UK’s First Remotely Operated and Unmanned Vessel Certified Ahead of Trials
The hydrogen-powered Pioneer, a remotely operated and unmanned vessel (ROUV), has received the UK’s first certification under Workboat Code 3 ahead of its upcoming trials. Lloyd’s Register (LR), which issued the certification under authorization from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, reports it represents a significant development in the evolution of regulatory pathways for uncrewed and autonomous vessels operating in UK waters.
“This certification represents a major step forward – not just for ACUA Ocean or LR, but for the wider UK maritime industry,” said Anderson Chaplow, Principal Specialist at LR. “It proves that certification of small, complex ROUVs under Annex 2 is achievable and sets a precedent for others in the industry to follow. It also shows what’s possible when developers, regulators, and classification societies collaborate to bring emerging technologies safely into operation.
Developed by Plymouth-based ACUA Ocean, Pioneer is a hydrogen-powered, long-endurance uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed for offshore surveillance, monitoring, and inspection. The vessel, which is 14.2 meters (46.5 feet) in length, can handle payloads of up to 6.5 tonnes from a 20-foot ISO container in the moonpool. It uses a pontoon design and is capable of safe deployment of sensor and system payloads in up to significant four-meter wave heights.
Pioneer features an integrated hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system, advanced autonomous navigation, and remote command capabilities. The companies report the modular design tailored to a variety of offshore operations, such as environmental monitoring, maritime domain awareness, and offshore infrastructure inspection.
The vessel, which is remotely operated and uncrewed, is 46.5 feet in length with a 6.5 tonne capacity (ACUA Ocean)
The vessel is a prototype developed under the UK Clean Maritime Demonstrator Competition (CMDC), which is designed to support the development and showcase innovative technologies aimed at accelerating maritime decarbonization. ACUA Ocean plans to complete trial activities under hydrogen operation before undertaking further development work on hybrid and electric variants of Pioneer. The company is also developing the 24-meter Maelstrom concept vessel to provide a stable long long-endurance platform for larger payloads and increased range and endurance.
ACUA Ocean became the first vessel to achieve compliance with the UK’s first certification for a remotely operated and unmanned vessel (ROUV) under the MCA Workboat Code Edition 3 (WBC3) Annex 2, highlights LR. Introduced by the MCA in December 2023, the WBC3 requirements set out safety and operational standards for ROUVs operating in UK waters. LR was the first certifying authority to be authorized by the MCA to issue certificates under Annex 2 and has now become the first to complete a full certification process for an operational ROUV.
LR reports that it continues to work with operators across the ROUV and autonomous vessel community and expects to issue further WBC3 Annex 2 certifications in the months ahead.