On February 9, the first session of DP Appreciation Course offered by the Dynamic Positioning Centre of SMU was launched at Gangwan campus, SMU. 9 trainees from Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Shanghai, Guangzhou and Dalian of China attended the 3-day training.
The Dynamic Positioning Centre of SMU co-established by SMU and C-MAR Group, is the first domestic Dynamic Positioning Centre cooperated by Chinese university and internationally well-known enterprise. SMU is an important base for cultivating maritime talent in China while C-MAR Group has world class institutions for DP Training with many well-equipped training centers in London, Singapore, Brazil, Croatia, India, etc.
The establishment of Dynamic Positioning Centre of SMU was initiated in April, 2014, and the equipment debugging was finished in January, 2015. The centre is equipped with advanced facilities (including 3D image simulator) and software system up to the latest technical standards. The teachers who are experienced in DP training are sent by the headquarter of C-MAR Group. In March, 2015, the Nautical Institute, the most influential certification body for DP personnel training, will accredit and authorize the centre in accordance with the latest 2015 standards.
Except for Dynamic Positioning Operator training, the centre also provides DP Appreciation Course, DP Equipment Maintenance Course, Underwater Engineering Ship Management Course, etc. Trainees who pass the exams after the training can apply for world-ready and NI-accredited DPO qualification certificate, DP Equipment Maintenance certificate and other DP certificates. The trainees should have internship practice before achieving DPO qualification certificate.
Dynamic positioning is a computer-controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel’s position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters without dropping anchor. It employs advanced instruments to measure displacement and the direction of vessel and platform caused by wind, waves and current, allowing computers to process and calculate the real-time information, controlling the thruster output and moment of force of each thruster so as to make the vessel or platform back to the original position. With the development of Dynamic Positioning Technology, Dynamic Positioning reaches to Traction Control, Tracking Control, etc. It is currently applied in many operations including much of the offshore oil industry.
In order to keep these vessels safe, the B-V/d of Manila amendments to the STCW Code stipulates that all professional personnel working at Dynamic Positioning vessels or platform must undertake relevant training. Seafarers who have undertaken relevant training and achieved the qualification certificate are rare in international labor market, particularly in china, resulting in the fact that DP seafarers, who are paid by hour in general, are largely better paid than common seafarers. With the large market demand, more and more seafarers pay attention to DP Training.