KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has partnered with Aerodyne Group to explore opportunities for deployment and commercialisation of drone-based solutions.
The national oil and gas company said its technology commercialisation arm Petronas Technology Ventures Sdn Bhd (PTVSB) had entered into a memorandum of collaboration (MoC) with Aerodyne Oil and Gas Sdn Bhd for the collaboration.
The collaboration marks another significant step forward in Petronas' sustainability journey.
"This is set to elevate the adoption of drone-based technology in the energy industry and beyond to drive operational optimisation while reducing carbon footprint and improving worksite safety. It is also part of Petronas' efforts to enable remote and autonomous operations through the expansion of robotics and digitalisation," it said.
Petronas president and group chief executive officer Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik said the group believed the partnership with Aerodyne was testimony to the shared vision of both organisations to propel Malaysia to the forefront of drone technology solutions in the world.
"With Petronas' in-house technologies and Aerodyne's expertise, we look forward to the exciting potential drone-based technology will bring for the energy industry as well as other sectors, particularly in improving safety and reducing carbon footprint at worksites," said Tengku Muhammad Taufik.
In addition to a joint deep dive into innovative drone-based solutions for technology deployment and commercialisation, both companies will also look into technology enhancement, human capital development, establishment of related regulations and standards.
Both companies will also push to liberalise the usage of drone services in Malaysian industries.
"With this collaboration, the sky is the limit as we are joining forces with a homegrown drone services provider now ranked first in the world. Combining the expertise of two corporations so passionate about advancing technology to enrich lives, we will soon chart new possibilities for drone-based solutions," said PTVSB chief executive officer Mahpuzah Abai.
The importance of drone-based technology is exemplified by the establishment of the Petronas Drone Centre to facilitate deployment.
Petronas said it had demonstrated inter-platform delivery for payloads of five kilogram within five kilometres distance.
Through this collaboration, both parties will also jointly explore technical and economic viability of drone solutions with higher payloads and longer distance to increase logistics efficiency and speed.