Angola’s first Maritime Training Centre, a project funded by the Angolan state company Sonangol and its partners, has been inaugurated near the coastal town of Sumbe, Kwanza Sul province which is approximately 350km’s south of Luanda.

The state of the art centre, costing US$90 million, has been built on an area of 72 hectares and has buildings to accommodate 200 cadets, administration, warehouse, naval engineering and mechanical engineering workshops, classrooms, laboratories, a research centre, a water treatment plant, leisure area, reception areas and fire training units. The centre also has a Cat standby power plant supplied by Barloworld. The centre will provide higher level training to marine engineering and marine sciences cadets and will also provide basic training courses for fire prevention and personal offshore survival techniques.

Barloworld Power is proud to be associated with this training centre by developing, designing and commissioning a turnkey project by replicating a fully functioning marine engine room in one of the specialized training laboratories. The project management was headed up by the Barloworld Marine Quality Centre based in Madrid, Spain and in conjunction with the Luanda and Durban offices. The successful execution of this venture was due to the synergy within the Barloworld group and the ability to offer an end-to-end solution in all aspects of the project.

The Engine room has been equipped with a MaK 6M20 main propulsion engine and one Cat C9 marine generator, apart from other marine equipment typically found in a ships engine room. This equipment includes; fluid separators, compressed starting system and a closed steam circuit (consisting of a steam generator and a steam turbine, which drives a hydraulic brake and the required steam recovery system). The Marine Training Centre in Sumbe now showcases the Cat marine products. This centre will be a learning tool for future marine students and professionals of the Angolan marine sector.