General – Uncrewed USV
U.K.-based maritime technology firm Exail, in partnership with Thesta, has delivered an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to Orlen Petrobaltic.
The vessel, a DriX H-8, will be deployed in the Baltic Sea, marking the first commercial operation of Exail’s DriX model in Poland.
The delivery represents a significant milestone for Exail as it continues to expand the use of autonomous systems in challenging offshore environments. Orlen Petrobaltic will utilize the DriX H-8 to support operations around its offshore platforms, where the complex and often harsh maritime conditions demand innovative, resilient solutions.
“Deploying DriX H-8 in the Baltic Sea for the first time is another illustration of how Exail pushes the boundaries of uncrewed maritime operations,” said Jens Higgen, Regional Sales Director at Exail. “Together with Orlen Petrobaltic, we’re proud to shape a new standard for offshore data acquisition and autonomy.”
According to Exail, the DriX H-8 combines endurance and robustness with the ability to collect high-quality hydrographic and geophysical data. The vessel’s advanced autonomy enables safer and more efficient missions, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional crewed survey vessels.
For this deployment, the DriX H-8 will carry a Norbit B51S multibeam echosounder (MBES) – integrated on the platform for the first time. The configuration is expected to provide Orlen Petrobaltic with next-generation hydrographic survey capability, enhancing both data accuracy and operational efficiency.
The Baltic Sea project follows Exail’s growing global footprint in unmanned and navigation technologies. Earlier this year, the company secured a contract to supply 30 Quadrans attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS) for floating production, storage, and offloading units (FPSOs) operated by Petrobras off the coast of Brazil.
With the DriX H-8 now entering service in the Baltic, Exail continues to underscore its leadership in the field of autonomous maritime systems—pioneering new methods of data collection and operational safety at sea.
