Marine Robotic Inspection and Exploration System for Offshore Wind (MARINEX)

Project Description

The project aims to improve how we inspect and maintain offshore floating & bottom fixed wind turbines, which are vital for Ireland’s transition to clean energy. Offshore wind farms are located in harsh and remote environments, making inspections difficult, expensive, and sometimes dangerous. Building on the success of the SEAI-funded project "Robots for Wind Farms", this new research will address the challenges identified by industry partners and develop smarter, safer ways to manage offshore wind infrastructure. MARINEX will use advanced underwater robots (ROVs) and unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that can be controlled remotely from land-based centres. These robots will be guided by real-time data from sensors placed on the turbines and visualised through 3D digital models. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used to automatically detect issues like marine growth, cracks, and damage, reducing the need for manual inspection. By making inspections more efficient and less reliant on large vessels or offshore crews, this project will lower costs, reduce risks, and help ensure turbines operate safely and reliably. This project directly supports Ireland’s Climate Action Plan, NECP, and SEAI RD&D objectives by enabling reliable, cost-effective offshore wind deployment and strengthen Ireland’s research and innovation ecosystem in marine robotics, AI, and digital energy systems, contributing to long-term energy sustainability and national decarbonisation goals.