Technology group Wärtsilä will supply its latest simulator technology for a new maritime training centre in Finland. The order has been placed by the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) and the Joint Authority of Education of Kotka-Hamina Region (Ekami). It was booked by Wärtsilä in November 2023. The simulator will be installed in Xamk’s new campus in Kotka, Finland, where also part of Ekami´s maritime training will take place in the future.

The simulator will feature the latest versions of Wärtsilä’s Navi-Trainer professional and Techsim simulation software, as well as the latest Navi Sailor and NACOS Platinum bridge systems. These include multi-pilot workstations for Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), radar and conning applications.

The training centre will have two large and three medium sized full mission navigational bridges with 360-degree visualisation. They include digital chart tables as well as a separate bridge wing console operated in virtual reality. For technical training, the centre will have two engine room simulators implemented with two fully loaded control rooms. The simulators come with touchscreen technology, making it easy to swap between any of the engine room models.

“This new learning environment provides students with a unique opportunity to develop their practical skills and prepare for demanding maritime tasks. We are fortunate to have Wärtsilä’s highly advanced simulator technology as the basis for this training. Many critical operations cannot be safely practiced on an actual vessel, so in addition to acquiring technical skills, a versatile and realistically functioning simulation environment will significantly enhance the safety of vessels,” said Olli-Pekka Brunila, Director of Education, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences.

“The state-of-the-art Wärtsilä simulator system will be one of the largest and most advanced in Europe. It will enable students to obtain the most realistic level of operational experience possible in an educational environment. We are proud to be supporting Xamk and Ekami with their goal of preparing students for their future maritime careers,” commented Ola Lundqvist, Product Sales Manager, Voyage Services at Wärtsilä.

In addition to the various system features, there will be several instructor and debriefing rooms capable of working with any part of the simulator. There will also be a dedicated command centre for vessel traffic service, oil spill response, search and rescue, terminal cargo office, and more training applications.

Hannu Mäntymaa, Vice President for Voyage Services, Wärtsilä and Managing Director of Wärtsilä Finland added: “With decarbonisation as a core focus for the industry, maritime organisations are looking for unique end-to-end solutions which enable them to optimise their vessel and port operations. This new maritime training centre from Xamk and Ekami will play an integral role in unlocking synergies here. After all, if organisations are going to benefit from future fuel engines, for example, crews must be highly competent, operate with the highest levels of safety and have access to continuous training programmes.”

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery in August 2024. Xamk is an existing customer to Wärtsilä, having had another one of Wärtsilä’s training simulator in use for more than 20 years.