Proposal of a Roadmap for the Commercialization of Underwater Unmanned Inspection Systems for Offshore Wind Power Facilities
Nippon Steel Engineering and three other companies have proposed a roadmap for the commercialization of underwater unmanned inspection systems for offshore wind power.
Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President: Yukito Ishiwa; hereinafter "NSE"), in collaboration with Toyo Engineering Corporation (Representative Director and President: Eiji Hosoi; hereinafter "TOYO"), FullDepth Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President: Tomoji Yoshiga; hereinafter "FullDepth"), and Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President: Takahiro Mori; hereinafter "OKI"), announces that it has proposed a roadmap for the commercialization of systems that utilize AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) and other technologies to automate underwater inspection work for offshore wind power facilities, as part of the "AUV Utilization Demonstration Project" in which the four companies participated.
Overview of the Demonstration Test
In creating this roadmap, the companies conducted a demonstration test in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, in October 2025, and proceeded with multifaceted considerations based on the commercialization of underwater unmanned inspection systems. Through demonstration tests of underwater unmanned inspections using video recording (monitoring) and sonar (acoustic exploration) of observation targets, combining AUVs, ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), and ASVs (Autonomous Surface Vehicles), the companies identified technical and operational challenges for the future autonomy and unmanned operation of underwater inspection work.
(For details on the demonstration test, please watch this PR video.)
Proposal of the Roadmap for Social Implementation of AUVs
Based on the findings from the demonstration test, the companies examined the optimal deployment of marine robotics, including system configurations that enable autonomous and unmanned wide-area underwater inspection by combining AUVs and ASVs. Furthermore, anticipating the future of underwater unmanned inspection work in 2030 and 2040, the companies organized milestones for early social implementation, such as continuous technical development, verification, and long-term implementation tests required for commercialization, and proposed them as a roadmap leading up to 2030.
Key Initiatives by Nippon Steel Engineering
① Conceptual Study for Commercializing Maintenance and Inspection Services
To commercialize maintenance and inspection services for offshore wind power operators, it is essential to have a "service provider" that provides comprehensive services, covering not only technical capabilities using marine robotics such as AUVs, but also a wide range of tasks including the ownership and management of equipment required for inspections, the training and arrangement of equipment operators and technicians, and the securing of ICT-related services.
In this project, the roles of the service provider, its business model, and its ecosystem have been examined and organized, assuming maintenance and inspection work for offshore wind power facilities.
② Conceptual Study of a Marine Data Utilization Platform
Marine robotics such as AUVs are expected to be core assets for acquiring marine data, which is currently in short supply in Japan.
In this project, the companies proposed the construction of a "Marine Data Space" as a platform to promote the safe and rapid sharing and utilization of marine data obtained through the use of these assets, and conducted technical and operational studies. The realization of this platform is expected to contribute to the utilization of marine data in diverse fields beyond offshore wind power, such as the fisheries and marine resource development industries, and to the strengthening of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
Future Outlook
Looking toward the commercialization of systems that automate underwater inspection work for offshore wind power facilities using AUVs around 2030, the company aims to create new value related to offshore wind power through the commercialization of maintenance and inspection services for offshore wind power operators and the construction of a marine data utilization platform that contributes to the strengthening of MDA.