New Training Courses Offered by MOL Group, Essential for Offshore Wind Power Projects Receives ClassNK's Basic Approval
- Expanded Training Course for Marine Development-related Specialty Vessels Using Dynamic Positioning Simulator -

February 17, 2023

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) and MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd. (MOLMEC; President: Takashi Nakashima; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) today announced that Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK Note 1) has granted basic approval to two new training courses related to offshore wind power generation, using Dynamic Positioning (DP) simulator (Note 2) , which is owned by MOL and MOLMEC, for power cable laying and anchor handling training (Note 3). They are currently being prepared for launch and will be the first such courses offered in Japan.

The courses are slated to begin by June 2023 as a project selected in a public offering for subsidized projects in the FY2022 Offshore Wind Power Human Resource Development Project administered by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, part of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Note 4) and its training content is essential for offshore wind power projects.

MOL and MOLMEC installed the DP simulator on the lobby floor of MOL's Head Office in June 2022, and have already offered five other training courses using the simulator (see Table 1 below). Two more courses enabling candidates to acquire practical ship-handling skills for self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels and service operation vessels (SOVs) are also being prepared.

Through these training programs, MOL group will help ensure safe navigation and construction work by personnel operating vessels that are critical to offshore wind power generation and offshore development, which are expected to increase both within and outside MOL group. The courses will also create a workforce of highly skilled DP ship operators, regardless of whether they have seafarer qualifications.

This training center using the DP simulator is the first training center in Japan to be accredited by The Nautical Institute (NI; Headquarters: U.K. Note 5) and can issue training completion certificates required for DP operator qualification for the five courses currently available.

MOL group will be widely involved in many phases of the value chain for the offshore wind power business, which is regarded as a key to renewable energy, and contribute to the decarbonization of not only the group but also society.

(Table 1) MOLMEC training courses using DP simulators

(Note 1) As a non-profit third-party certification body, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) carries out surveys, certifications, rule-making, and R&D, in line with its mission of contributing to the safety of life and property, and environmental protection. For more than 120 years, ClassNK has been developing rules and carrying out surveys to help ensure the safety of ships from the standpoint of a neutral third party as a class society, granting commercial ships the class required for insurance coverage. It carries out drawing examinations and witness surveys related to hull structures, engines, equipment, materials, and various other systems based on class rules related to ships and marine structures, and grants a class to ships that meet the standards. With over 9,000 ships on ClassNK's register, it is the world's largest* class society in terms of number of ships. ClassNK is widely trusted as a technical organization, and has obtained the authority to carry out surveys and issue certificates based on international conventions and regional regulations on behalf of ship flag administrations (flag states) in over 100 countries. In addition, utilizing its many years of knowledge and experience as a third-party certification body, ClassNK provides certification services such as certification of various management systems including quality, environment, occupational safety and health, verification of GHG emissions, and renewable energy-related facility, and the field of such services is expanding. ClassNK strives to contribute to sustainable development through its role as a third-party certification body in response to environmental issues such as global warming and social changes caused by digitalization.

*Clarkson Research Statistics as of end of 2022
Website URL: https://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/en/index.html

(Note 2) Please refer to the following past press releases related to MOL and MOLMEC-owned DP simulator.

• March 14, 2022: MOL Group to Install Simulator with Dynamic Positioning System at MOL Head Office
• June 7, 2022: MOL Opens Training Center for Dynamic Positioning System - Japan's First Training Center Certified by a Third-party Organization for Training on Offshore Development-related Special-purpose Vessels –

(Note 3) The Power Cable Laying DP Training Course is required for DP operation of vessels that lay submarine power cables.
The Anchor Handling Training Course provides the training needed to operate an anchor handling vessel, which maneuvers an anchor to tow and places it in position to secure a floating offshore wind turbine.

(Note 4) Please refer to the following press releases as well:

• October 18, 2022 MOLMEC press release: MOLMEC to Expand Dynamic Positioning Training Course ~ Offering Offshore Wind Power-related Training for Various Ship Types ~
• February 6, 2023 MOL release: 2 MOL Group Projects Selected for Japanese Government-backed Offshore Wind Power Human Resource Development Program - Installation of Training Facility in Kitakyushu and Expansion of Dynamic Positioning System Training Courses –

(Note 5) NI is one organization that issues DP operator certifications, and the certifications it issues are internationally recognized.

[MOL Group 5 Sustainability Issues]
MOL Group will contribute to realizing a sustainable society by promoting responses to sustainability issues, which are identified as social issues that must be addressed as priorities through its business.
We anticipate this initiative to contribute especially to the realization of "Safety & Value -Provide added value through safe transportation and our social infrastructure business -", "Environment -Conservation for Marine and global environment-" and "Innovation -Innovation for development in marine technology-".

[Related Offshore Wind Power Business Domain]