Ocean surveying and inspection specialist Argeo Subsea, CSI Nordics and Kongsberg Discovery have signed a three-party Certificate of Delivery and Acceptance for a new HUGIN Superior AUV. The agreement, confirmed at Oceanology International in London, supports Argeo’s ambitious fleet expansion plans, as the firm looks to build the world’s most advanced AUV fleet, with seven high specification units. Argeo already has one HUGIN Superior in service.
From left: Camilla Kiss, EVP Finance Kongsberg Discovery – Stene Førsund EVP Sales and Marketing, Kongsberg Discovery – Trond F. Crantz, CEO Argeo – Atle Gran, Senior Sales Manager, Kongsberg Discovery - Kenneth Mitsem, General Manager, CSI Nordics AS. Image Credit: Kongsberg Discovery
CSI Nordics, a subsidiary of CSI Leasing, one of the largest independent equipment leasing companies in the world, will purchase the unit from Kongsberg Discovery, entering into a long-term leasing agreement with Argeo.
Integrated Excellence
Argeo CEO Trond Crantz says the deal will amplify the company’s operational capacity, putting it in “a unique position within both the marine minerals, oil and gas and the renewables segment, increasing efficiency and productivity substantially.”
He comments: “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.”
Partnering for Success
Speaking on behalf of CSI, Kenneth Mitsem, General Manager at CSI Nordics, adds: “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 like the HUGIN Superior from Kongsberg Discovery. This partnership underscores our shared commitment to enhancing the acquisition of technology critical for thriving."
Raising the Bar
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, a UHD still image camera, laser profiler, sub-bottom profiler, 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.
Competitive Advantage
Stene Førsund, EVP, Kongsberg Discovery, says: “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 customised to meet diverse markets, budgets and operational flexibility. 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 300 kg and less than 4 m in length.
Kongsberg Discovery is a standalone business within the KONGSBERG Group, focusing exclusively on cutting-edge underwater robotics and sensor technology innovations.