Scotland-based Innovo Engineering and Construction has secured £10,000 funding from the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) in conjunction with Strathclyde University, Glasgow, U.K. The funding will support a research and development (R&D) project for Innovo’s innovative autonomous eco-robotic wind, solar and hydrogen fuel cell-powered surface vessel, Oceandrone.

Oceandrone is a fully autonomous, zero-emission sailing craft that is uniquely capable of operating in unlimited sea state parameters.

Designed by Innovo’s team of engineers and naval architects, Oceandrone uses a combination of wind, solar and hydrogen power and incorporates a patented sail management system and unique propulsion systems. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions from operations in offshore industries, including offshore energy, renewables, ocean sciences, marine environmental protection and defense.

Other potential markets for Oceandrone include: telecom, subsea data storage, ocean research, fish farming, seabed mineral exploration, carbon capture, hydrogen generation and ocean sciences. Innovo’s payload design for Oceandrone will enable the vessel to be configured to suit individual applications and fit any tailor-made requirements of the end-user.

Strathclyde University’s Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) which plays a key role in accelerating emerging technologies toward commercial deployment in a realistic, controllable environment, is hosting the ETP-funded R&D project for Oceandrone. The project aims to optimize the power management system of the autonomous vessel for all weather conditions and locations to satisfy the power requirements of all its devices, including control and navigation, and electrical propulsion in the case of no wind. Such power optimization would be achieved by managing all the renewable energy sources on board (solar panel, hydro generator, hydrogen fuel cell and storage battery) to achieve the maximum possible endurance using only clean energy.

Learn more at: www.innovoteam.com.