After the "Ever Given" accident in the Suez Canal: Don't get stuck now! Training for captains in Port Revel

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Miniature freighter in "Port Revel":

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STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS

For six days, the "Ever Given" did not move: After the container freighter ran aground in the Suez Canal and blocked all shipping traffic in the Canal, Egypt is demanding $ 900 million in damages and global supply chains threatened to break.

But in the small town of Saint-Pierre-de-Bressieux, the accident could now lead to additional demand.

The "Port Revel" offers training hours for pilots and captains who want to practice handling container freighters and tankers - with 1:25 scale models. Course participants can train the passage in a simulated section of the Suez Canal with the freighters and prepare for problems such as engine breakdowns or rudder damage. "There is little room to maneuver," says Francois Mayor, who runs the facility. And just like on the real canal, gusts of wind and underwater currents make life difficult for the captains here too. "Just recreating the sandstorms is difficult," Mayor says.

The facility has been around for over 50 years, and according to the company, almost 8,000 captains and pilots have been trained there.

After the "Ever Given" accident, Mayor is now preparing for growing interest from shipowners: "New customers come after every accident".

mic / Reuters