Re-Gen robotics has been granted a patent for its fully contained no man entry robotic tank cleaning solution, and has announced a £4 million (€4.7 million) investment to spur European growth.
Managing director Fintan Duffy posted a picture of the Certificate of Grant of Patent from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.
‘We have a meticulous eye for detail and fearless self-belief and now that our system is patented bumper to bumper we can continue to lead the way globally in no man entry tank cleaning across oil and gas industry!’ Duffy says.
Re-Gen Robotics’ conducted the first ever no-human-entry oil tank clean for Shell in 2019. The company used custom-made robots designed with Italian company Gerotto. Confined space entry is extremely dangerous for staff, so removing the danger is highly desirable. Since the first application of the technology, many of the UK’s oil majors and gas production facilities have begun to Re-Gen Robotics for tank cleaning, and the company will now look to expand in Europe, and beyond.
The new £4 million investment will include a new headquarters, with state-of-the-art R&D facilities, high performance technology and the creation of eight permanent jobs, in administration, design and crew roles. Re-Gen will also take delivery of two further robotic cleaning systems towards the end of 2021.
‘We have concentrated on growing the GB market and as we continue to innovate our technology, our UK contracts with oil majors are naturally expanding into Europe and the rest of the world. We have also had huge interest from oil companies and terminal operators in the US and are presently in discovery talks with them,’ says Duffy.
Gerotto’s general manager, Alessandro Gerotto adds: ‘The best way to achieve a goal is to share the same values and approach. Through innovation and research with the team at Re-Gen Robotics, we have developed a robotic cleaning system designed to enhance safety and deliver more productivity.’
