The international oil & gas advisory and classification society, DNV GL, has opened a new training center at its large-scale testing and research facility at Spadeadam in Cumbria, UK.

DNV GL said on Wednesday that the newly-opened center is a product of a $4 million investment with the goal to offer trials in a controlled and secure ‘real-life’ environment.

The new center was opened by The Rt Hon Lord Cullen of Whitekirk. He said: “I welcome the creation of this conference center for the support of training. Hazard awareness is essential for the successful management of safety in the interface between people, plant, and equipment, with which they have to work.”

According to DNV Gl, the site features ‘some of the world’s most advanced’ destructive and non-destructive test facilities.

Elisabeth Tørstad, CEO, DNV GL – Oil & Gas, said: “The primary role of the Spadeadam Testing and Research Center is to provide our clients with the knowledge and understanding to ensure risks are reduced and operations are safer.”

She added that the availability of these facilities within the center allows it to respond effectively to several sectors.

Spadeadam center will run full-scale experiments with available test rigs as part of DNV GL’s new JIP, CostFX, which will investigate cost-efficient explosion load descriptions for process areas.

The aim of the project is to reduce complexity and over design in current models and methodologies for explosion protection, while balancing demand for valid, accountable safety margins. Results will generate standards and guidelines for engineers to pre-define design explosion loads for standard installations, with no need for costly specialist analyses. Non-standard installations will be provided with a direct link to complex explosion load assessments to structure response and design analyses.

Work on the site consists of confidential, large-scale, major hazard tests, including flammable gas dispersion, fires, explosions, pipeline fracture tests, blast and product testing in a safe and secure environment.

Hari Vamadevan, Regional Manager, UK and West Africa, DNV GL – Oil & Gas, said: “Although the oil and gas and other industries are facing challenging times, safety is one area which cannot be compromised and it is important that we provide an environment where research and training can be conducted safely, securely and confidentially.”