Facilities at LJMU Maritime Centre
Our Maritime Centre in Liverpool is home to an array of cutting-edge training facilities. Take a closer look at our facilities below which include our ship-handling and engine room simulators.
Our facilities
About the bridge simulators
Our bridge simulators provide marine pilots, shipmasters, and officers with a realistic, risk-free environment in which to practise and evaluate manoeuvres such as docking, tug operations, and fault handling across two 360° and one 180° full-mission ship bridges.
Beyond professional training, these facilities play a significant role in research-informed teaching for our degree students and are extensively utilised for research into navigational systems, human factors, decarbonisation, risk assessment, and the safe implementation of new technologies. This research focuses on understanding their impact on watchkeepers, addressing skills gaps, and supporting workforce upskilling.
We also provide methodological consultancy for both pre-validation and validation activities, identify policy gaps, develop industry guidelines, and deliver stakeholder training and dissemination activities to ensure comprehensive support for industry adoption and implementation.
Ship-handling simulator suite
Supplied by Wartsila, the simulator suite features three full-mission bridges, with the two main bridges offering a 360° field of view.
Next to the bridges is a full-mission engine room simulator. This can be used as a standalone simulator for marine engineering and watchkeeping training. The facility can also link the bridges with the engine room, allowing deck and engineering officers to train together for combined bridge/engine room resource management training.
Ship and Port Modelling
Our bridge simulators can be configured for any ship model in our catalogue. We are always adding new ships to this catalogue through our in-house model development. The latest in the series are the new Mersey Ferry – Royal Daffodil and the Grieg Star’s ship fitted with GT Wings’ Jet Sail using ship-modelling software.
Alongside a large database of existing ports, we can also develop new ports or adapt current ones to meet client needs.
The simulation software includes detailed, configurable overlays. These allow for accurately placed buoys, interactive tides, currents and variable wind, sea and swell.
Changing conditions such as light, visibility, fog and rain add to the sense of realism. Our in-house capability to model both ships and ports allows us to carry out studies on port infrastructure changes. This also includes designs of new ports from scratch.
Ship-handling hardware
The bridge panels and control units can be repositioned or replaced to replicate specific vessel types and control configurations. In addition to conventional steering and propulsion controls, the simulators are equipped with Lilaas and Rolls-Royce Azipod and thruster control systems. Other control interfaces can also be incorporated to meet bespoke client requirements. The integration of this hardware creates a highly realistic platform for training, research, and role-play activities within a completely safe environment.
The ship models used within the simulators are also capable of tracking emissions, fuel consumption, and other key operational parameters. This enables the assessment of vessel efficiency and environmental performance during manoeuvring operations, supporting both research and operational decision-making.
Multiple bridges allow several exercises to run at once and enhances the learning experience. Each bridge is equipped with modern electronic navigational aids, including Radar, twin ECDIS (Navi-Sailor 4 and 5) in each bridge, GPS, Loran and AIS. It also includes a fully functional Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Combined with the GMDSS communication system, these features make our bridges highly realistic and up to date.
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Emergency switchboard room
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360 bridge simulator
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Detailed engine control schematics
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Ship and port modelling (Twelve Quays departure lines)
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Engine room
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Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WaSP)
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Simulator control console with engine control panels
About the engine room simulator
Our Wartsila engine room simulator is located in the James Parsons Building at Byrom Street. This facility can be used to train and assess the competence of engineer officers of all ranks.
It supports several models of main and auxiliary propulsion systems. New additions include the capability to operate the engine room and bridge simulators as ‘one ship’, allowing the participants to operate it as a team. In addition, the following engine models are also available:
- Low Speed Dual Fuel Tanker model, IGF capable
- IGF TechSim Model LNG Bunkering
- IGF TechSim Model Methanol PAC Bunkering
Trainees can use it to gain experience with equipment, control systems, automation and safety.
It also provides training in emission control, watchkeeping, fuel management and resource management. These skills are highly beneficial during both normal and emergency operations.
Engine control room
This is the heart of the engine room simulation. Touch-screen controls are used to operate and manage both main and auxiliary machinery. Real controls are also included where needed to enhance realism.
Engine room
The engine room is recreated on 3D touch screens. This provides learners with the experience of virtually walking through the machinery spaces for a more immersive training environment.
Emergency switchboard room
Touchscreen panels, real switchboards combined with circuit breakers provide a realistic mimicry of the ship’s engine room.
Instructor station
Multiple computers allow the instructor to load different ship models, from superyachts to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). The instructor controls exercises from this station and communicates with learners when the simulator is used separately from the bridge simulators.
Faults can be introduced to test learners’ ability to resolve problems. For senior engineer officers, these scenarios also highlight key aspects of engine room resource management.
Engine room simulator suite
Several PCs allow candidates to familiarise themselves with the engines and machinery they will work with. After this, they will use the full-mission engine room simulator. The room is also used for lectures and debriefing after simulation exercises.