Thursday 10 May 2018

Leading subsea training and trials centre, The Underwater Centre, located in the Scottish Highlands, has turned a corner after receiving industry support to secure its future.

Industry and public bodies including Oil & Gas UK, Subsea 7, TechnipFMC, Premier Oil and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have collaborated to support The Underwater Centre and ensure its future success.

The company will now operate as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, which will be funded and supported by its members, comprising operators, service companies and industry.

Senior representatives of Subsea 7, TechnipFMC and Premier Oil will join the board of The Underwater Centre.

The restructure will ensure that the industry continues to have access to critical, world-leading underwater training and can undertake vital subsea equipment trials. The new company formally began operating on Monday, May 7, 2018.

The Underwater Centre is a purpose-built subsea training and trials facility and is based on the shore of Loch Linnhe, sheltered by the surrounding mountains. The Centre’s unique location allows it to provide year-round training and testing in an open-water environment, while still being centrally located in Fort William, the largest town in the Scottish Highlands.