ABB has secured a €157 million contract to supply power, propulsion and digital solutions for Genting Hong Kong’s six ‘Universal Class’ vessels that will bring global hotel brands to sea, the company said in its release. The new vessels will be designed to the highest safety and environmental standards and will be powered by ABB’s Azipod® electric propulsion, which has become the cruise industry standard since its launch in 1990. Each of the 286-meter vessels will be propelled by twin Azipod® units, with a combined power of 30 MW (40,230 HP) and will run on low-emission liquified natural gas.
The vessels will be built by the Genting-owned shipbuilding company MV Werften with sites in Wismar, Rostoch and Stralsund in Germany. The vessels are due for delivery in 2023-2024. The six vessels will bring luxury cruising experiences to its guests and feature high-end amenities, and will have a passenger capacity of 1000 to 4000 passengers depending on the Luxury, Premium or Contemporary class. Each cruise ship will have a total of 15 decks. Genting will operate these vessels for global hotel brands that want to enter the marine industry but are facing constraints related to most shipbuilding slots being occupied at present. The vessels will have the capability to be connected to ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operations Center infrastructure, which monitors the performance of ABB technology on board and remotely connects operators with ABB experts.
Cruise travelling is becoming more popular for holidaymakers and according to industry body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), 30 million passengers are expected to cruise the seas in 2019 – a 6% increase year-on-year. In addition to rising numbers of cruisers, CLIA reports that travelers are becoming more mindful than ever, expecting sustainable technology on board vessels.
The Azipod® propulsion system, where the electric drive motor is in a submerged pod outside the ship hull, can rotate 360 degrees to increase maneuverability and operating efficiency. Due to minimal noise and vibration, Azipod® propulsion also improves passenger and crew comfort.
ABB is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.
ABOUT GENTING HONG KONG LIMITED
Genting Hong Kong is a leading corporation principally engaged in the business of cruise and cruise related operations along with leisure, entertainment and hospitality activities. As a pioneer in the Asian cruise industry, Genting Hong Kong took on the bold initiative to grow the Asia-Pacific region as an international cruise destination with the founding of Star Cruises in 1993. In 2015, to further expand its cruise portfolio in the region, Genting Hong Kong launched Dream Cruises to cater to the fastest growing Asian market. The same year, Genting finalized the acquisition of Crystal Cruises to extend Genting Hong Kong’s reach in the global up-scale market. The three cruise brands together are now collectively known as Genting Cruise Lines. Genting bought three shipyards in Germany in 2016, collectively known as “MV Werften”, to build cruise ships up to 200,000 gross tons for its three cruise brands, following the purchase of Lloyd Werft the previous year which specializes in building Mega yachts and other newbuilds.