Four Ocean Supercluster projects announced

The Dartmouth company Xocean received funding Thursday to go toward developing the next generation of uncrewed surface vessels.

The project is valued at $3.4 million, with $2 million to come from Canada's Ocean Supercluster and the rest from partners in the project.

USVS with a range of over 3,000 nautical miles without a support vessel are needed to generate data to aid in the increased demand on the ocean for aquaculture, harvesting metals and energy extraction.

Advances to Xocean's first USV will create more than 50 direct jobs over the next four years. The company plans to fabricate a fleet of 100 vessels and open a control room in Nova Scotia to support global operations.

“The support from the (Ocean Supercluster) is coming at the perfect time in our accelerated growth trajectory,” Sarah Macdonald, COO of Xocean, said in a news release.

“The resiliency and flexibility of our business model continues to be proven across the globe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as companies working offshore seek out safer, more cost-effective ways to operate with lesser impact on climate.”

Canada's Ocean Supercluster is industry-led and aims to solve shared ocean-sector challenges through collaboration.

Other initiatives announced Thursday include the Smart Protective Coatings Project, which will develop graphene-based protective coating products for vessels.

The coatings are designed to reduce fuel consumption for vessels and reduce underwater radiant noise. The project is valued at $4.6 million.

A project called Vitality, valued at $3.8 million, addresses shared challenges of the ocean economy, capitalizing on Canada's ocean data to deliver commercial outcomes to businesses.