35-year-old cruise ship retrofitted for DC, shore power

Phoenix Reisen offers cruise travel on the Norwegian fjords, the North Sea, Baltic, Iceland and Greeland routes.

Following successful commissioning and seal trials, 1988-built, 205-m Amera has been equipped with an onboard DC Grid power system platform from ABB, becoming the first cruise ship to be retrofitted with the technology.

In addition, the vessel features a shore connection for improved efficiency and lower emissions. The project involved replacing the vessel’s AC system with modern DC technology, according to the supplier.

ABB said the DC-based power distribution system enables energy sources to be integrated in a compact, lightweight system and gives Amera the scope to integrate new, low-carbon energy sources such as batteries and fuel cells to help support operations in emission control areas such as the Norwegian fjords.The engineering firm also said the system has a "high fault tolerance" to help the vessel conduct more-efficient vessel operations.

Phoenix Reisen chief executive Johannes Zurnieden said the company aims to be a leading player in the sustainable cruising segment. “We are working towards more efficient and environmentally friendly operations across our fleet and having completed the modernisation of Amera, together with ABB, we are confident we are on the right track to achieve this objective.”

The shore power connection point installed during the retrofit works will allow the vessel to tap into land-based power systems when docked. ABB claims this can help reduce daily emissions of cruise ships “by 35% when they are docked eight hours per day”.

The onboard power setup will be managed by ABB’s integrated PEMS energy management system, which is also being used by other major ferry operators including on board P&O Ferries’ Pioneer, the largest vessel to ply the Dover-Calais route.