By
Michee Witthaus |
Power and automation technology group ABB has secured a long-term engine maintenance contract with Carnival Cruise Lines.
The deal, which is primarily focused on Azipod technology on 20 of the line’s ships, is expected to improve energy efficiency by 2.5 to 4 per cent, cutting costs by as much as $1 million a year per ship. ABB will maintain and upgrade the Azipod propulsion systems on the vessels over the next 15 years. “Customers in all industries are looking at ways to reduce overall lifecycle costs and make such costs more predictable, while continuing to improve equipment performance,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “We provide a full portfolio of services, including ongoing technology upgrades and dependable maintenance support to help extend the life of equipment, and ensure that it runs at the highest energy efficiency levels possible.”
In addition to technology and energy efficiency upgrades for the Azipod systems, ABB will also provide propulsion condition monitoring for all Carnival’s ships, along with other system equipment maintenance. The contract includes technology upgrades such as the newly designed Azipod optimized fin shape, which facilitates more efficient water flow over the propeller, and Azipod Dynamic Optimizer, a software tool designed to control the pod toe angle to achieve fuel savings.