Dates Announced for SUT Virtual Courses for Q1 2022

Feedback on the Society for Underwater Technology’s (SUT) Virtual Subsea Awareness Course and their Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course proved so positive that third iterations of both are to be held in March 2022.

As SUT’s Chief Executive, Cheryl Burgess explained:

“Delegates attending from around the world, combined with very positive feedback from them, has led to us planning our third version of both of these online courses

“VSAC is the virtual version of SUT’s highly successful in-person course which has been running for over 20 years and attracted in excess of a thousand delegates. The offshore wind course, developed in association with Cranfield University, was developed specifically for the virtual world and really hit the proverbial spot.

“Both are introductory courses taking delegates back to basics, something that has been greatly appreciated by all who have joined us.

“Presenter names will be announced early in 2022.”

Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course

The Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course will take place on 2nd and 3rd March over two online interactive 4-hour morning sessions from 09:00-13:00GMT. It will be delivered by Industry and academic experts, with an emphasis on the practical applications and cover:

  • Wind and the Net Zero Challenge inc Deepwater Floating Potential
  • Planning, Environmental Studies, and Approvals
  • MetOcean/Weather: UK and NW Europe Focus including Deepwater for Floating Technology
  • Fixed Bottom Offshore Structure Design and Integrity
  • Offshore Site Investigation and Seabed Site Foundations
  • Construction
  • Cables
  • Floating Wind Structures
  • Completion, Post Installation, and Ongoing Operation
  • As well as an Introduction to SUT.

The course is designed for professional non-engineers who would benefit from understanding the offshore wind energy industry; and engineers and technical staff who are new to this sector or making the transition from another industry as part of the energy transition.

Click here for more information and to regsiter.

Virtual Subsea Awareness Course (VSAC)

VSAC, being held over five mornings (15 hours in total) from 28th March to 1st April from 10:00-13:00GMT, is similarly aimed for specific individuals such as new entrants who are already technically qualified but just entering the offshore energy industry and/or the subsea sector; technically qualified experienced personnel undergoing a technology transfer and conversion process into the subsea sector; and non-technical personnel from legal or finance sectors who regularly deal with the subsea sector.

Sessions delivered by industry experts will cover:

  • Subsea Production Equipment & Systems
  • Flow Assurance
  • Pipeline & Risers
  • Constructions & Installation
  • Metocean
  • Renewables and Future Technology Trends
  • Operation, Maintenance & Decommissioning

Click here for more information and to register.

Course fees – excluding VAT where applicable

The fee for the Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course is £325 for SUT members; and £415 for non-members.

The fee for the Virtual Subsea awareness course is £715 for members and £845 for non-members

Members of EEEGR, OES, IMCA and EIC can enrol for either course at the SUT membership fee.

SUT Individual membership is £76 per year. To join, visit www.sut.org or e-mail [email protected].

Further information

Further information on both courses will be posted in the New Year on the training pages of the SUT website at www.sut.org. Both courses are CPD approved.

All-change for SUT Elected Officers + News of SUT Award Winners

This week’s AGM of the Society for Underwater Technology marked the official hand over to new elected officers in all senior posts – President, Chair, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer; the announcement of three new Fellows of the Learned Society; and of winners of three Awards, The President’s Award, the Lennard-Senior Award; and the Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics. Once all the formalities were concluded SUT members were treated to a fascinating talk on ‘eDNA: The future of ocean biodiversity monitoring’ by Dr Katie Cruickshanks of NatureMetrics.

The new officers

(L-R) Iain Knight, Sue John, Moya Crawford, Nigel Carey

SUT’s Cheryl Burgess explained:

“By coincidence our Chair, David Saul; our Hon Secretary, Dave Brookes; and our Hon Treasurer Mick Cook had all reached the end of their permitted terms of office at the same time; and our President Judith Patten MBE has also stepped down after her year in office. We thank them all for their sterling service during unprecedented times. Both David Saul and Judith Patten will remain on SUT’s Council

Moya Crawford is our new President; Sue John our first female Chair; Iain Knight takes on the role of Hon Secretary and Nigel Carey becomes Hon Treasurer – what a team!”

