Visitors will be thrown in at the deep end as they discover what it’s like to work on on an offshore energy platform far out at sea in a new permanent exhibition at the Maritime Museum Rotterdam.

The Dutch museum is set to expose visitors not only to the elements but also to the challenging conditions faced by workers as they learn about the process of creating energy from oil, wind or gas.

Entitled Offshore Experience, guests don a a safety vest and a helmet and are sent on a journey to search for energy. First they experience life onboard an offshore platform – where a 360º film projection recreates the tough conditions. Then they are taken by a lift 3km (1.9 miles) below the surface to an underwater energy production hub.

The interactive exhibition includes models of offshore ships and testimony from people who work in the industry, like drillers, crane drivers, wind turbine specialists and helicopter pilots, as well as exhibits about renewable energy and the future of energy.

Offshore Experience, which debuts on 17 December, aims to educate visitors to the Maritime Museum about the growing importance of the domestic offshore energy industry.