Marine towage provider Svitzer Australia is building a new facility to deliver enhanced maritime training capabilities to the East Coast of New South Wales (NSW).

The company reports construction is underway at its Port of Newcastle tug base, where Svitzer’s innovative, new TRAnsverse tug vessels are forecast to enter service in 2025 (the second and third to be deployed in the world). The facility will feature state-of-the-art Kongsberg Digital maritime simulators in support of crew training and other marine applications.

Svitzer Australia chief operating officer, David Phillips, said, ”We are excited to see construction underway for a facility that will provide the latest and most advanced maritime training and technology for pilots, tug masters and other vessels.”As the country’s largest private employer of Australian seafarers, we recognize the important role we play in maritime skill development and using the next generation of technology to train and upskill the next generation of seafarer,” Phillips said.“There will be further opportunities to connect the simulator in Newcastle with other simulators around Australia and the world, pioneering pilot/master integrated training, as well as several other training and familiarization needs. This includes applications such as emergency response training and for emerging industries such as offshore wind development and beyond.”

Svitzer said it has made its first staffing appointment for the facility with experienced Newcastle master Ben Holder coming on-shore as training master for the facility.

Source : MarineLink/ Maasmond Maritime