Simulator News

Marine towage provider Svitzer Australia is building a new facility to deliver enhanced maritime training capabilities to the East Coast of New South Wales (NSW).The company reports construction is underway at its Port of Newcastle tug base, where Svitzer’s innovative, new TRAnsverse tug vessels are forecast to enter service in 2025 (the second and third to be deployed in the world). The facility will feature state-of-the-art Kongsberg Digital maritime simulators in support of crew training and other marine applications.Svitzer Australia chief operating officer…

The world’s first dedicated innovation centre for floating offshore wind has opened in Scotland.Located in the heart of Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone, ORE Catapult’s £9 million National Floating Wind Innovation Centre (FLOWIC), delivered in collaboration with ETZ Limited, is designed to help supercharge the development of floating offshore wind technology in the UK, with funding from both the Scottish Government and Innovate UK.Floating offshore wind represents a huge economic opportunity…

NYK received the grand award at Data Management 2024 hosted by the Japan Data Management Consortium (JDMC) on March 8.JDMC established the Data Management Award in 2014 to publicize data management's role and importance and share pioneering know-how.NYK has been developing and utilizing data lakes - a data management system for data utilization and analysis. They are suitable for collecting and storing vast amounts of data, regardless of the format or scale of the data to be stored.NYK…

Wärtsilä has supplied its latest simulator technology to the prestigious Sharjah Maritime Academy located in Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates.The comprehensive suite of navigation, engineering, communications and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) simulators includes full mission, part task and classroom trainers for all levels of training and research, as well as modelling and content creation tools to enable the highly skilled maritime faculty team to offer a complete range of services…

NYK has secured certification from ClassNK for Japan’s first training program for crew members of offshore wind industry crew transfer vessels (CTVs).The training is scheduled to be conducted at the Akita School of Wind and Sea training center in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, from April - offering three programs in total.The certification from Class NK is for simulator-based training for operating CTVs, which confirms that the training program meets quality and international standards after a review of the training framework…

In the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, effective training practices are an absolute must. While hands-on, in-the-field learning will always be a vital component of any mariner’s training, marine simulation has become a welcome enhancement to the education process. And in some cases, it’s seen as a safer alternative to traditional survival craft and rescue boat training.A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Catherine Gianelloni sailed with the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (IOMM&P) for about 10 years after graduating from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 2009. But in between times at sea, she would help out at the MITAGS (Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies). Operating simulators evolved into teaching opportunities, and Gianelloni took a full-time position in 2012. “Because we are the union school, I was allowed to take breaks—leave of absences—to go out and sail.

Force Technology won a deal to deliver its SimFlex4 AR solution as part of an extensive upgrade for the Queensland-based maritime simulation and training facility, Smartship Australia, which focuses on professional pilotage training and development. Smartship's facility in Brisbane includes five marine simulators, including two full mission bridges, one Tug bridge, and two-part task simulators.FORCE Technology’s SimFlex simulator was originally selected when Smartship Australia was first established in 2011.

In a climate of increasing complexity, with new regulations, environmental concerns and commercial considerations, how can owners and operators control their fleets, and futures, from dry land? NAVTOR’s Tor Håkon Svanes believes the answer lies in innovation and integration – developing solutions that evolve in line with the needs of a dynamic global industry.“There are smarter ways to do things.”Tor Håkon Svanes, the NavFleet Product Manager at NAVTOR, is referring to a recent chat with a new customer.The unnamed fleet manager…

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has implemented SkillGrader for simulation assessment in the Naval Officer Training Centre’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator (NABS) environment.Developed by Marine Learning Systems (MLS), SkillGrader will gather, store and report training metrics from student assessments. The project supports the RCN’s efforts to continuously enhance the quality of professional development of their Naval Warfare Officers.SkillGrader is a first of its kind tablet-based…

NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, said Wednesday it was aiming to simplify CII compliance with the latest release of its NavFleet ship operations platform. Featuring an advanced Emissions Simulator, designed to help shipping companies predict and optimize environmental impact and performance across entire fleets, NavFleet 1.8 delivers operational insights built on high-quality, dual-validated data, the company said.The result…

Mintra have unveiled a new model of immersive digital learning course which includes Kongsberg Digital cloud-based simulations.The new course model weaves together a comprehensive learning framework that merges interactive digital learning and assessment with practical skills through simulation. The outcome is a technically accurate, high-quality, cloud-based, immersive learning experience that enables seafarers to seamlessly master essential theoretical and practical skills anywhere…

Towage provider Svitzer has selected Kongsberg Digital to deliver new simulators in support of crew training at its Port of Newcastle base in Australia. The contract with Kongsberg will help create a training center of excellence for the deployment of Svitzer’s new TRAnsverse tug vessels entering service in Newcastle in early 2025.The contract comprises the delivery of a training suite in Q2 2024. The delivery encompasses a full-mission 360° K-Sim Navigation simulator configured as a tug bridge, and a part-task 180° K-Sim Navigation ship’s bridge simulator.

