Company will supply drives, electrical power plants, thruster motors and four Azipod XO units per ship
By
Rebecca Gibson |
ABB is to deliver Azipod propulsion systems for Crystal Cruises’ two ‘Exclusive Class’ ocean newbuilds, which will be built by the Lloyd Werft Group in Germany and debut in late 2018.
Per ship, the company will supply drives, electrical power plants, thruster motors and four Azipod XO units, gearless propulsion systems comprising an electric drive motor contained in a submerged pod outside the ship’s hull. The Azipod systems will reduce ships’ lifecycle costs and help them operate at optimum efficiency. Two of the units will each be capable of up to 22MW of power, while the other two will provide 19 MW, allowing the vessels to operate in both open water and ice-class conditions.
“We are delighted to start our collaboration with Lloyd Werft and continue our long-time cooperation with Crystal Cruises,” said Juha Koskela, managing director of ABB’s Marine and Ports unit. “It is thrilling to be a part of Crystal´s groundbreaking plans for ‘Exclusive Class’ vessels.”
Both ships will also feature ABB’s flagship 800xA automation system, complete with EMMA Energy Management System and fleet management suite. EMMA will help Crystal to analyse historical data and compare it current operating conditions to advise how it can run the vessels in the most energy efficient way possible. The system also allows benchmarking across the whole fleet.
“When delivered, Crystal’s ‘Exclusive Class’ ships will not only be the largest and most luxurious polar cruise ships, but also the most powerful, safest and most technically advanced in their class,” said Fleet Captain Gustaf Gronberg, senior vice president of marine operations and newbuilding at Genting Hong Kong, Crystal’s owner. “ABB’s long experience in podded propulsion and power generation for both cruise ships and ice breaking vessels makes them the ideal and most reliable partner for these projects.”