ABB’s Azipod ship propulsion system, which the company says is now regarded as the industry standard for cruise ships, since its launch in 1990, has hit the 100 mark in this sector after the company won a contract to power the world’s first electric-hybrid ‘icebreaker’.
The luxury polar-expedition cruise ship, due for delivery to the French cruise company Ponant in 2021, will feature two Azipod VI propulsion units designed to operate in the most challenging ice conditions.
Following delivery from Norway’s Vard Søviknes, the cruise ship will take passengers to ‘unexplored destinations’ in Arctic and Antarctic waters.
In the harsh conditions of ice-covered seas, the Azipod units —with 6m propellers and a combined power of 34MW — will help the vessel achieve high levels of manoeuvrability and efficiency, as well as ‘low’ environmental impact.
Juha Koskela, managing director of ABB (
www.abb.com) Marine and Ports, said: “We are delighted that Ponant chose to rely on ABB’s expertise in both cruise and ice-going vessel propulsion for their pioneering ship.
"Azipod units already power more than 80 vessels operating in icy seas, and reaching the 100th cruise ship order highlights ABB’s commitment to a technology offering high levels of performance, reliability and safety.
“At the beginning of the 1990s, we entered the cruise market with a technology that offered a 10-15% efficiency gain over conventional shaft-line systems.
"Since then, the cruise market has been increasingly choosing Azipod propulsion. We estimate that energy savings equivalent to 700,000 tonnes of fuel have been made in the cruise sector, due to the selection of Azipod.”