Page 127: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (May/Jun 2014)

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was inspired by customer demand. marines, she worked for the Brazilian on operations are conducted here in

Brazil “The logistics, once we had the train- Navy before coming to Kongsberg Brazilian waters. We hope in 1H 2015, ing here in Rio, were better than Macae,” Maritime as a DP instructor. She taught we will be delivering the training.” she says. “About 70% of the students live for six years before switching over to

Not the only game in town here in Rio or very close to Rio. Those sales. “It was a very good challenge,” she who don’t, come through the airport and says. “Working as a teacher allowed me One of the major problems with working then they would have to go to Macae, to learn how to deal with different types in Brazil is fnding enough qualifed per- which is about three hours driving. It was of people, which helps with sales.” sonnel. Lopes says Kongsberg’s experi- defnitely a request from customers (to Kongsberg Maritime refurbished an ence in Rio has been better.

move).” older builder in Rio, and opened its “They’re not diffcult to fnd, but not

Lopes says Kongsberg students are not doors to students in May 2013. Lopes that easy,” Lopes says of qualifed person- just made up of locals. Students come says the Rio facility boasts six classrooms nel. “All of our instructors have at least from all over South America including with desk top simulators, including one some experience onboard, and all come

Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. For DP Class B DP simulator and one Class A from maritime background. instruction, Kongsberg offers two course simulator (navigation bridge). Lopes says “When people work offshore, they levels: basic and advanced. Training the company plans to purchase another are used to a different lifestyle, different includes both theoretical and practical Class A simulator, which it hopes to salaries. There are many parameters that exercises. Kongsberg says students work install in 2H 2014. She says Kongsberg’s are different from working onboard and with scenarios based on real operations Rio facility will be the only one to have a working onshore,” she says. “It’s not very under various simulated conditions, second Class A simulator. easy (to fnd people), but now that we including failure modes. On average, In addition to DP training, Kongsberg are (located) in Rio, it has been a little bit there are 6-10 students for the basic offers training in electronic navigation easier.” and 4-6 for the advanced, Lopes says. charts as well as courses on automation While Lopes says Kongsberg train-

Students receive DP certifcation, which and hydroacoustic systems. Lopes says ing center does not lack students, it has is required by the Nautical Institute. the company is currently working on a ramped up its recruiting efforts.

Lopes says training is certifed by DNV, new program for shuttle tanker training, “Our efforts are more now than before which allows those with the certifcation which it is currently working on with because we have competitors now in who have applied for a license, to work Brazilian captains. “This would be a Rio,” she says. “They were not here in Brazil and abroad. very new type of training here in Brazil,” before. Five years ago, there were only

The newest version of Kongsberg’s she says. “This is not requirement, but two to three centers with DP training,

K-Sim DP Manoeuvring simulator, which a request from customers. Currently the now there are more training centers.” just received certifcation from DNV shuttle tanker trainers, the seafarers, need Including Maersk’s Barra da Tijuca in December, is confgured with a dual to be sent to Norway and Denmark for center, and Kongsberg’s Rio outpost, the redundant DP system and a 240º or wider training. This would be something very Nautical Institute in London lists other visual scene. It includes a fully inte- new for Brazil. approved DP training centers includ- grated power management system and “Not only are the logistics, but the ing Centro de Simulação Aquaviária in is delivered with standard DP reference shuttle tanker operations different from Rio, L3 Communications DP & Control systems such as Artemis, Hydroacoustic the North Sea,” she says. “We have dif- Systems in Barra, and The Dynamic

Position Reference system (HPR), DPS ferent types of operations in Brazilian Positioning Centre in Rio, which also and DARPS. waters. They want to focus on devel- uses simulators by Kongsberg and

Lopes, a graduate of the merchant oping shuttle tanker training based Converteam.

A Kongsberg DP bridge simulator at the Houston training facility. Photo by Audrey Leon/OE.

oedigital.com May 2014 | OE 129 128_0514OE_Brazil4_Kongsberg.indd 129 4/19/14 10:26 AM