Jan De Nul has begun commissioning two new high-tech training simulators at its facility in Aalst, Belgium, including a crane simulator designed to prepare installation teams for offshore wind turbines that will reach tip heights of up to 300 metres, the company said.
The crane simulator functions as a digital twin of the heavy-lift vessels Les Alizés and Voltaire, which are used to install foundations weighing as much as 2,000 tonnes. The system features a seven-metre-wide dome that provides a 360-degree field of view, allowing operators to rehearse operations in a range of offshore scenarios.
“The crane simulator features a seven-metre-wide dome that provides a full 360-degree view, immersing operators as if they were truly at sea,” said Stefan Bruggeman, who oversees the simulators at Jan De Nul. “We also train in all possible conditions: changing weather, high waves, seabed subsidence, you name it.”
Jan De Nul said employees, clients and partners will train together to improve safety, collaboration and project planning. Bruggeman added that up to four roles can be trained simultaneously from separate rooms to identify communication bottlenecks early in the process.
The company is also introducing a new cutter suction dredger simulator modelled on the vessel Willem van Rubroeck to enable full-project training. Jan De Nul is currently building three new vessels for offshore energy and subsea cable protection and is hiring engineers, technicians and operators to support its expanding fleet.