New Fellows of the SUT

Three new SUT Fellows have been elected:

  • Simon Hems for services to the London and South of England Branch
  • Steve Duffield for services to the Perth (Australia) Branch and SUT’s International Committee
  • Rex Hubbard for services to the Perth Branch

Awards

Judith Patten MBE presents the SUT 2021 President’s Award to John Howes

The President’s Award 2021 was presented to John Howes, publisher and editor of UT2, and UV2 at an auspicious time. UT2 has recently reached a major milestone – 75 issues have been published since 2006. As the citation states:

“The President’s Award is made to John Howes, a great friend of the Society, the respected journalist, publisher and expert in the field of underwater technology in recognition of the years of service he has performed with, and for the SUT, its members and the wider industry.”

UT2 was one of the first magazines in the world to be produced for online publication and: “is not only a ‘go-to’ publication for its content, but visually is in a class of its own”. UV2 focuses on underwater vehicles and increasingly has video embedded which can also be found on the Subsea Video YouTube channel. John Howes also publishes old underwater-related photos on LinkedIn a service that has attracted over 17,000 followers and a host of comments which may in time lead to history qualification looking at ‘Subsea 1960 to the present’.

Dr Katie Cruickshanks talks ‘eDNA: The future of ocean biodiversity monitoring’.

The Lennard-Senior Memorial Prize is awarded annually in memory of two of the original members of SUT’s Marine Renewable Energies Committee (MREC) – Don Lennard and Gordon Senior. This year’s winner (nominated by and voted for by members of MREC) is Neil Kermode, Managing Director of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

Neil won the inaugural award ten years ago in 2011 and “still – perhaps more than ever- deserves this accolade today… EMEC has marine renewables at its core and has extended its reach, to great effect, to encompass hydrogen and energy systems….. Neil is a true champion of enabling the marine energy sector”. His Award will be officially presented at All-Energy 2022 in Glasgow in May 2022.

Attendees at the AGM were also made aware of the winner of the inaugural Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics – Aleksandra Tomaszek, co-founder of 1CSI Ltd (see press release issued 8 November https://tinyurl.com/42y5t8wb)

Full information on the SUT is available at www.sut.org. The Learned Society has both individual, corporate and student members. SUT Individual membership is £76 per year. To join visit www.sut.org/sut-membership/application-for-membership/ or e-mail [email protected].

Insights from Marine Renewable Energy Scholarship Winner Jack Crawford

Congratulations to Marine Renewable Energy Scholarship Winner Jack Crawford, proudly sponsored by Aurora Offshore Engineering.

Jack is a third-year student at the Australian Maritime College. Studying OceanEngineering combines his love for the ocean and enthusiasm for problem solving. Through his studies he has developed a passion for marine renewable energy and the hydrodynamics of offshore structures. 
 
Jack’s final year thesis will focus on the performance of a hybrid wind and wave energy converter array. The project will be in relation to an Australia-China Joint Research Centre of Offshore Wind and Wave Energy grant that seeks to minimise the LCOE of wave energy converters. 

 Learn more about his studies and how this scholarship will assist with his future career in the video below.

Insights from Paula Cartwright Digital Automation in Engineering Scholarship Winner

Congratulations to Paula Cartwright who was awarded the Digital Automation in Engineering Scholarship, proudly Sponsored by Subsea Engineering Associates.

Paula is a PhD Scholar at The University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute.

She has a passion for applying new technologies to enhance the understanding of underwater environments. Paula’s post-graduate research is based in the Exmouth Gulf region where she is combining multiple technologies including satellite imagery, remotely operated video (ROV) and machine learning techniques to quantify the contribution of large-scale oceanic processes, such as ENSO, to marine habitat functioning in this ecologically significant region.

Paula aspires to bring together multiple scientific disciplines and technological advancements to achieve research outcomes beyond what would otherwise be possible. Her ‘big picture’ is communicating these outcomes to managers and decision makers for the benefit of our marine resources.

 Learn more about her studies and how this scholarship will assist with her future career in the video below.

SUT Chris Lawlor Scholarship Winner!

Congratulations Tahlia Bassett.

Tahlia is the recipient of the SUT Chis Lawlor Scholarship. Tahlia graduated from Curtin University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science (Coastal and Marine Science) and First Class Honours. She is currently undertaking post graduate studies. Learn more about her studies and how this scholarship will assist with her future career in the video below.