Kongsberg, Norway-based Kongsberg Ferrotech, a company specialised in robotic solutions for the inspection, maintenance and repair of critical offshore infrastructure, has raised €12M in a Seed funding round led by the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF).
Investinor, Norway’s sovereign investment fund, also participated in the funding round.
The new funding will help the company enhance the repair and maintenance of the world’s essential underwater infrastructure.
“Kongsberg Ferrotech is already driving long-term resilience in strategically vital sectors. We are excited for the company to expand its reach across the Alliance, enabling secure, cost-effective, and never-before-possible repair and maintenance for critical infrastructure,” says Ben Balmfor, the Senior Associate, NATO Innovation Fund.
What does Kongsberg Ferrotech solve?
Ageing and corroding subsea pipelines are a major issue for oil and gas companies, environmental groups, and the public.
With around 160,000 kilometres of these pipelines worldwide, leaks are causing daily environmental spills.
Traditional inspections and repairs can take weeks or even months, requiring expensive ships, divers, and multiple suppliers.
Repair costs alone can reach millions of dollars, and production shutdowns can push the total costs into the tens of millions.
Here’s where Kongsberg Ferrotech comes in!
Kongsberg Ferrotech: Redefining underwater inspection, maintenance, and repair
Led by Christopher Carlsen, Kongsberg Ferrotech‘s Nautilus robotic solution can complete the entire process in just a few days.
As it works without divers, many repairs can be done without stopping production, resulting in significant cost savings and reducing response time and carbon emissions by up to 70 per cent, claims the company.
The company’s patented technology creates a water-evacuated “dry habitat” at depth, allowing for repairs to be made in challenging underwater environments.
Their unique robotic platform enables both inspection and repair to be conducted simultaneously during the same dive.
This versatile system can address a wide variety of subsea assets, including pipelines, risers, wind turbine monopiles, and merchant marine vessels.
When a defect is detected, the robot can perform a specially tailored repair, either using a “cold,” non-metallic method or a hot, 3D-printed permanent solution.
At present, the company is working with world-leading energy operators from PTTEP of Thailand to ADNOC, Aramco, Total Energies and Petrobras to adapt the Kongsberg Ferrotech Technology to optimally support their operations.
Additionally, since 2021, Kongsberg Ferrotech has completed a significant joint industry project with partners Equinor, Gassco, Shell International and SINTEF to develop advanced 3D printing technologies for in situ, metal-to-metal repairs of underwater assets.
“This is a major milestone for Kongsberg Ferrotech. The support from the NATO Innovation Fund and Investinor validates our vision: to redefine how critical offshore infrastructure is maintained, using our robotic platform to enhance energy resilience and safety,” says Christopher Carlsen, CEO, Kongsberg Ferrotech
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