ABB will provide the power and propulsion for the first in a series of Ritz Carlton’s small cruise ships.
The 190 m long vessel has been dubbed the‘anti-cruise ship’ as it can accommodate only 298 pax and is aimed at providing a more bespoke service than larger cruise ships.
ABB said that its solutions will optimise energy efficiency and allow the vessel to be remotely monitored from onshore. Two Azipod D propulsors will be fitted, whilst the company’s remote diagnostics service will enable a smarter approach to maintenance. Juha Koskela, Managing Director of ABB’s Marine and Ports Business, said; “We have been serving the cruise industry for three decades.
Our efforts during the last 10 years in building up a solid global network to serve the increasing number of customers have been fruitful. Now new partners wish to make use of this experience. Whether it is the largest cruise ships in the world or these luxurious mega-yachts, we serve our customers with consistent quality globally.” The Azipod D is ideal for smaller vessels due to its lower installed power. Azipod propulsion has gained a strong position in the passenger segment by making it possible to do away with bulky traditional shaft line systems, with the electric motor installed in a pod outside the hull, thus freeing up space for more cabins, ABB claimed.
The system also produces considerably lower levels of vibration, benefiting passenger experience. The thrusters’ ability to turn 360 deg increases ships access to ports without tug assistance.
For example, the Ritz Carlton’s vessels will operate in New England, Caribbean and Mediterranean waters.
Since its first installation more than 25 years ago, Azipod propulsion has clocked up over 13 mill running hours with an availability of 99.8%.Capt Erik Bredhe, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Marine Operations Director, said; “When we set out to design and build an ultra-luxury cruise yacht for the Ritz Carlton brand, we wanted to select the critical systems and equipment from among the most experienced suppliers known for their reliability and quality. The obvious choice for power and propulsion was ABB, and we expect them to meet and exceed our quality standards as partners for many years.”
The Azipod units, along with all the elements included in the ABB medium voltage power plant, will be installed with sensors to produce data that can be tracked from the shore by both the customer and from the patented ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Centres, which will allow for a more informed approach during routine maintenance. Commissioning will be simplified by the shipyard’s early decision to choose ABB as the supplier of the automation for the vessel, the company said.
With the ABB Ability System 800xA, the crew will have access to a fully integrated ship where all systems and equipment will work seamlessly together, operated from an intuitive, single-screen access to all information needed to operate the vessel more effectively and safely. She will be built at HJ Astilleros Barreras (HJB) in Spain and is scheduled to to be delivered 2019. Alfonso López Loureiro,HJB Sales Director, said; “This is a very exciting concept and we are delighted to have ABB as partners, which has a proven record of delivering systems on many similar, and larger passenger vessels.”
