Significant structural progress
Boskalis confirmed that it successfully deployed remotely operated vehicles for the first time from its new Remote Operations Centre in Aberdeen. The achievement comes after 18 months of development and validates the company’s transition toward a model with greater onshore control of critical subsea tasks.
The trial was carried out with intensive testing on board the BOKA Northern Ocean construction support vessel in the North Sea. This process made it possible to verify the performance of remote operations in different scenarios before commercial commissioning.
Measurable increase in installed capacity
The company allocated £40 million to the ROVs and the new centre, an investment aimed at expanding its remote monitoring capacity. The ROC serves as the central hub for fleet operations and also enables additional expertise to be provided on demand to offshore teams.
This design aims to improve operational efficiency and increase consistency in the execution of subsea projects. In practice, Boskalis is consolidating a more integrated structure to coordinate onshore and offshore work from a single control point.
Safety and efficiency
Bart Heijermans, Chief Operating Officer and board member, highlighted that the centre represents a major step forward in how subsea operations are carried out. According to the company, the combination of innovation and technology makes the work safer, more efficient, and better coordinated.
This approach is particularly decisive in a sector where safety and precision are critical. By moving part of the support onshore, Boskalis reduces operational exposure offshore and strengthens control over complex tasks.
Aberdeen: Operational architecture
The centre will also have direct employment effects, with the creation of more than fifty high-quality onshore jobs over the next five years. This makes the project an industrial investment with local impact, in addition to its technological value.
Boskalis has already announced that it will continue expanding the ROC with additional remote inspection and survey services. In doing so, the company aims to consolidate its position in subsea innovation and prepare its operations for the future demands of the offshore market.
Source: https://boskalis.com/
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