First Offshore Wind Workers in the World certified with Virtual Reality in New Bedford

A major milestone for the offshore wind industry and for the United States' First Offshore Wind Projects

NEW BEDFORD, Mass., July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VinciVR (Vinci), in partnership with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), has certified 12 union workers from Massachusetts hailing from IBEW, MillWrights, Iron Workers, and Piledrivers with Virtual Reality (VR) at the New Bedford Commerce Terminal. These courses are part of the Global Wind Organization (GWO) curriculum; GWO is an international certification body and their certified training is required for wind energy workers.

Union Workers certifying to work in offshore wind via Vinci's VR training technologies.

Vinci developed VR simulations of ports and wind turbines to replace hands-on training elements for critical GWO courses, specifically Basic Technical Training and Slinger Signaller. The software enables users to realistically commission a wind turbine and direct crane lifts of heavy loads like turbine blades. The simulations made courses deployable to job sites like New Bedford while cutting substantial costs and enabling realistic training. Earlier this year, these VR tools were audited and certified for use by GWO.

These 12 workers represent the first in the world to receive these certifications with VR.

"Offshore Wind is the future for US energy needs. Massachusetts has the honor of being the first in the US to develop commercial scale offshore wind, so it is only fitting that the first workers to be certified with this revolutionary VR training happens here" said Eagle Wu, CEO of Vinci. "Our VR tools can ensure that we meet workforce needs and ensure workers in Offshore Wind are effective and safe on the job."

"Offshore Wind is set to play a big part in our future.  The hand-in-hand cooperation between Vinci and SGRE has set a great foundation to incorporate VR to speed the growth and increase the quality of the technicians for the offshore wind platforms.  We look forward to watching this segment flourish and grow" says Ysabel Ledezma, Technical Training Manager, SGRE.

These simulations were developed with funding from MassCEC.  In addition to training for Wind Technicians, Vinci's VR offerings includes simulations to educate K-12 and college students on the offshore wind industry and simulations of mariner navigation through commercial scale farms. Find out more about these simulations at www.vinci-vr.com.

About Vinci: Founded in 2017, VinciVR is a tech startup based in Boston that aims to provide innovative and efficient VR training for various industries. VINCI's solutions are used in a diverse array of training including Aircraft Maintenance, US Special Operations, and Green Energy. 

About SGRE: 30 years ago, SGRE became a pioneer in offshore wind when they installed the world's first offshore wind power project, Vindeby, in 1991. Now, with a growing imperative to meet climate challenges, SGRE is more determined than ever. As the global market leader in offshore wind, SGRE is fully committed to being part of the solution. Together with our partners, SGRE aims to power the future of our industry.

Eagle Wu
VinciVR
contact@vinci-vr.com

Screengrab of Vinci's Wind turbine blade crane lift simulation.

Screenshot of Vinci's Offshore Wind Farm simulation.