MOL To Install Simulator With Dynamic Positioning System At MOL Head Office

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd. (MOLMEC) announced that a Dynamic Positioning (DP) Simulator with a Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) will be installed on the ground floor of the MOL Head Office in June. This is the group’s first adoption of a DP simulator in addition to a shiphandling simulator that MOLMEC already operates.

DPS automatically calculates external forces such as wind, wave, swell and tidal currents to maintain a vessel at a fixed point or navigate a set route with precision. It is indispensable for cable-laying ships, offshore wind power-related special-purpose vessels and seabed oil field-related offshore vessels to maintain their position precisely at a fixed point to do their work.

The MOL Group has been managing and operating cable-laying ships owned by Kokusai Cable Ship Co., Ltd. (KCS; President: Koji Ono; Headquarters: Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture) Note 1 for over 50 years. Cable-laying ships have DPS to lay seabed cables safely and securely. The MOL and KCS collaboration have accumulated extensive experience and technological expertise to train the officers and engineers.

The MOL Group will use the DP Simulator to provide its own DP operation-related training programs for its crewmembers of cable-laying ships and other related engineers. In addition, the group plans to offer all available DP training to customers and customized training programs for various offshore development-related special-purpose ships, including ships for offshore wind power-related business.

It will also offer research and consulting services such as various port/harbor improvement projects, navigation safety measures and Maritime construction safety standards, which require the simulator services. The group is in communication with the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) of National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology (MPAT) (Director: Akinori Abe; Location: Mitaka-shi, Tokyo) Note 2, which has considerable experience in DP Simulator operation to provide better services.

In addition, the MOL Group will open Japan’s first DP Training Center, accredited by the Nautical Institute (NI; Headquarters: U.K.) Note 3. It will be the first training center in Japan to issue DP training course certificates essential for acquiring a DP operator’s license.

With the MOL DP training center offering top class DP training, research and consultations, the MOL Group will contribute to submarine cable installation projects, a critical service in the digital age, and offshore wind power-related businesses, which are increasingly growing important as companies seek to reduce environmental impact.

(Note 1)
KCS has been involving in laying and maintenance of submarine cables for international and domestic communications networks. It now looks toward to business in electric power cable laying for renewable energy in addition to observation and resource exploration by leveraging its state-of-the-art technology.

(Note 2)
The predecessor started as an organization of Japan’s Ministry of Communication in 1916. It is a national research and development agency, the core research institute related to maritime and offshore technologies, and works to develop and advance technologies to improve the safety and efficiency of marine traffic, technologies to promote more effective use of marine resources and ocean space, and technologies for ocean enviornmental conservation.