Published : 2023-06-05
You often hear about astronauts who journey into space, but have you ever heard of astronauts that plunge into the depths of the sea?
China's energy development is advancing from land to deep sea, bolstered by the so-called "deep sea astronauts", ROV (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle) pilots.
Today's spotlight is on China's first ever ROV Director, Han Chao.
China's first ROV director also the youngest globally
300 meters below sea level is the limit for human diving, yet it's on this playing field that the ROV thrives. From major equipment installations to minute screw fittings in deep sea engineering, everything depends on ROVs.
These vehicles are handled by the ROV pilots, who are also referred to as "deep sea astronauts".
However, they never dive. Instead, they remotely control the ROV from land, almost as if navigating the depths of the ocean just by thinking it. At 36 years old, Han Chao is China's first homegrown ROV director.
In 2007, Han Chao joined the China National Offshore Oil Corporation to work on deep-sea engineering. Once on deck, the Transformers-like ROV prompted a sense of longing in him.
At that time, China had no homegrown ROV pilots. Only foreigners could operate the ROV. At the construction site, while foreign pilots were working in the control room, Han Chao and his fellow Chinese colleagues could only carry out manual labour on the deck as they didn't have the opportunities to operate the machine.
"If foreigners can do it, the Chinese can do it too!" Han Chao resolved to learn ROV.
Every day after work, Han Chao would ensconce himself in the control room, clutching thick English materials, learning vocabulary while studying the principles behind the ROV. In order to master fly skills, he seized every opportunity to practice when the foreign pilots were resting—even his colleagues thought he was possessed.
After day after day of tough training, Han Chao's skill tremendously improved. Once, a foreign pilot was having trouble bringing the ROV back, failing time and time again.
By the 5th round, Han Chao could no longer sit still: "Let me try." Surprisingly, he managed to fly the ROV to the designated location in one shot.
In this way, at the age of 31, Han Chao obtained the international certification for ROV Director, becoming not only the first Chinese ROV Director but also the youngest in the world.
"Sewing with heavy gloves on" Han Chao builds China's ROV team
In 2013, Han Chao led the first team operating an ROV in the Lufeng 3-1 deep sea pipe-laying project in the South China Sea.
This was the deepest underwater operation ever conducted in China, and a responsibility of monumental scale.
At that time, the South China Sea was ravaged by a typhoon. A hook weighing over ten tonnes was swinging wildly above and below the surface of the water, like a ferocious dragon thrashing its jaws and claws in the sea.
The ROV, on the other hand, needed to control this hostile sea dragon by hooking it. Manipulating the ROV in the ocean was like sewing with heavy gloves on—complicated and intricate, leaving no room for error.
"Everyone is relying on you. Success or failure pivots on this moment. I wish I could lean my head into the screen to see exactly where the hook is!" As the on-site commander, Han Chao, under immense stress, accurately seized a moment of stability and managed to hook the ring.
As the applause erupted on the site, he finally realized that his entire back was soaked in sweat. Since then, he has continually improved the plan, reducing the hooking operation time from hours to 30 minutes, completing the task 10 days ahead of schedule.
He became known from this successful operation. After that, Han Chao began leading teams to Iran, Thailand, and Qatar among other countries to implement various underwater projects.
There were foreign organisations that extended "olive branches," wanting to lure him with high salaries.
But faced with generous salary offers, Han Chao remained unmoved. His heart was set on a clear goal— forming a purely Chinese ROV team.
Establishing an ROV studio in China
In recent years, several of China's deep-water projects commenced, and the stage for Han Chao and his team grew larger.
In 2019, China's first 1500 meters long self-operating deep-sea gas field, "Deep Sea No.1," was launched. Han Chao actively volunteered: "Let our team take the lead for this project!"
Success of ROV lies in groundwork prepared on the land. Before heading out to sea, Han Chao led his team in rehearsing all procedures and coordinating over 100 land-based tests, identifying more than 30 risks in advance.
With the team's tight cooperation, "Deep Sea No.1" was successfully installed, advancing 22 days past the scheduled time, and saving tens of millions in costs.
By 2023, Han Chao had spearheaded the establishment of the country's first ROV "Master Craftsman" studio, which conducts fundamental research, talent cultivation, and equipment development.
As the media commented: he made sure that equipment manufacturing was firmly in his own hands, securing China's footprint in the deep sea firmly.
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