Kongsberg Simulators Selected to Enhance Offshore Training

‘Fideicomiso de Formación y Capacitación para el Personal de la Marina Mercante Nacional’ (FIDENA), on behalf of Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) has selected Kongsberg Maritime offshore simulators for the Marine Education Center in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche.

Appointed by SCT, FIDENA is the educational institution in charge of managing, organizing and developing the formal education of all seafarers in Mexico. As Mexico’s only institution offering higher level programs in maritime education, FIDENA has garnered widespread international recognition and plans to secure its position through the signing of a contract with Kongsberg Maritime for the supply of K-Sim DP (Dynamic Positioning simulators) and K-Sim Offshore (offshore vessel simulators).

The new simulators will enable FIDENA instructors to provide training on critical operations relating to the offshore oil & gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico and further afield, with improved capabilities for the simulation of DP, anchor handling, ship handling and navigation for a full range of offshore units from support ships to oil production and storage vessels.

Kongsberg Maritime delivered a full suite of DP simulator systems, including Class B and C as defined by the Nautical Institute (NI) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The delivery also includes Kongsberg Maritime’s highly advanced K-Sim Offshore Simulator with forward and aft bridges for a wide range of offshore operations such as ship handling and maneuvering, anchor handling and DP Class B. 

The delivered K-Sim Offshore solution is equipped with bridge consoles to accommodate different vessel types, in addition to hydrodynamic ship models and area databases (sailing areas) covering navigable waters in key offshore operating areas. The flexible and modular design of the K-Sim Offshore simulator system also provides the opportunity to add subsea training capabilities in the future.

As part of the contract, FIDENA has invested in a Kongsberg Maritime Long Term System Support Program (LTSSP) that will provide comprehensive coverage and site visits by certified KONGSBERG customer service technicians. The LTSSP ensures that the simulator facility remains current with evolving regulatory changes and the latest simulation technology developments at Kongsberg Maritime.

Guillermo Ruiz de Teresa, General Coordinator of the SCT’s Ports and Merchant Marine organization, commented: “This significant investment in simulation technology and support reaffirms our leadership role and responsibility for the training of Mexico’s offshore and port workers. Kongsberg Maritime’s simulators will support SCT and FIDENA’s efforts to ensure Mexico’s offshore oil and gas workers are trained to world-class standards for competency in safe operations.”

Kongsberg Maritime Simulation’s Area Sales Manager, Fabio Florez added: “FIDENA’s selection of Kongsberg Maritime simulators is an important endorsement of our technology. Kongsberg Maritime has a strong market presence in the global offshore industry, with installed equipment on more than 17,000 vessels worldwide. This accumulated expertise provides us with a tremendous pool of knowledge that has been effectively transferred to our simulator systems, ensuring they provide highly realistic, accurate depictions of offshore and maritime operations.”