ABB has secured a breakthrough contract with the shipyard COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) Co. to equip ten China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited container vessels with its permanent magnet shaft generator systems.
Due for delivery by the end of 2025, the order comprises systems for six 14,000 teu vessels and four 16,000 teu vessels.
“ABB has been supporting China’s maritime industry for almost two decades, and we are proud to collaborate with COSCO Shipping, the country’s largest shipping company, in this breakthrough project,” said Michael Christensen, global segment manager Dry Cargo, ABB Marine & Ports.
“As we continue to develop our local capabilities to better serve our customers and help them achieve their sustainability targets, our permanent magnet technology will have an important role to play.”
Shaft generators with permanent magnet technology are said to offer 3-4% higher efficiency, reduced maintenance costs and up to a 20% smaller footprint compared to traditional, synchronous excitation-based shaft generator systems.
In combination with ABB’s advanced ACS 880 drive, the technology reportedly increases fuel efficiency by one additional per cent. Compared with auxiliary diesel generator sets, permanent magnet shaft generators are said to deliver up to 17% greater fuel efficiency during voyages.
