Belgium’s Jan De Nul is commissioning what it calls its most advanced offshore wind installation simulator, a digital twin of its vessels Les Alizés and Voltaire designed to train crews to install the latest generation of giant wind turbines and foundations at sea.
The crane simulator, installed at the company’s Aalst office, features a seven-meter-wide dome offering a 360-degree view and allows operators to rehearse complex installation operations at heights exceeding 150 meters.
Wind turbine tip heights now reach 300 metres, making installation increasingly demanding.
The full-mission simulator reproduces offshore conditions including high waves, changing weather and seabed subsidence. Up to four roles can train simultaneously in separate rooms, reflecting onboard coordination requirements.
Jan De Nul said the system is intended to strengthen technical skills as well as teamwork and communication before projects begin.
Alongside the wind installation simulator, the company has introduced a new dredging simulator based on the Willem van Rubroeck, its most powerful cutter suction dredger. The system allows teams to simulate full dredging campaigns in hard seabed environments.
Jan De Nul said employees, clients and partners will use the simulators as part of its broader effort to reduce operational risk and improve efficiency in offshore construction. The company is currently building three new vessels for grid-connection and subsea cable protection work and is seeking additional crew, including engineers, technicians and operators.
“The crane simulator features a seven-meter-wide dome that provides a full 360-degree view, immersing operators as if they were truly at sea. We also train in all possible conditions: changing weather, high waves, seabed subsidence, you name it.
“Alongside technical skills, we focus heavily on teamwork and communication. In the crane simulator, up to four roles that work closely with the crane operator can train simultaneously. Just like on board, they operate from separate rooms, allowing potential bottlenecks in communication or coordination to surface early.
“This not only saves time during project execution, but also boosts efficiency and safety on our vessels and worksites,” said Stefan Bruggeman, responsible for the simulators at Jan De Nul.