ABB will supply a hybrid propulsion system for two P&O ferries that will be the largest to sail the English Channel when they launch in 2023
P&O Ferries will operate the two ferries on the route between Dover, UK and Calais, France. Both ferries will feature a hybrid propulsion system using electric power from 8.8-MW batteries and diesel generators, which ABB said can help cut fuel consumption by 40%.
P&O Ferries said it chose hybrid propulsion to benefit from the bridge-to-propeller integration. The vessels’ double-ended design will feature a pair of azipod units and a bridge at each end, removing the need to turn the vessels in port.
With the double-ended design, the captain and senior officers instead walk to the opposite bridge, saving seven minutes on each outbound and return journey and one tonne of fuel – a sixth of what is used on a single-ended vessel’s crossing. The vessels’ batteries will provide full power for harbour manoeuvring and can be charged in port as more electric shore charging options become available.
Each ship will feature four ABB 7.5-MW azipod propulsion units, and the vessels’ engines will be equipped with a Power2 two-stage turbocharging system that can achieve up to 5% in fuel savings and reduce NOx emissions by 60%. ABB will also install its Ability Marine Pilot Control manoeuvring system and Power and Energy Management System (PEMS) on board the ships. PEMS is closely integrated with the electrical system to ensure optimal use of the vessel’s total power resources by improving the information flow across shipboard systems.
“We are proud to have ABB technology at the heart of P&O Ferries’ sustainability programme, as it transitions to the zero-emissions future envisaged for shipping,” said ABB Marine & Ports’ division president Juha Koskela.
P&O Ferries signed a contract for the build worth US$286.13M with Guangzhou Shipyard International in September 2019.
Guangzhou Shipyard International chairman Zhongqian Chen said “The P&O ferries under construction at the Guangzhou Shipyard International are truly iconic.”
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