MOWI Achieves $3.7M in Dive Cost Savings Through Deep Trekker ROV Integration

AT A GLANCE

CLIENT

LOCATION:

British Columbia

SECTOR:

Agriculture

SUPPLIER:

Deep Trekker

TECHNOLOGY / PRODUCT USED:

Deep Trekker ROV

TARGETED APPLICATION

Net Inspection and Fish Husbandry Monitoring

LEARN MORE

Read The Full Case Study Here

Reducing Operational Expenses and Enhancing Safety via Real-Time Fish Husbandry Monitoring

>$3M USD

Estimated dive costs

saved to date

↑↑↑

Diver safety

↗↗↗

Farm husbandry

“You can see your fish whenever you want to [...] every time we can prevent a scuba diver from entering the water, we increase safety and save money; it doesn't take long for one single unit to pay for itself.”

Gerry Burry, MOWI Site Manager

Norway aquaculture operating technician for Mowi, formerly Marine Harvest, Erling, provides some insight on how they use their Deep Trekker underwater ROV.

The Challenge

MOWI needed to perform regular inspections of nets and anchoring to maintain the integrity and cleanliness of their pens. Relying on scuba divers for these visual inspections presented safety risks and high costs (averaging $250/hour). Additionally, the team required a way to monitor feeding, fish behavior, and smolt delivery to optimize the health and welfare of their fish without the logistical hurdles of human diving teams.

The Solution

Deep Trekker offers two ROVs for use in the aquaculture industry, the DTG3 and the REVOLUTION.

The DTG3 is a mini observation-class underwater ROV built to provide operators the ability to quickly deploy and visually inspect within underwater environments. Intelligence and advanced capabilities make this portable, commercial-grade remotely operated vehicle the best in its class. Depth rating to 200 meters (656 feet) and battery operated, the DTG3 is easily portable and quick to deploy.

The REVOLUTION is a redesigned ROV engineered to be faster and more powerful. Depth rated to 305m (1000ft) with robust vectored thrusters to move laterally and work in currents, the patented pending revolving head allows operators to rotate the camera, manipulators, and sonar all while station holding in moving water. Like the DTG3, the REVOLUTION is a completely battery-operatederated vehicle, allowing the system to be deployed from anywhere. Deep Trekker offers a suite of aquaculture specific add-ons including mort pushers, and net repair tools, as well as various grabber arms and samplers.

Deep Trekker also offers the DTPod, an inspection and monitoring drop camera for underwater inspections and permanent installations, providing high-resolution video to the surface.

By integrating these tools, MOWI shifted from reactive external dive teams to proactive, internal ROV-led inspections.

KEY FEATURES

Portable & Depth-Rated Performance:

ROVs depth rated from 200m to 305m built for rapid deployment and visual inspections within underwater environments from any location.

Vectored Thrust & Lateral Movement:

Robust thrusters engineered to move laterally and work in currents for increased power and maneuverability in moving water.

Patented Revolving Head Technology:

Enables operators to rotate the camera, manipulators, and sonar 180° while station holding for precise viewing and task execution.

RESULTS

By integrating 17 ROVs into their operations, MOWI Canada West has achieved a profound effect on their everyday farm operations, resulting in an estimated $3,724,500 USD in dive costs saved to date. This transition has saved 14,898 estimated dive hours by replacing traditional visual inspections with ROV-led monitoring, leading to an expected total value creation of $4,043,552 USD.

Qualitatively, these units have significantly increased safety by preventing scuba divers from entering the water and keeping them out of potentially troublesome situations. The technology has provided the MOWI team with improved underwater awareness, allowing technicians to see their fish whenever they want and optimize the health and welfare of their fish through the monitoring of feeding, behavior, and smolt delivery. Furthermore, the ability to conveniently catch minor issues before they become major problems ensures the integrity of pens and anchoring. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ease of use and portability of the units supported COVID-19 mitigation policies by allowing a single operator to conduct work that previously required a team.