Page 44: of Marine News Magazine (September 2019)

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DYNAMIC POSITIONING

Credit: Beier Inegrated Systems

The ABC’s of DP 101

Dynamic Positioning has been around for a while, it is evolving and it is here to stay. Here to sort it all out are two of industry’s more familiar stakeholders who also explain what might come next.

By Joseph Keefe hen it comes to critical offshore operations and trained the crews increased safety, gained ef? ciency and vessel handling, this is not your grandfather’s ma- performed offshore operations that were not possible prior

W rine industry, and it hasn’t been for some time. to DP.”

That’s because the bridge layout and equipment common- Dave Johnson, Product Development Director of GE’s ly found on any recently delivered offshore service vessel Power Conversion business, puts it a different way. “It is would be unfamiliar to the typical deck of? cer of just 20 fair to say DP was a disruptive technology when intro- years ago. Much of that can be attributed to the advent of duced. It changed the game for two ships when working in dynamic positioning equipment systems. close proximity. Now DP is the indispensable technology

DP – perhaps like no other skill at sea – has changed for offshore operations.” the role of the deck of? cer. The technical requirements to Both Beier Integrated Systems, LLC and GE’s Power qualify and operate this equipment are vast. And yet, Ben Conversion business own and operate U.S. Gulf Coast-

Todd, Vice President and COO of Beier Integrated Sys- based training facilities that speci? cally target dynamic tems, a major stakeholder in the DP equipment markets, positioning skills. The Marine Training Institute (TMTI) discounts the impact, saying, “I don’t believe DP technol- located in Gray, LA is owned by Beier Radio Company. ogy was disruptive at all. The companies that embraced the Among other navigation speci? c courses, the school of- technology, properly out? tted the vessels and adequately fers Nautical Institute Basic and Advance, and OSVDPA

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