Bibby Ship Management India Pvt. Ltd has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to deliver a KONGSBERG Offshore Vessel Simulator (KOVS) including an upgrade of the customer's existing KONGSBERG Dynamic Positioning (DP) simulator in Mumbai. This significant extension to the established Bibby Training Institute Mumbai represents the first KOVS in India and was commissioned to strengthen Bibby's ability to conduct advanced training courses for Indian seafarers.
The Bibby Training Institute Mumbai has already helped to grow the number of certified Indian DP operators, from 60 when it opened in 2006 to over 1000 today. The new simulator delivery will meet a similar growing demand for trained and certified crew, especially for anchor handling and other specialist operations.
"This addition to the training centre will open up new avenues for Indian seafarers who will have the opportunity to learn on high-end simulation technology," comments Mr. Prakash Agarwal, Managing Director, Bibby Ship Management India Pvt. Ltd. "Our new simulator will add a lot of value to what we have been doing so far and will help to meet the need for Indian crew certified in specialist operations."
The scope of supply for the delivery includes a KONGSBERG Offshore Vessel Simulator with visual scene, featuring Anchor Handling vessel, Shuttle Tanker and Drilling Rig models, enabling advanced offshore operations exercises and courses covering: Manual Handling OSV, Anchor Handling, Offshore Loading, Position Reference, Drilling Rig Operation, Power Management, Ship Manoeuvring, Advanced ECDIS, Bridge Team Management, Bridge Resource Management and Pilotage.
The existing KONGSBERG DP simulator will also be upgraded to a DP 2 simulator fulfilling DNV/NI class A requirement as part of the project. The DP simulator will be integrated with the KOVS, providing the possibility to run DP2 courses with sea time reduction in addition to complete offshore vessel training.
Simon Barham, Chief Operating Officer, Bibby Ship Management Group said: "This is an excellent opportunity to increase the number of courses which are being offered by Bibby Training Institute Mumbai. The new simulator will make it possible to provide modern training courses to the industry, which are the need of the hour."
"This contract is vindication of our commitment to the Indian market and reflects the relationship of trust and reliability that we have with our customers. We have recently moved into our own building and I believe that this gives customers more confidence that Kongsberg Maritime is a long-term partner in India," adds Capt. Sanjiv Wagh, General Manager Sales, Kongsberg Maritime India Pvt. Ltd.
Kongsberg Maritime has also received an order from Bibby Ship Management's Bibby Ukraine Training Centre to upgrade its existing KONGSBERG Dynamic Positioning Simulator to the latest requirements for a NI (Nautical Institute) Class B DP Simulator.
Bibby Ship Management provides crew for approx. 200 vessels worldwide, including tanker, gas, bulk and chemical carrier vessels. It also specialises in manning offshore vessels of various kinds and includes leading ship-owners among its clientele. The Bibby Training Institute Mumbai is an initiative of Bibby Ship Management's Indian office, which was established in 2001.