In cooperation with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (NTNU) and the University Centre at Svalbard (UNIS), DNV arranged the second Practical Arctic Technology Course this spring. The course was held in the Bay of Bothnia and Svalbard from 9-18 April 2010.
The increased interest in shipping in cold climates and the expected future development and exploration of the Arctic require increased competence among designers, yards, owners and operators within the fields of Arctic Operation and Engineering. The aim of the course is to help the maritime and offshore industry to meet the design and operational challenges faced as the industry moves towards the polar regions. The participants include representatives from major shipbuilding countries like China and Korea, in addition to representatives from the European shipping industry.
The course started up in the northernmost parts of the Bay of Bothnia, where the participants embarked on a Baltic icebreaker to learn about icebreaker operations in practice and obtain a more in-depth understanding of winter navigation in the Baltic Sea.
After a stop in Oslo with a one day seminar with focus on safe operations and Ice Load Monitoring, the group headed up to Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Svalbard. All the participants had to take the University of Svalbard’s obligatory Arctic Survival and Safety course, followed by specific theoretical and practical courses in Arctic Engineering. Located at 78 degrees north, the University Centre of Svalbard is the northernmost competence centre in the world, creating a unique opportunity for full-scale sea ice experiments in the field.
The Arctic Engineering course was divided into two parts, a theoretical part followed by a practical field course.
Fundamental ice mechanics and concepts, as well as an introduction to environmental ice actions on Arctic structures, were covered as part of the theoretical session. The practical field course was carried out in the frozen van Mijen Fjord, close to the Norwegian mining settlement of Svea, a three-hour drive by snowmobile from Longyearbyen. The purpose of the practical course was to familiarise the participants with field measurements of sea ice properties. The participants were shown the most common techniques for characterising both the physical and mechanical properties of ice.
The participants were introduced to many challenges related to practical Arctic field work, ranging from extreme weather conditions to the potential threat of polar bears. “In addition to the scientific research, such a course will familiarise the participants with the additional challenges related to Arctic research, with regard to both extreme climate and remoteness,” says Professor Sveinung Løset, who is responsible for the Arctic Engineering course on Svalbard.
The lecturers and organisers include Professor Sveinung Løset, NTNU and UNIS, Håvard Nyseth, Senior Engineer, DNV Maritime, and Knut Espen Solberg, Senior Researcher, DNV R&I.
For further information, please contact Havard.Nyseth@dnv.com or Morten.Mejlaender-Larsen@dnv.com.
Similar courses are planned for next year.