ABB has received an order from the Guangzhou Shipyard International to supply Azipod® DI propulsion system for the new compact icebreaker of China’s Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. The ship is expected to be delivered in 2025, after which it will begin to carry out operations in the Arctic and Antarctic Ocean.
A complete electric propulsion system including two 4.5 MW Azipod® units will drive the vessel through harsh weather and thick first-year ice to enable research on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The 103-meter vessel will have a maximum speed of 16 knots, draft displacement of about 9,200 tons, and icebreaking capacity of 1.2 meters ice and 20 cm snow at the continuous speed of two knots. The ship is designed to operate both bow first and astern in ice with an enhanced Polar Class 4(PC4) ice-breaking level. With a capacity of cruising range of 15,000 nautical miles, it can accommodate a crew of 80 people.
The new research vessel will be equipped to China Classification Society(CCS) LEVEL 2 notation standards on digitalization and fulfill Underwater Rated Noise SILENT A notation. SILENT A notation covers vessels that are ‘acoustically sensitive’, whose underwater noise emissions are controlled to benefit data capture and minimize ecological impact. The criteria are designed to limit high frequency noise while mitigating the practical challenges of reducing low frequency noise from propellers and the main engine.
The propulsion units supplied will represent ABB’s compact Azipod® DI range, which has been developed for both robustness and simplicity, and to offer strength and reliability in the most challenging ice conditions.
Working with shipbuilders worldwide, ABB technology has been installed on over 150 ice-class and icebreaking vessels. Azipod® propulsion system has been central in the success, establishing itself as the ice-going propulsion solution of choice over a 30-year period. With the electric drive motor situated in a submerged pod outside the hull and the ability to rotate 360 degrees, Azipod® units enable independent ice-breaking and significantly better maneuverability compared to shaftline solutions.