Oil & Gas

The first autonomous electric submarine represents one of the latest advancements supported by artificial intelligence, including increased robotic usage to lower carbon emissions. The British company HonuWorx, located in Aberdeen, Scotland, has unveiled plans to deploy a fleet of this innovative submarine, which is a first for the energy sector.

Known as the Loggerhead, this unmanned submarine is intended for commercial use in the undersea energy services market. The system will feature a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployed from a large, unmanned escort submarine controlled from shore via cloud computing technologies.

HonuWorx has demonstrated the feasibility of this submarine system, showing it can replace large fossil fuel-powered vessels with undersea robots, as reported by the specialized Renews website. The company aims to capture about 20% of the undersea ship inspection, repair, and maintenance market over the next decade, a sector valued at approximately $3.2 billion.

Plans are in place to develop the first autonomous electric submarine on a trial basis next year (2025), with HonuWorx targeting rapid growth by raising nearly £30 million ($39 million) in the coming months. The initial fleet will consist of 10 submarines, with long-term goals to expand to 50, while commercializing the system globally. This submarine is expected to prevent annual carbon emissions equivalent to 4,000 petrol or diesel cars, all while enhancing safety and reducing costs.