New Simulation Suite Opens for Specialised Tug Master Training

Wärtsilä has delivered a simulation suite for Novatug's newly opened training centre in Terneuzen, the Netherlands. The suite was developed in collaboration with Novatug, the solution and R&D division of Multraship Towage & Salvage, and the order was booked in Q4 2025.

The suite includes full mission simulators, mixed reality sets, an instructor operating station, and a debriefing room. It also features a custom digital model of Novatug's Carrousel Rave Tug (CRT), a vessel that uses a carrousel towing system allowing the towing point to rotate around the tug. The design eliminates capsizing risk from towload while improving braking and steering for vessels manoeuvring in confined port spaces.

The simulators support mandatory training, professional development, competency assessment, and applied research, allowing tug masters to rehearse CRT manoeuvres repeatedly before applying skills in live operations.

"New vessel innovations need to be backed by training," comments Johan Ekvall, Director, Simulation & Training, Wärtsilä Marine. "By providing a realistic and controlled environment for specialised learning, simulation can help close critical skill gaps and better prepare tug masters for current and future operational demands."