New deal secures future for Fort subsea training centre
Investment and support from the global oil and gas sector is already paying off for The Underwater Centre (TUC) as it relaunches one of its flagship training courses.
Thanks to the new deal, the Fort William-based commercial diving school relaunched its three-week closed bell diving course in June, following a major refurbishment from industry backers, making it the only place in the world to offer a closed bell saturation diving system with a self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboat (SPHL).
The first course was fully subscribed and applications are open for future courses.
In May, TUC’s long-term future was secured after industry and public bodies, including Subsea 7, TechnipFMC, Premier Oil, Oil & Gas UK, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), collaborated to support the training centre, based on the shores of Loch Linnhe.
The deal meant that the company now operates as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and is funded and supported by its members.
Since then, Subsea 7 and TechnipFMC have provided technical support, site supervision and conducted the refurbishment work on behalf of The Underwater Centre, which was also project managed by Subsea 7 with close collaboration and support from TechnipFMC. The combined resources and collaboration between The Underwater Centre, Subsea 7 and TechnipFMC served as an example of working together as one team.
Self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboats are one of the main means of evacuating divers form a saturation diving environment in the event of an emergency, and are an important part of most modern closed bell diving systems as they create a more realistic training environment than was previously available.
David McGhie, managing director of The Underwater Centre, said: ‘We are now the only closed bell trainer in the world which has a self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboat. This is something our industry partners have been calling for and it demonstrates renewed confidence that the need for new saturation divers will be there for many years to come as a vital skill set for the subsea sector.
‘The Underwater Centre continues to deliver realistic closed bell training that is industry focused and the new saturation diving system combines fantastic equipment, industry support, the latest training techniques and current best practice to significantly enhance our saturation diver training.
‘Our restructure and ongoing collaboration with our partners has enabled us to redesign the system in consultation with the industry and deliver these courses.’
Mr McGhie added: ‘We are particularly grateful to Subsea 7 and TechnipFMC for the help and support they have given us in helping to create an improved training environment which uses the very latest technology and positions us as the only provider to offer this combination of facilities.’
Recent research from DNV GL, the technical adviser to the oil and gas industry, confirms that senior oil and gas sector professionals expect to step up spending on training and competence this year.
Jonathan Tame, vice-president UK and Canada, Subsea 7, said: ‘We were pleased to provide support for the redevelopment of the diver training facilities at The Underwater Centre, which is recognised by the industry as being key to maintaining the UK’s ability to train closed bell divers, given the need for them in the future. The industry relevant specialist equipment that The Underwater Centre now has puts it at the forefront of diver training globally.’