Azipod Propulsion System News

ABB has been selected by the Astilleros y Servicios Navales S.A. (ASENAV) shipyard based in Chile to provide a power and propulsion system for Antarctica21’s newbuild boutique expedition ship Magellan Discoverer. Due for delivery in 2026, the vessel is the first hybrid-electric polar cruise ship featuring Azipod propulsion to be built in the Americas. Accommodating up to 96 passengers and 67 crew members, the vessel will be operating in the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and…

An ABB study based on three years of operational ship data mounts a case for integrating battery power onboard modern icebreakers, writes Samuli Hänninen, who specializes in icebreaking vessels at ABB Marine & Ports. The maritime industry is still at the formative stage of realizing the gains available from batteries, but the ability to scale up to megawatt-hour levels is not the only attraction for the zero-emission technology. Evidence newly disclosed by ABB suggests that the…

ABB said Monday it had secured a large order from Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd., to deliver an integrated bridge-to-propeller technology for Havfram Wind’s two new NG20000X-HF Wind Turbine Installation Vessels (WTIVs). The vessels will be able to install offshore wind turbines with a rotor diameter of more than 300 meters, as well as XXL monopiles weighing up to 3,000 tons at water depths of up to 70 meters.ABB scope comprises four Azipod electric main propulsion units with a total propulsion power of 17 MW…

ABB said it has secured a contract with the Spanish state-owned Navantia shipbuilding company to retrofit the Spanish Navy flagship Juan Carlos I with an electrical propulsion system based on dual ABB Azipod units. Due completion in 2025, the project is the first of its kind on a naval ship.The contract follows a study undertaken by ABB in 2020 to determine the feasibility of installing new propulsors on the ship. The study identified ABB Azipod as a solution to meet the vessel’s requirements for reliability…

ABB’s Azipod propulsion will help Global Mercy enter less accessible harbors off the African coast, while reducing vibrations and noise – crucial to the comfort of up to 200 patients and medical personnel on board.With about 5 billion people lacking access to surgical care globally, international charity Mercy Ships uses hospital vessels to provide surgeries and medical assistance for free to people who have little access to healthcare. The newest Mercy Ships vessel, the world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship Global Mercy…

South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has awarded ABB a contract worth more than $300 million for the delivery of a power and propulsion package for six new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers that will transport LNG along the Northern Sea Route.According to ABB, each of the six newbuild vessels will feature a trio of ABB's largest and most powerful Azipod propulsion units ever supplied for ships operating in ice. Together, the giant 17 MW Azipod units will provide a total power of 51 MW (68…

Genting Hong Kong’s six ‘Universal Class’ ships will sport ABB power, propulsion and digital solutions, a  $175 deal for million contract to supply for the industrial giant.The six 286-m ships will be built at MV Werften, shipyards owned by Genting, for delivery in 2023-2024. Each will be outfitted with twin ABB Azipod electric propulsion units, delivering a combined power of 30 MW (40,230 HP), fueled by LNG.The Azipod propulsion system, where the electric drive motor is in a submerged pod outside the ship hull, can rotate 360 degrees to increase maneuverability and operating efficiency.

The final vessel in 15-ship series enters service for Yamal LNG project ahead of schedule.Yakov Gakkel, owned by joint venture between Teekay LNG Partners and China LNG Partners, joins a fleet of 15 specially designed tankers transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) year-round from one of Russia’s most significant export developments in a generation, Yamal LNG.Built in less than six years and to ARC7 ice class, fifteen 170,000m3 capacity vessels have opened the Northern Sea Route…

The Coast Guard needs a ship that can do more than just break ice; it needs a multi-mission ship to provide for the nation’s security, asserting its sovereign rights, and protecting its long-term economic interests. That ship is the Polar Security Cutter.Since Russia cashed the check in 1867 for the purchase of Alaska the U.S. has been an Arctic nation. Today, it is one of eight countries that have territorial land or seas above the Arctic Circle or in the polar region (six of those countries have Arctic Ocean coastline or an exclusive economic zone above the Arctic Circle). The U.S.

Norwegian Coast Guard ship KV Svalbard is the first vessel powered by an ABB Azipod propulsion system to reach the North Pole.The ship is equipped with twin 5MW Azipod icebreaking units which enabled it to sail through polar ice at speeds of up to 6 to 7 knots when it took part in an international scientific expedition, the Coordinated Arctic Acoustic Thermometry Experiment led by Norwegian research foundation The Nansen Center.The Azipod electric propulsion system is designed to make s ships highly maneuverable…

ABB enters new market segment with order to install Azipod electric propulsion on board two dry bulk carriers from Germany’s largest bulk carrier company Oldendorff Carriers.Two self-unloading dry cargo transshipment units will be the first bulk carriers in the industry to feature ABB’s Azipod electric propulsion. Both vessels, due for delivery to Oldendorff Carriers in 2021 from the Chengxi Shipyard in China, will be equipped with a complete power and propulsion solution from ABB.Each 21,500 DWT vessel will feature two 1.9MW Azipod units.

VT Halter in Pascagoula, MS has been on a strong run, capped by its winning the high-profile contract to build the U.S. Coast Guard’s next generation of icebreakers. Maritime Reporter recently spoke with Ron Baczkowski, President and CEO, VT Halter Marine, for insights on the shipyard’s recent success and future prospects. Globally, the shipbuilding industry has gone through some ‘interesting’ times of late. How has it looked from your perspective?The shipbuilding market and activity at VT Halter during the past 12 months has been dynamic.

