two vessels, with targeted adjustments based on insights gained through the technical qualification programme and recent operational experience.
Reach Subsea has secured debt financing for the two USVs through DNB, Sparebank, and EKSFIN. The total investment from Reach Subsea in the vessels is approximately NOK 620m ($62.5m). Of this, the bank financing covers two-thirds of the investment.
