Aberdeen-headquarted Underwater Contracting (UCO) has been awarded a remote operated vehicle (ROV) contract worth more than £1 million by salmon farming company Mowi Scotland.
The deal between Mowi Scotland and UCO is thought to be one of the largest in the aquaculture sector.
UCO has considerable experience in the oil and gas industries in the North Sea and abroad.
It also provides equipment and ROV services for a range of aspects associated with the renewable energies sector, such as offshore wind, tidal and wave projects.
The new service agreement with Mowi Scotland will see 15 submersible ROVs working 365 days a year during the term of the contract to provide a range of services in Europe and North America.
UCO managing director Mick Bower said: “This major contract will help secure the future of the company for years to come.
UCO involved from early days of Scotland fish farms
“It will also support the development of our services as part of our growth plan, leading to more innovation for the Scottish salmon sector.”
The UCO team has been involved in aquaculture from the early deployment of fish farms across Scotland and it was this experience which triggered the idea for its patented Foover mortality recovery ROV.
For his part Mowi Scotland production director Sean Anderson added: “With almost all our assets underwater, it’s vital to always have our eyes on the prize.
“The deployment of 15 ROVs supplied by UCO complements our static underwater camera systems and will immediately aid us in our daily monitoring of animal welfare and stock containment.”
Formed in 2017, UCO is part of Ocean Marine Group with sister companies Pirie & Smith and ETPM.
Mowi Scotland employs 1,500 staff, operates 48 farms producing over 68,000 tonnes of salmon per year.
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