EU launches robot project to inspect energy facilities

The European Commission announced here Tuesday the launch of the PETROBOT project which will develop robots that could replace humans in inspections of pressure valves and storage tanks widely used in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry. The EU's executive body said in a statement a consortium of ten European companies, led by energy giant Shell, were participating in the project. So far, to ensure inspectors' safety, plants have to shut-down during inspection operations of oil, gas, and petrochemical facilities. This long and costly procedure could soon be reduced thanks to robotic technology, thus reducing the exposure of personnel to potentially hazardous conditions, saving the industry time and resources, it noted. EU Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes commented that "the PETROBOT project illustrates our will to transfer cutting edge results from research to the market, opening up new markets for EU businesses and creating new jobs in Europe." PETROBOT will involve companies from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Germany over a 3-year period. The EU will contribute 3.7 million euro to the 6.2 million-project.