BlueZone Group: A Legacy in Western Australia’s Marine Innovation

Advancing and Expanding, BlueZone Set to Open a New Site in Perth!

It’s been a busy start to the year for BlueZone, between celebrating 20 years of service, training the NSW police divers in the SRS Fusion ROV, and planning for our 25^th birthday (more details to come) we’re opening up a new location in Perth!

The Perth location was originally established in 1973 as Underwater Video Systems (UVS), a pioneering Australian company specialising in subsea equipment and services. UVS was the first Australian company to introduce Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) into Australian waters with the RCV-225. The RCV-225 was developed for the underwater inspection of subsea structures and pipelines, intended for the offshore oil and gas industry. This was a huge win for UVS during the 1980s as offshore expansion and LNG began to boom in the North West Shelf. The 1980s were a busy time for UVS, also introducing ADCP technology in Australia—an innovation we continue to sell, service, and depend on for delivering precise current profiling and reliable oceanographic data across a wide range of marine applications.

Between 2011-2015 BlueZone provided extensive support of the ‘Wave Glider’ to the Royal Australian Navy in operations in the West Australian Exercise Area. The Wave Glider is a revolutionary Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) designed to operate autonomously on the ocean surface for extended periods using solar energy. The Wave Glider can be used in various applications including defence, environment, energy, and research as a tool for ocean monitoring, ASW, surveillance, marine mammal tracking, data collection, water quality and acoustic studies. Over this period, we assisted in the testing and service support across multiple exercise operations.

Over the years, BlueZone has contributed to a range of dynamic operations across Western Australia, including the 2013 subsea trencher deployment for Russian offshore infrastructure, urgent cable moulding repairs that restored functionality to military and commercial vessels with minimal downtime, and support services for Fugro Discovery during the high-profile search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

As part of our ongoing mission to serve our customers and partners better, this expansion allows us to amplify our expertise and services in the WA and Perth region. As we look to the future, BlueZone Co-Founder Darren Burrowes notes “[we are] looking forward to rebuilding our Perth presence, around a core of skilled staff, initially supported from our team in Newcastle, NSW”. BlueZone plans to expand the team and capability footprint in the region.

As we strive to expand on our existing services, mine countermeasures (MCM) remain at the heart of our mission. MCM is an important part of nuclear submarine operations. Increasingly, systems like the REMUS provide crucial surveillance in port and harbour. BZG looks forward to continuing providing depot level support to the capability locally in Perth, from an expanded workshop at Bibra Lake.

BlueZone is also set to expand its involvement in emerging initiatives, including the execution and training of Artemis Diver Propulsion Vehicles and the deployment of ArtemisSAR technology.

Stay tuned for updates and upcoming events as we settle into our new space!

For more information on the BlueZone’s services, please Contact the BlueZone Group sales team.