The 18-metre uncrewed surface vessel has arrived in Norwegian waters and is preparing to survey more than 675 km² in the North Sea as part of the MAREANO programme, operated entirely from shore.
On 19 February, Fugro officially launched its 18-metre Blue Eclipse 1 uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in Norway, marking a significant milestone for next-generation offshore operations. Earlier that week, the vessel completed its transit from the UK and is now preparing for its first assignment in the North Sea.
First mission: large-scale seabed mapping
The Blue Eclipse 1 will begin operations by surveying more than 675 km² as part of MAREANO, the Norwegian seabed mapping programme. The campaign will be conducted with full control from Fugro’s onshore remote operations centre in Aberdeen, demonstrating the maturity of long-range remote marine operations. Blue Eclipse® is the most recent development in Fugro's long term USV program. Globally, the 6 Fugro Remote Operation centres have now performed over 1million hours of remote operations and the Blue Eclipse 1 have already logged over 1000 hours with her initial testing and sea trials.
Designed for operations both with and without a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the vessel can work in water depths ranging down to 500 metres. The ROV capability, together with an advanced stabilization system and a hull-mounted gondola equipped with a full acoustic survey system, enables high-resolution geodata acquisition as well as remote inspection and light intervention tasks.
Setting a new standard for uncrewed operations
“With the launch of the Blue Eclipse 1, Fugro is setting a new standard for uncrewed marine operations,” said Nick Simmons, USV Services Director at Fugro. “This next generation USV delivers high-resolution Geo data in deeper and more demanding offshore environments, while significantly reducing emissions and operational risk. It’s a clear step forward in our mission to make offshore projects safer, smarter and more sustainable.”
Built to withstand harsh offshore environments, the Blue Eclipse® combines endurance and power with a significantly reduced emissions footprint compared to traditional survey vessels. By removing personnel from offshore vessels and relocating operations to shore-based control centres, Fugro is lowering both operational risk and environmental impact while maintaining high data quality and efficiency.
Strengthening the case for ocean autonomy
For the Ocean Autonomy Cluster community, the arrival of Blue Eclipse 1 in Norwegian waters underscores how autonomous and remotely operated systems are transforming offshore survey and inspection. As uncrewed technologies mature, they are increasingly becoming the preferred option for complex marine operations in challenging environments such as the North Sea.