Project description DEENESFRITPL Revolutionising underwater inspection As offshore oil and gas extraction assets exceed their design lifetime, the need to decommission or replace these structures becomes increasingly pressing. However, the associated costs are staggering, with an estimated EUR 20 billion needed over the next 10 years to remove approximately 80 platforms and their infrastructure. The greatest challenge lies in inspecting and maintaining subsea structures like jacket foundations and pipelines, where high pressure, seawater and biofouling impede operations and accelerate degradation. In this context, the EU-funded VERNE project aims to revolutionise underwater inspection. By combining ultrasound and acoustic testing, it will achieve unprecedented speed and precision, enabling rapid scanning, defect mapping, and detailed characterisation. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective This project aims to develop and commercialise VERNE: A non-destructive testing (NDT) system that has the potential to revolutionise underwater inspection of tubular structures by achieving far greater inspection speed and precision compared to existing systems. As the majority of offshore Oil and Gas extraction assets have already exceeded their design lifetime, the need for decommissioning and/or substituting these assets becomes increasingly pressing. However, associated costs are enormous and it will cost nearly €20 billion over the next 10 years to remove around 80 platforms and their associated infrastructure. As asset owners strive to prolong asset lifetime while and minimise risk of catastrophic accidents, the greatest challenge is the inspection and maintenance of subsea structures like jacket foundations and pipelines. In underwater environments the high pressure, seawater and marine life (biofouling) obstruct maintenance operations and accelerate structure degradation. Subsea inspections are currently performed using Remotely Operated Vehicles carrying a payload of cameras, sensors and other equipment. VERNE will dramatically improve on their performance by combining ultrasound and acoustic testing that enable (i) the rapid scanning and defect mapping in a 100m radius around the inspection point and (ii) detailed and precise characterisation once defects are identified. VERNE’s technologies enable inspection of both external and internal surface of structures (e.g. pipelines) without the need to remove anti-corrosion coatings and/or biofouling. As such, VERNE will lead to significant cost savings for asset owners while providing a key competitive advantage to subsea service providers. As such, project partners Dacon and Nardoni anticipate a cumulative turnover of €31.468 million and profits of €19.3 million by Year 5 with a breakeven over the total budget in Year 2 and a ROI rate of 13:1 on EC’s grant. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensorsnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbonsengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energynatural gasengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and filmsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesacousticsultrasound Programme(s) H2020-EU.2.1.2. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies Main Programme H2020-EU.2.1.5. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing H2020-EU.2.1.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced materials H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument Topic(s) SMEInst-02-2016-2017 - Accelerating the uptake of nanotechnologies advanced materials or advanced manufacturing and processing technologies by SMEs Call for proposal H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017 Funding Scheme SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2 Coordinator DACON AS Net EU contribution € 1 006 238,45 Address Gamle ringeriksv 6 1369 Stabekk Norway See on map Region Norge Oslo og Viken Viken Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 431 245,05 Participants (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all I & T NARDONI INSTITUTE SRL Italy Net EU contribution € 504 737,80 Address Via della cascina pontevica 21 25010 Brescia See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Nord-Ovest Lombardia Brescia Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 216 316,20
