ABB, a global technology leader in the field of industrial automation and power solutions, takes part in NEVA 2019, the 15th International Maritime Exhibition and Conferences of Russia (Saint-Petersburg, September 17-20). At the exhibition, the company presents its electric power and propulsion solutions for icebreaking vessels.
ABB has delivered Azipod® electric propulsion systems to over 90 icebreakers and ice-going vessels with a combined propulsion power of up to 45 MW. The system lets vessels break through ice of over 2.1 m and operate in challenging conditios of the Arctic without icebreaker assistance.
According to the statement, Azipod is a synonym of reliability and efficiency for Russian companies transporting cargo in Northern seas. The first commercial ship that completed a round voyage on the Northern Sea Route without an icebreaker was the Monchegorsk containership, one of six Arctic ships built for Norilsk Nickel.
Among Russian projects of ABB is the fleet for Yamal LNG. Fifteen gas carriers equipped with 45MW Azipod® system are intended for transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal peninsula located beyond the Polar Circle and covered with ice for most of the year. In 2017, the Christophe de Margerie, the lead LNG carrier in the series owned by Russia’s leading shipping company Sovcomflot (SCF), set a new time record for an NSR transit of 6.5 days.
The partnership of ABB and SCF that has been lasting for years has resulted in creation of the world’s most powerful fleet of ice class ships equipped with Azipod® units. It numbers eight Arctic shuttle tankers for crude transportation, seven multifunctional supply vessels and LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie operating in the basins of the Barents, Pechora, Kara and Okhotsk seas. A total of 33 Azipod® units installed on SCF ships.
In 2018, Russia’s Arctic fleet expanded with two unique diesel-electric icebreakers of the new generation, the Aleksandr Sannikov and the Andrey Vilkitsky, built for Gazprom Neft. Start-up and set-up operations were performed by Russian engineers of ABB.
Sovcomflot’s vessels will be among over 1,000 ships connected to ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operation Centers worldwide. From here, ABB experts monitor operational shipboard systems, coordinate remote equipment diagnostics and offer predictive maintenance services – 24/7. This can be especially crucial for vessels operating in remote areas. The recently inaugurated Marine Service Center in Murmansk, Russia, adds local language support into the offering, which is particularly relevant for customers such as Sovcomflot – Russia’s largest shipping company.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader with a comprehensive offering for digital industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB is today a leader in digital industries with four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by its common ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s market‑leading Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.