Installation of Training Facility in Kitakyushu and Expansion of Dynamic Positioning System Training Course

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines,announced that two MOL Group projects- Training personnel in the operation and maintenance of wind power generation equipment, and Training crewmembers to operate Dynamic Positioning System -equipped work vessels-were selected in a public offering for subsidized projects in the Offshore Wind Power Human Resource Development Project administered by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, part of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Details for each project are as follows.

(1) Human resource development through training centers for operation and maintenance of offshore wind power generation facilities

MOL and Hokutaku will jointly construct a training center specializing in practical operation and maintenance management of offshore wind power generation facilities, with the goal of developing skilled personnel for the offshore wind power generation field.

By combining MOL’s knowledge, accumulated over nearly 140 years in the shipping industry, with Hokutaku’s expertise in maintenance of wind power generation equipment, the two companies will contribute to the further expansion of the offshore wind power industry by providing human resources training programs.

This is the first training facility in Japan that uses an actual wind turbine foundation, and is slated for construction on the site of Hokutaku’s Kitakyushu Branch by the end of FY2024. Drawing upon Hokutaku’s extensive know-how on maintenance and case studies from Europe, which is leading the way in offshore wind power generation projects, the facility will provide maintenance training (see the figure below), taking into account the risks specific to offshore wind power. MOL will leverage its strengths as a multimodal transport group company to support the project in terms of financing, transport of equipment, and human resources development based on many years of experience in seafarer training.

The course is intended not only for Hokutaku’s own maintenance engineers, but also for everyone involved in offshore wind power maintenance in Japan, as well as for companies and working people who are new to the industry, aiming to develop personnel who can contribute to the stable, long-term, accident-free operation of offshore wind power generation facilities.

In Kitakyushu, where the facility is located, an offshore wind power generation related project which is aiming to become a “General base” called “Green Energy Port Hibiki” has been developed since 2011 and the construction of offshore wind power value chain has been advancing. Taking this opportunity of installing equipment for this facility, we will promote our offshore wind power generation project by closely cooperating with Kitakyushu and local companies.

(2) Crewmember training programs on operation of Dynamic Positioning System (DPS)-equipped barges working on wind power generation projects

MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd. (MOLMEC: President: Takashi Nakajima; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), an MOL Group company, will expand the curriculum of the training center (Note 1), which uses the Dynamic Positioning (DP) simulator to train and cultivate DP ship handling personnel required for the construction and operation of offshore wind power facilities.
MOL and MOLMEC will contribute to the safe operation of work vessels in the offshore wind power business field, which is expected to expand in the future, to ensure the safety of construction work, and to train highly skilled DP ship handling personnel in Japan, by broadly working on human resource development of seafarers (navigators) with DP operator certification, work vessel’s operators with equivalent skills, seafarers (engineers) with DP ship maintenance certification, and maintenance and servicing personnel with equivalent knowledge and skills

Under the MOL Group Corporate Mission, “From the blue oceans, we sustain people’s lives and ensure a prosperous future,” the group aims to realize a decarbonized society by contributing broadly to the value chain of the offshore wind power business, which is expected to play a key role in renewable energy.