SENER has strengthened its presence in Brazil and Chile, increasing FORAN system licences and signing new agreements with different organisations.

The Brazilian Navy has contracted an increase in FORAN licences in the structure, outfitting, electrical, build strategy and drafting disciplines for use in the Maritime Project Centre (CPN). The new licences will be used in the detail engineering of different maritime units in construction in the Rio de Janeiro Navy Arsenal (AMRJ).

Furthermore, the Brazilian Navy and SENER have reached a preliminary agreement for extending the maintenance service of the FORAN licences installed in the CPN and AMRJ during 2009 and 2010. The agreement includes software maintenance services, the updating of new versions and a yearly technical back-up visit, carried out by SENER engineers to the navy installations in Rio de Janeiro.

SENER and the COPPETEC foundation, which is linked to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, have reached a collaboration agreement creating a subject called ‘Projeto de Construçao com Modelos 3D concorrentes’ in the academic maritime engineering programme. This subject is aimed at familiarising the students with 3D design using the FORAN System. The agreement contemplates the possibility of the university personnel giving FORAN courses to shipyards or engineering departments, collaboration in R&D projects and the organisation of seminars and other activities regarding FORAN divulgation.

Likewise, the STX Brazil Offshore SA shipyard (formerly Aker-Promar) in Niteroi, Brazil, which specialises in building service ships for the off-shore industry, has consolidated the use of FORAN, purchasing new licences for the outfitting subsystem. The engineering of these ships is carried out in collaboration with other companies of the group, who are also FORAN users.

Finally, Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada (ASMAR) has contracted with SENER an increase in the number of licences of the FORAN drafting package, for installation in the Talcahuano shipyard in Chile. The existing licences in the latest FORAN version have also been updated and ASMAR personnel have received training courses from SENER engineers who travelled to Chile.