Firm will equip the ship with new power electronics controllers on the four propulsion drives
By
Rebecca Gibson |
GE’s Marine Solutions is to upgrade critical components onboard P&O Cruises’ Oceana, following a similar successful project on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 in 2016.
Built as Ocean Princess in 1998, Oceana was originally equipped with GE’s Syconum 2 electronic controllers. These will be replaced by new power electronics controllers on the four propulsion drives. The small compact digital propulsion controller boosts efficiency, improves operational safety and asset availability, while reducing installation costs.
GE engineers will use a digital model of Oceana to carry out extensive shop tests, simulating different scenarios to see how the vessel responds, before starting any physical work. This will enable GE to complete the upgrade in just 12 days once it boards this ship in Hamburg, Germany at the end of this year.
“Oceana is a very popular vessel, offering fly-cruise holidays to an increasing number of new cruise guests, and having reliable and capable ships across our fleet is crucial to capitalise on this growing opportunity,” said Donnacha O’Driscoll, Carnival UK’s senior vice president.
GE’s contract with P&O Cruises builds on its existing relationship with Carnival Corporation and follows a successful first-phase upgrade project on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 in 2016.
“In total, we have equipped 30 vessels across the Carnival Corporation brands with our electric propulsion systems,” said Tim Schweikert, president and CEO of GE’s Marine Solutions. “We are a long-term partner with Carnival and have, in the past, provided upgrade services for the company on nine vessels. This agreement with P&O Cruises further reinforces our close partnership and is a clear indicator of the quality provided by our marine services.”