ABB extends the power range of Azipod propulsion to enable ferry and RoPax operators improve operational efficiency and reduce emissionsSince its launch in 1990, Azipod electric propulsion has become the industry standard for a wide range of vessel segments ranging from smaller crafts to icebreakers capable of independently operating in the harshest conditions.In response to customer requests, ABB has filled the gap between the low and high-power range of Azipod propulsors with the launch of a new series available in 7.5-14.5MW.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)’s next icebreaker is based on a German research vessel, features a unique Finnish propulsion design and is driven by American diesels, shipbuilder VT Halter Marine said.The U.S. Department of the Navy has awarded VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Mississippi, as the prime contractor of a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) PSC (formerly the Heavy Polar Icebreaker).VT Halter Marine is teamed with Technology Associates, Inc. (TAI) as the ship designer and, for over two years, has participated in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heavy Polar Icebreaker Industry Study.The ship design is an evolution from the mature ”Polar Stern II” currently in design and construction…

ABB said it has secured a power and propulsion contract for the two debut Seabourn ultra-luxury expedition vessels.The contract covers two 170-meter length ships due delivery to the Seattle-based cruise company from Italian yard T. Mariotti, in June 2021 and May 2022 respectively.Seabourn has chosen ABB’s power and propulsion technology for the 23,000gt ships that integrates main generators, switchboard, convertors, bow thruster motors and the remote control system in a single package…

The new Vessel Electric Propulsion Training Center at the Admiral Nevelskoy Maritime State University in Russia will help to prepare seafarers for work on vessels equipped with Azipod propulsion systemsThe center will be used to train MSUN cadets, as well as to provide advanced training to commissioned officers of the merchant fleet. It is also planned to conduct research, including scientific and experimental activities, in the area of automation of electric propulsion and vessel power supply.The establishment of the center follows the trilateral research…

On June 30, 2016 a new icebreaking supply vessel (IBSV) was launched for Sovcomflot as part of a long-term agreement with Sakhalin Energy. Due to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2016, this reinforced ice class vessel has deadweight of 3,000 metric tons and an Azipod propulsion system with a power rating of 13 MW. The icebreaker is the first of four vessels that Sovcomflot has on order from United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) for operations at the Sakhalin-2 project. The vessels are being constructed by USC-affiliated shipyards Vyborg Shipyard and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy. The construction of all four vessels began in 2015.

ABB today announced the total fuel savings of the entire installed Azipod fleet since being launched is estimated to be more than 700,000 tons. Assuming the average family car uses one ton of fuel annually, this savings corresponds to the annual fuel consumption of 700,000 cars. The gearless, steerable propulsion system reduces fuel consumption by up to 20% and achieves decimeter accurate maneuverability without the aid of tugboats. It is installed on an extremely wide range of vessels, including the world’s largest cruise ship (6,600 passengers), the most advanced icebreaker, one of the largest crane vessels in Asia, a 105-meter luxury superyacht, and most recently, an innovative cargo transfer vessel.

Innovation, superior technology and competitiveness are the characteristics that have brought the Finnish maritime industry world repute. Its well-knit maritime cluster responsible for achieving a high level of production has propelled it into prominence in the global market. Extreme conditions during winter have set technological and quality demands on Finnish shipping which, in turn has contributed towards the emergence of a competitive maritime industry in Finland. The Finnish Maritime and Offshore Cluster (incl. Marine industries, shipping and port operations in private and public sectors) is one of the central industries in the Finnish technology industries.

The April 12 Panama Canal sailing of Norwegian Star has been canceled due to a technical issue with the ship's ABB-manufactured azipod propulsion system, according to a statement from Norwegian Cruise Line. The Norwegian Star was originally scheduled for a 15 night cruise to the Panama Canal out of Los Angeles to Miami with port stops in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas, Puntarenas, Panama Canal, Cartagena, and Ocho Rios. The ship will remain out of service until April 26, 2015 so repairs can be made to the Azipod systems. Norwegian said a technical issue was to blame for the propulsion problem. The Norwegian Star is a 91,000 gross ton, 2,350 passenger cruise ship that entered service in 2001.

Power and automation technology group ABB has won a European Marine Engineering Award, acknowledging the innovation behind the new Azipod D electric propulsion solution, launched in 2015. The 2016 Award for Auxiliary Machinery category honors auxiliary systems that demonstrate innovative and original development that improves a ship’s operational efficiency or reduces risk to personnel. Introduced in 2015, Azipod D propulsion was brought to market to allow a wider range of vessel types to benefit from the proven reliability and flexibility that have made Azipod the leading propulsion system across numerous ship types. Available in power ranges from 1.6 megawatts to 7 megawatts (MW) per unit…

ABB’s Azipod propulsion system will power a Chinese polar science research icebreaker, the first vessel of its type to be built in China. The Polar Research Institute of China ship will be fitted with two Azipod VI units with combined power of 15 MWs. Azipod features a built-in high-efficiency AC motor and fixed-pitch propeller mounted directly on the motor shaft. While mechanical thrusters have complex transmission with gears and shafts, the Azipod has only electrical cables between the power source and the electric motor.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has been awarded the Innovation of the Year Award for the recently introduced Azipod D electric propulsion product at the Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Innovation of the Year Award identifies pioneering technologies that push the boundaries and contribute to making electric and hybrid propulsion possible and viable. The winner was selected by an international jury consisting of 38 maritime journalists, industry experts and academics. ABB introduced the Azipod D in March 2015. ABB’s gearless Azipod propulsion system is already the preferred choice of cruise vessels, icebreakers, ice-going cargo vessels and offshore accommodation ships.