Underwater Contracting (UCO) has announced a significant expansion to its work focusing on the integration of cutting-edge ROV technology.
The expansion of Aberdeen-based UCO and its fleet is enabled by a flourishing and growing partnership with fish farming industry giant, Mowi.
This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and utilising technological advancements to ensure the highest welfare standards in aquaculture.
The partnership will also enable greater investment in the technology, allowing it to support the energy and offshore windfarm sectors.
The new deal between the existing partners will see a 40% expansion in the number of ROV’s taken by Mowi for use on its sites, equivalent to an increase into over 40,000 ROV days.
UCO, which has continued to celebrate year-on-year growth since entering the market in 2017, will maintain its focus on ROV development and subsurface innovation, supplying specialised tools and solutions tailored for the aquaculture, energy, renewables and survey sectors.
Dedicated to making underwater tasks safer and more effective, UCO’s solutions offer reliable service levels, assisting various offshore operations and enabling fish farmers to focus on rearing healthy stock.
ROVs serve as the ‘eyes and hands’ of operators underwater, offering enhanced camera quality, advanced tooling and the ability to operate at depths that are difficult or unsafe for divers. Currently UCO systems are operating over 60,000 ROV Days at sites globally.
Michael Bower, Managing Director at UCO, said: “UCO is proud to provide solutions that solve subsurface challenges not only in aquaculture but also across industries such as renewable energy, oil and gas, and environmental surveying. Our research and development efforts, all based in Scotland, are key to delivering practical, useable solutions that enhance our customers’ operations.”
Mowi, globally the largest salmon farming company with operations in eight regions and an annual production of close to half a million tonnes of salmon, is a longstanding partner of UCO with their relationship beginning in 2018.
Over the last five years, the use of ROV systems on Mowi farm sites has increased significantly, and this newly extended agreement will see Mowi increase its ROV fleet to a record high over 25 units.
The Next Phase of Innovation
The next stage of UCO’s partnership with Mowi will see further enhancements made to its ROV systems, deploying it’s NetFix System and new add on tooling ranges.
UCO now employs a team of 16 full-time staff based in Scotland, supporting global operations, with continued growth in R&D to meet the evolving needs of the aquaculture industry.
This partnership signals the next step in their shared mission to deliver sustainable, effective solutions that prioritise safety, efficiency, and welfare in fish farming.
