Current Status regarding Taiwanese Crew Recruiting on Offshore Wind Working Vessels

By Xin-en Wu

According to Article 7, Paragraph 6 of the Working Guidelines that Operation Directions for Foreign Flag Ships Apply to Stay in Any Harbor or Port Other Than Those Announced as International Ports by the R.O.C. states, the foreign working vessels harboring at the ports in Taiwan must submit a list of crew members, on which the Taiwanese crew ratio should be at least one-third of the number in the minimum safety quota certificate for the vessel's crew.

However, if there are no sufficient local crews to be recruited, or if the recruitment does not meet the requirements after at least seven days of the announcement of position vacancies, the training project (guidelines and outline as shown in Annex 3) of the local crew (cadet) should be submitted to the Maritime Port Bureau.

Due to the working guidelines, the industry of Taiwanese seafarers has become the new focus of the offshore wind power industry.

The regulations are well-intentioned and have opened the door for negotiations between foreign wind turbine installation vessel suppliers and domestic shipbuilders, creating opportunities for the training of some domestic wind turbine installation vessel crews.

However, the regulations have also caused a huge controversy because of their wide impact. The current employment situation of working vessel crews coming to Taiwan can be basically divided into two major categories: the senior Class A crew (management class) and the Class B crew. The salary of Class A crew from developed European countries is definitely higher than the salary of the existing crew in Taiwan, while the salary of foreign Class B crew from developing countries is lower than the existing Taiwanese Class B crew.

In terms of practical situations, there are big differences in the ways of calculating the salary of the Class A crew needed for offshore wind working vessels. Such calculations are mainly based on the pay rate of nearshore crews in Taiwan, and some companies among them calculate the salary by days in which only the time put to sea counts as working days. Such a salary environment makes it difficult to attract Class A crew members, while on the other hand, the crew members are unable to accumulate qualifications (only to the third class), and also the fact that the training received does not fully meet the requirements of working vessels are all points of disputes.

As for the Taiwanese Class B crew, due to limitations that their wages are higher than those Class B crews from developing countries, and also the condition that they do not own the advantage on language skills, offshore wind turbine installation vessels tend to recruit a large number of foreign Class B crew, highly affecting the recruitment of Taiwanese ocean carriers.

The seafarer of Taiwan is recognized only by four areas(Singapore, Hong Kong, Panamá, and Liberia ). This is a very practical and long-standing problem and can’t be solved in a short period. But even in Taiwan, the qualifications accumulating of seafarers onboard working vessels have raised concerns.

First, as abovementioned, the experiences and the qualifications accumulating is only to the third class even working on the offshore wind working vessels; Second, the Industry Internship and Training experience of seafarers regarding offshore wind is not acknowledged by the local or international system.

All the situations mentioned above reflects the myths for the existing system of qualification recognition, education and training for seafarers in Taiwan.

The recognition of Taiwan’s seafarers by the foreign flag vessels has an influence on the insurance. Another issue of COE renewal.

The DPO training also raises controversy. According to Section B-V/f of the Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention and Code, all professionals working on a dynamic-positioning (DP) vessel or platform are required to receive appropriate training before serving the position.

The process of getting a DP certificate is very rigorous. Aside from the actual lectures, it is more important to obtain the sea service qualification through onboard practice. The DP vessel training is divided into four major phases: Introduction or Introductory Course (Phase A), Phase I Sea Cadetship (Phase B), Advanced Simulation Course (Phase C), and Phase II Sea Cadetship (Phase D).

The DP Accreditation and Certification scheme is an internationally recognized standard established by the Nautical Institute of the United Kingdom in cooperation with flag states, oil industry, the diving industry, and offshore contractors, and has been operating for over 30 years. Since September 1983, the DP certification and licensing system have been adopted as the internationally recognized standard for any DSV or other DP-operated vessel. Through the full participation and cooperation of the Dynamic Positioning Training Executive Group (DPTEG) and its Regional Training Provider (RTP) groups, the DP certification and its system are also the key force in maintaining the compliance of DP training with the STCW Convention. By the end of August 2019, most NI-accredited DP training providers still located in the European region.

In addition to the DP Induction Course and DP Simulator Course, the essential part of the complete training process is the 60-day DP sea service visa (Phase B: A minimum of 60 DP sea time days AND completion of task section on DP1, 2 or 3 vessels + company confirmation letter) after the completion of the Induction Course. The number of days for sea service is determined by the vessel's Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) operated for more than two hours per day (counted as one day).

Moreover, the training logbook must be signed by the master (who must have a certificate for the vessel's dynamic positioning system) or a senior operator of the vessel's dynamic positioning system to acknowledge the trainee's suitability, which is called the Statement of Stability. The trainee, along with the training certificate and the DPO logbook, will be sent to the Nautical Institute (NI, the UK) for confirmation of training and sea service before the DPO certificate of competency is issued.

If the relevant organizations in Taiwan would like to train DPOs, the problem does not lie in imparting relevant training or the establishment of training bases, but in the recognition and certification of sea-based internships, which is relatively difficult to achieve considering Taiwan's current capacity. If the relevant organizations in Taiwan believe that the DPO training is necessary, they must consider the corresponding industry talent educating system and must invest in related software and hardware.

The qualification and training of crew members must also be adjusted accordingly. Not only for DPO training, but the relevant unit should also understand the corresponding knowledge and training skills required for working ships and offer introductory or corresponding courses with simulator training not just for the DPO training. Through the cooperation of industry, government, and academia, negotiating with ship companies for internship opportunities could be the first step.