Underwater engineering specialist SMD has sold the first of its world-leading electric submersible robots – technology bosses say is the future of the 53-year-old business.

The Wallsend-based firm struck a deal with Luxembourg-based marine contractor, Jan De Nul Group – an offshore installation contractor that has a cable installation project for the Hornsea 3 wind farm, among others. The €2.5bn turnover, tier-one customer will use SMD’s new Quantum EV on its new cable laying vessel, Fleeming Jenkin, which is the world’s largest of its type and will be used across offshore projects globally.

SMD’s Tyneside-based engineers are the first to market with this type of remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) having developed electric drives to replace hydraulics. The firm’s chairman, Mike Jones says £5m has been invested in the vehicle’s development, beating competitors globally to produce high-powered vehicles that are more energy efficient, require less at-sea support and pose less risk of producing oil leaks than their predecessors.

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Speaking to BusinessLive, Mr Jones described the electric model as a “big future” for the business. He said: “The difference is having a high-powered ROV. You get much smaller ROVs that mainly go around to observe things – called ‘obs ROVs’ – and they might have a very small tool on them. But to have a work class ROV is replacing a human being but it is also replacing a human being on a tractor – and you need power for that.

“Basically nobody has been able to crack that yet. A lot of people have tried to, and there are other companies we’re competing against that we’ve tried to. But we’ve managed to get that to work.”

The Quantum EV can operate in water depths of up to 4,000 metres and in high-current waters which Jan De Nul says is exactly the conditions is cable-laying vessel will operate in. The group also said it may use the ROV to remove obstacles from the cable route.

SMD’s deputy CEO, Paul Davison, said: “We are delighted to have received the first order for our pioneering and powerful Quantum EV, the only vehicle of its kind currently market-ready. We have delivered solutions to Jan De Nul for many years and their talented team is as innovative as they come. Their new cable laying vessel, Fleeming Jenkin, will be powered by engines which can run on biofuel and green methanol, in combination with large batteries and exhaust gas treatment systems, which perfectly aligns with our sustainability targets.”

Jan Van de Velde, director newbuilding at Jan De Nul Group, said: “It is a pleasure to announce our continued collaboration with fellow innovator, SMD. Once built, the Fleeming Jenkin will be the world’s largest and cleanest cable-laying vessel. Our attention to environment and climate is mirrored in SMD’s Quantum EV, which not only offers superior efficiency and reliability but also consumes less energy and drastically reduces the risk of oil contamination.”