UL project to advance underwater robotics for Ireland's offshore wind sector

A major national research project led by University of Limerick is developing advanced marine robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to support the inspection and maintenance of Ireland's future offshore wind farms.

The MARINEX (Marine Robotic Inspection and Exploration System for Offshore Wind) project aims to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of offshore wind turbine inspections, helping to reduce costs, minimise risk and support Ireland's transition to clean, indigenous and affordable energy.

Offshore wind offers Ireland an important opportunity to strengthen energy security, support economic growth and accelerate decarbonisation. However, offshore wind farms are often located in harsh and remote environments, making inspection and maintenance activities complex, expensive and potentially hazardous.

Launched earlier this year, MARINEX is led by University of Limerick in partnership with Dublin Offshore Technology and Wind Energy Ireland. Funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) through the National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Programme, the project will run until February 2029.

Building on the success of the previous SEAI-funded Robots for Wind Farms project, the research will address challenges identified by industry and develop safer and more efficient ways to inspect and maintain offshore wind infrastructure.

The project will use remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), controlled from land-based centres and guided by real-time data from sensors installed on turbines. The systems will also use 3D digital models to support inspection activities.

AI will be used to automatically identify issues such as marine growth, cracks, and structural damage, reducing the need for manual inspections. The project will examine a range of critical inspection requirements, including subsea structures, cables, and mooring systems.

Dublin Offshore Technology will contribute expertise in mooring systems and marine operations, drawing on its experience developing its patented Load Reduction Device (LRD) technology.
 

By improving inspection efficiency and reducing reliance on large vessels and offshore crews, MARINEX aims to lower costs, reduce risk and help ensure offshore wind assets operate safely and reliably throughout their lifecycle. The project will also strengthen Ireland's research capability in marine robotics, AI and digital energy systems.

Speaking about the research, Dr Edin Omerdic, MARINEX Project Lead at the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, University of Limerick, said:
“This marine robotics project will support safer and more efficient inspection and maintenance of Ireland’s future offshore wind infrastructure, reducing the need for personnel to carry out certain activities in challenging offshore environments. With the imminent offshore wind development on the east and south coasts of Ireland, it is a timely research project that will help speed up inspections and maintenance with the latest marine technology.”

Francesca Martini, Programme Manager of Research, Development & Demonstration at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, added:
“Ireland’s offshore wind sector will play a central role in delivering our clean energy ambitions, and innovation will be essential to ensuring this infrastructure can be operated safely, efficiently and cost-effectively over its lifetime. Through the SEAI National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Programme, we are pleased to support the MARINEX project, which brings together industry and academic expertise to advance the use of marine robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technologies for offshore wind inspection and maintenance. The knowledge and capabilities developed through this research will help strengthen Ireland’s offshore energy ecosystem and support the reliable deployment of offshore wind in the years ahead.”

Darren Hayes, Technical Director at Dublin Offshore Technology, said:
“As Ireland moves towards building offshore wind at scale, we also need to think about how these assets will be inspected and maintained throughout their operating life. MARINEX brings together strong Irish capability in offshore engineering, marine robotics and digital technologies to address that challenge. We are delighted to bring an industry perspective to the project and help develop solutions that can make offshore wind operations safer and more efficient.”

Further information on the project is available at https://info.windenergyireland.com/marinex