The Switch Celebrates 500 Shaft Generator Orders
The Switch, a supplier of permanent magnet shaft generators, celebrates its 500th shaft generator order. This milestone underscores the company’s pivotal role in supporting the maritime industry’s transition to cleaner, more efficient shipping.
Shaft generators harness the main engine’s power to produce electricity for a vessel’s onboard systems, reducing reliance on auxiliary diesel generators that run with lower fuel efficiency. Permanent magnet shaft generators improve fuel efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions, making them a key technology toward meeting the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) target of achieving net-zero emissions by around 2050.
Permanent magnet shaft generators are estimated to cut carbon emissions compared to conventional shaft generators with electric excitation by over 100,000 metric tons per year—equivalent to the emissions of over 22,000 passenger cars with internal combustion engines. The savings are even greater compared to conventional genset-based systems—over 600,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, equal to the carbon emissions of about 140,000 passenger cars.
Over 300 The Switch permanent magnet shaft generators are already fully operational, serving a diverse fleet of container ships, gas carriers, bulk carriers, tankers and car carriers. These have accumulated more than 5 million operating hours with no vessel downtime due to failures.
