July 2009 – St. Petersburg. Transas has successfully passed certification of its navigational and engine room simulators. Nine models of the Transas ERS 5000 engine room simulator have received statements of compliance as per the new edition of the DNV Standard: Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), ASD Tug, Tanker LNG, Tanker LCC, Trawler, General Cargo, General Cargo-2, Container ship and Ro-Ro. NTPRO 5000 Bridge Operation Simulator with class notation ‘Integrated Simulator System, NAUT AW (SIM), DYNPOS – AUT (SIM), HSC, Tug, Ice’ is found to comply with Class A Standard for Certification of Maritime Simulators No. 2.14 October 2007.
Transas is the first manufacturer to obtain the DNV seal for the Ice navigation module of its navigational simulator according to the new standard. Safe cold-climate shipping operations entail more than just ice-strengthened and winterised ships. Relevant conditional crew training is one of the largest accident risk reducers in the sector. According to the DNV report, the setting of high standards in bridge resource management and the selection and training of crew can reduce the risk of accidents involving collision, grounding, fire and explosion by 44%. Transas has already made first steps towards increasing the level of ice navigation safety.
Much work has been carried out within the MS GOF project (Maritime Safety in the Gulf of Finland) in close cooperation with Makarov State Maritime Academy including increasing of ice model accuracy and trials in ice test-basin. The simulator was tested by the Academy experts, experienced ice captains (including captains of icebreakers) and pilots who currently operate in the Arctic. New vessel models were developed, including arctic shuttle tankers equipped with Azipod thrusters.
In addition to the ice navigation training, the statement of compliance indicates that NTPRO 5000 is an integrated simulator system and is intended for training for the following types of vessels:
* Vessels equipped with an Integrated Bridge System (IBS): bridge design, instrumentation, location of equipment as well as automatic grounding avoidance system and information on the manoeuvring characteristics of the ship.
* Vessels fitted out with Dynamic positioning system with an independent joystick system back up and a position reference back up.
* High Speed Crafts
* Tugs
The new standards have been introduced to ensure that simulators provide an appropriate level of physical and behavioural realism in accordance with recognised training and assessment objectives. Meeting these requirements Transas once again confirms its motto: Transas Sets the Standards.
Commenting on the certification, Capt. Aksel D. Nordholm, DNV SeaSkillTM surveyor, stressed that Transas strength was in people: “All that Transas achieved in simulation is due to its highly professional and enthusiastic staff”.
Related links: DNV SeaSkill
