Page 46: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2026)

DEEP SEA BLUE LASERS

BRIGHT PROSPECT:

Blue Lasers for the Deep Sea

All images © Laserline

From cutting and drilling to paint stripping and removing maritime fouling, underwater tasks in the maritime environment are as numerous as the grains of sand on the beach.

Some of these applications are carried out at depths of several thousand meters. A new laser system based on blue diode lasers now promises a contact-free, low-maintenance, and cost-ef? cient solution for a wide range of underwater operations.

By Dr. Simon Britten, Senior Technology Manager at Laserline hether in the maintenance of offshore plat- sibilities that laser technology in particular can offer. Initial forms, the decommissioning of old oil rigs, attempts, however, were not very successful. Early efforts to or the inspection of underwater structures, use conventional infrared (IR) lasers to cut structures during

Wthe demands for precision, ef? ciency, and oil platform decommissioning proved only partially practical. environmental compatibility in subsea operations continue The primary reason: infrared radiation (wavelength 1000 nm) to increase. At the same time, conventional methods quickly is completely absorbed by water within just a few centimeters, reach their limits here. Common pressure-based processing resulting in signi? cant energy loss. For subsea applications, methods, such as high-pressure water jets used to remove al- IR laser cutting can therefore only be performed using an air gae growth, lose their effectiveness with increasing depth due nozzle or an air-? lled chamber – a complex and cost-intensive to the high counterpressure of the water. Additionally, many process that also prevents use at greater depths.

of these systems require intensive maintenance and are prone to wear. Mechanical tools such as circular saws, in turn, gen- Blue Lasers as Key Technology erate recoil forces upon contact with components, which de- A newly developed underwater laser system based on blue di- stabilize remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and ode lasers from Laserline now promises a solution to this chal- often cause them to drift away. lenge. Unlike IR radiation, the blue light emitted by these lasers,

Consequently, the industry shows great interest in contact- with a wavelength of around 445 nanometers, is barely absorbed and force-free, low-wear, low-maintenance alternatives – pos- by water. The lasers thus offer excellent transmission, with the ef-

Image above: Underwater processing with blue diode laser – Perforation / Penetration through 8 mm steel plate.

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