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A deep dive into emission cuts

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His feet firmly planted on the ground in his home town of Stavanger, Trond Eriksen is supervising pioneering work in the depths of the ocean. He is involved in Equinor's underwater drone efforts – driving innovation that enables major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and shows the way forward.

"Oil and gas production generates greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, we at Equinor must leave no stone unturned in the search for ways of cutting emissions," says Trond.

We meet Trond at Equinor’s Stavanger office, where he has worked for almost a quarter of a century. Today, he works as a principal engineer, supervising Equinor's subsea technology work, more specifically ROVs (remotely operated underwater vehicles), underwater drones and diving.

As an avid diver and someone who has explored the world below the sea surface since he was young, Trond knows better than most the possibilities and limitations that exist in the ocean depths. This is perhaps why he has a special fondness for the Hydrone R, an underwater drone developed in collaboration with Saipem – a major supplier in the global oil technology industry.

A man and a woman in a control room with many screens
From control rooms like this, operations at depths of several hundred meters are controlled. Here, Trond is observing an ROV operation at Equinor’s partner Oceaneering. Photo: Andreas Kleiberg

This is not just any drone. It is a so-called "resident". I.e., it lives and works on the seabed for months, without the need for daily maintenance from surface vessels.

"Imagine a sophisticated, self-propelled robot vacuum cleaner, but for the seabed," Trond explains.

"It performs inspections and light maintenance tasks, charges itself at docking stations and sends data wirelessly. The entire operation is controlled from land," he adds.

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ROVs have been in use since the 70s and have long been the "workhorse" on the seabed. They have been connected to the surface by a cable, are often hydraulic, and have been indispensable for installation, maintenance and repairs.

Traditionally, subsea operations require that large diesel-powered ships travel long distances to stay on the field. With resident drones such as the Hydrone R, this need is drastically reduced, and there is no daily deployment and recovery, as the drone can remain on the seabed.

"Each day without using a support vessel offshore we reduce CO2 emissions significantly. It helps reduce our carbon footprint, and it is technology like this that can really make a difference," Trond emphasizes.

In addition, the Hydrone R is all-electric. For previous generations of ROVs hydraulic system failures could lead to spills of hydraulic oil and other chemicals. Hydrone R being all-electric, this is no longer a problem.

Image of Trond

Technology development takes time

In June 2023, Hydrone R completed a 165-day continuous operation on the Njord field, a world record that earned Equinor and Saipem a prestigious innovation award. But already in January 2025, it beat its previous record. When the drone was picked up on 24 January, it had been in continuous operation 330 metres below sea level since 20 May 2024 – a full 240 days.

The road to such milestones is paved with trial, error and patience. Trond knows all about that.

"New technology does not come by itself. It requires investments, testing and a willingness to take risks. It does not always go as planned on the first try, but that's how we learn and drive development forward.

Image of Trond

He is proud to work in a company that dares to make long-term investments.

"Equinor is a world leader in using new subsea technology. We are often ahead of the field, and that is incredibly motivating," he says.

This willingness to lead the way also involves sharing knowledge.

"The technology we help develop for services we purchase is often 'open source', allowing the entire industry to benefit from it. The goal is for as many suppliers as possible to be able to deliver safer and more environmentally friendly services," Trond explains.

Read more about Equinor's drone and robot work

From pioneer diving to autonomous drones

Trond's fascination for the sea started early, inspired by his father, who was among the first divers in the North Sea. The driving force has always been the same: to find smarter, safer and more efficient ways of working.

And the development has been enormous. Although Equinor still has divers active 365 days a year, the heaviest and deepest jobs have long since been taken care of by remotely operated ROVs. Now, underwater drones such as Hydrone-R represent the next step.

"I've always been motivated by finding a better way to do things. Seeing how advanced drones can now perform tasks that previously required large resources and involved higher risks is amazing.

Although Equinor's ambition is to become a broad energy company, with significant investments in renewable energy and low-carbon solutions such as carbon capture and storage, Trond believes that oil and gas will be part of the energy mix for a long time to come.

"That is why it is so crucial that we leave no stone unturned in the search for ways of cutting emissions from our production. And here, technology development plays a key role," he explains.

He is optimistic about the future and is convinced that Equinor will continue to lead the way.

"We have a goal of cutting our own emissions by 50% by 2030, and we are well on our way. A lot of exciting things are happening, and we are helping shape the future of energy. Being part of that journey, with a focus on technology that cuts emissions, makes me proud," Trond concludes.

Hydrone R

  • Hydrone R, also called 001 or "the janitor of the future", is a resident underwater intervention drone (UID) developed by Saipem in collaboration with and for Equinor
  • Is all-electric, resides permanently on the seabed and is remotely controlled from land
  • Is being used on the Njord field in the Norwegian Sea for subsea installation monitoring and maintenance
  • Significantly reduces the need for support vessels, thereby cutting diesel emissions and operating costs, increasing safety by reducing offshore staffing, and providing faster response
  • Has set world records for continuous submersion operation without maintenance on the surface (first 165 days, then 240 days)
  • Charges batteries and transmits data at subsea docking stations; performs inspection, maintenance and light intervention tasks
  • The technology received the 2024 UTC (Underwater Technology Conference) Award
Image of Olav, sea in the background

Cutting emissions with artificial intelligence

“Part of the solution to the energy transition and the fight against climate change are huge quantities of computer code. That’s my area of expertise, and it’s my way of contributing,” says Olav Landstad.

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