HII said its Newport News Shipbuilding division continues to make progress in the area of workforce development acceleration, and is meeting hiring demand for skilled trades positions through community outreach efforts and on-site hiring events.The shipyard recently participated in the What’s Next for Success Foundation career and job fair held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Hundreds of people, including local high school students, met with NNS talent acquisition representatives to learn about career opportunities at the shipyard…

Japanese companies Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and MOL Marine & Engineering Co. (MOLMEC) said Wednesday they would launch a training program using the Dynamic Positioning (DP) System simulator, targeting crewmembers of self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels and service operation vessels (SOVs), which will support offshore wind power generation projects. The two firms aim to complete the program and open the course at the MOL DP Training Center by the end of 2023.MOL said the training program would be open to a wide range of applicants from Japan and overseas…

GTT has signed a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with the CMA CGM Group for maintenance and operation services for 49 biomethane and e-methane ready LNG-powered container vessels all equipped with GTT's Mark III, Mark III Flex and Recycool technologies.The agreement includes GTT on-site technical assistance for inspection, maintenance, repairs, operations and engineering services. GTT Training will offer its extensive training program for onshore personnel and CMA CGM sea going crew.

Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Ship’s Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. – a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies. For insights, we visited with Captain McManus to discuss the ship, it’s technology suite and its role in helping to educate a new generation of U.S.

India and Russia will explore the possibility of using new transport corridors such as the Northern Sea Route and Eastern Maritime Corridor between Vladivostok and Chennai to widen maritime cooperation, the Indian government said on Wednesday.A decision to work towards this was made during a meeting between India's Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Russia's Development of the Far East and Arctic minister, A.O.

Kongsberg Digital launched its new cloud-based navigation simulation solution.K-Sim Navigation CLOUD is based on Kongsberg’s simulation technology, developed in the SkyNav project funded by Innovation Norway. It enables schools and training centers to provide high-quality simulation training in navigation and ship handling, including ECDIS and radar. The solution is designed to provide basic navigation training in compliance with the DNV’s Class D requirements. For training institutes with onsite simulators…

Kongsberg Digital is providing a second Full Mission K-Sim Engine simulator package to the Danish training institute Aarhus Maskinmesterskole (AAMS).The delivery, scheduled for February 2024, also includes three engine models to achieve specific training objectives for a range of modern propulsion and engine types. Notably, the package features a cruise ferry model tailored to facilitate mandatory IGF Code training for personnel serving on LNG-fuelled vessels.Kongsberg Digital…

I guess it was only a matter of time. After years of debating whether or not Celestial Navigation should be taught it is now time to debate the relevance of Terrestrial Navigation. The argument is same: why do I need to know this if there is technology available to do it for me?The answer is also the same. If you want to be a professional mariner than your knowledge base and skill sets should far exceed that of a weekend boater that follows the direction of their chart plotter…

The French engineering company GTT has received an order from the Chinese shipyard Yangzijiang, to design the cryogenic fuel tanks of ten ultra large container vessels fueled with liquefied natural gas (LNG)."Used as a marine fuel, LNG is today the best available industrial tool to preserve air quality, a major public health issue. It reduces sulphur oxide emissions by 99%, fine particles by 91% and nitrous oxide emissions by 92%. It also reduces ship CO2 emissions by up to 25% compared to a conventional ship…

NSB GROUP will work with Wärtsilä on the technical upgrade of the simulator of its NSBacademy. Since 2007 NSB is training Nautical Officers in its own Maritime Training Center. The retrofit for the technical update began in June and is expected to last three months.The NSBacademy has two ship‐handling simulators with a field of view of 270° and 180° respectively. Both units are being completely overhauled. The new Wärtsilä Simulators will include the new version of Navi‐Trainer professional simulation software…