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Carnival Invests in Efficiency, and ABB Azipod Technology

By Rob Almeida On April 11, 2012

ABB has won a long-term service contract from Carnival Corporation to maintain and upgrade ABB’s Azipod equipment over the next 15 years for 20 ships in their fleet, cutting costs by as much as $1 million a year per ship.

Carnival is the world’s largest cruise ship operator and has 20 cruise vessels with Azipod propulsion systems.

Azipods differ from conventional shaft or z-drive configurations in that they are exclusively powered by high voltage electricity and the motors that turn the propeller are located outside the hull and integrated directly with the propeller itself. Benefits of this configuration include greater hydrodynamic efficiency, maneuverability, and more flexible placement of the on board electrical generation plant. The upgrades are projected to improve the already high energy efficiency of Azipod units by 2.5 to 4 percent.

“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.”

The service contract covers technology and energy efficiency upgrades for all Azipod systems and propulsion condition monitoring for all ships, and other system equipment maintenance.

The contract includes technology upgrades such as the newly designed Azipod optimized fin shape, which receives water flow from the propeller at a new, less acute angle that redirects the flow more efficiently and Azipod Dynamic Optimizer, a software tool designed to control the pod toe angle, which provides even greater fuel savings for large vessels.

For an “Inside Look at ABB Azipods” click HERE.

Carnival isn’t the only cruise line using ABB Azipods. The Captain of the Freedom of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship, describes his experience using ABB Azipods while operating in a highly adverse current condition without tugs.

I took the train excursion and it was absolutely terrific. The ride takes you through very beautiful areas, scenic vistas, and provides remarkable views of neighboring islands. This is accompanied by a historic narrative, local singing, and pina coladas. I will be doing this tour again when I sail on Carnival Victory Oct. 2nd.