Gecko Robotics and Al Masaood Energy have signed a multi-year contract with Adnoc Gas that will see the latter deploy Gecko’s industry-leading robots and AI-powered data platform across Adnoc Gas sites.

The deal worth $30 million will facilitate predictive maintenance to increase efficiencies, reduce downtime and CO2 emissions at Adnoc Gas, while also maintaining HSE best practice for the safety of its employees and contractors.

"Adnoc and the UAE are at the forefront of using Industry 4.0 tools to boost efficiency and decrease their carbon footprint - and the world is noticing," said Jake Loosararian, co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics.

Gecko’s wall-climbing robots use specially designed sensor payloads that build sophisticated digital maps of critical assets.

Gecko software platform, Cantilever, takes that data and combines it with operational data to allow for precision repairs and preventive maintenance.

Many companies and government agencies use Gecko’s software to extend the lifespan and efficiency of critical infrastructure, including power plants, oil refineries, manufacturing facilities, and other assets.

"The partnership between Gecko and Al Masaood Energy serves as a compelling demonstration of how cutting-edge technologies can be instrumental in realizing the nation's ambitious net zero objectives," said Ahmad El Tannir, General Manager of Al Masaood Energy.

The work also includes a new model for predictive maintenance that allows for inspections of some critical assets to happen while they are on-line.

During the initial pilot phase of the partnership, studies indicated that Gecko’s solutions were found to increase coverage of assets by 99.6 per cent and increase efficiency by more than 93 per cent over manual processes.

The lack of scaffolding, a key part of the manual inspection process, was also projected to reduce Lost Time Injury (LTI) rates by 33 per cent.

Gecko’s advanced data collection and analysis capabilities have also been shown to decrease carbon emissions in partnership with customers.

A recent third-party study carried out by Rho Impact, found that the increased digitization of assets across the oil and gas industry could reduce carbon emissions by 556 million metric tonnes per year - the equivalent of twice the annual CO2 emissions of the United Arab Emirates.

The partnership with Adnoc Gas and Al Masaood Energy comes after Gecko Robotics announced the opening of its new international headquarters in the UAE under the Ministry of Economy’s NextGenFDI program which was launched to attract innovative solutions providers in the technology space to establish and scale operations within the UAE.