Swedish-Swiss technology company ABB has inked a fifteen-year service agreement with the Florida-headquartered cruise holding company Royal Caribbean Group to improve vessel efficiency and tighten collaboration on maritime decarbonization.
As informed, the deal encompasses 33 existing ships. The agreement reportedly covers preventive maintenance and digital solutions to support and ‘optimize’ propulsion operations, boost the vessels’ safety, and maximize fleet availability.
According to ABB, the aim is also to facilitate quick turnaround times for the planned Azipod propulsion system servicing. Azipod is a solution where the electric motor is housed in a pod located outside the ship’s hull, allowing the entire unit to rotate 360 degrees.
Owing to this, the solution is said to increase ship maneuverability and efficiency while cutting fuel consumption by what is estimated to be around 20% compared to conventional shaftline systems.
“This agreement exemplifies how a shared commitment to innovation can unlock new opportunities to improve progress toward ship performance goals,” Palle Laursen , Royal Caribbean Group EVP and Head of Marine, shared.
In the past year, ABB has partnered up with several maritime industry stakeholders, penning agreements to help ‘boost’ fleet efficiency and safety at a time when environmental regulations are getting stricter and the push toward technological innovation shows no signs of waning.
For instance, in August 2024, the technology player teamed up with Swedish ship design and management company Wallenius Marine and Danish tanker operator Terntank to monitor the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) performance aboard six tankers owned by the Danish company.
In March this year, ABB and Marseille-based maritime transport giant CMA CGM shook hands to develop a parametric roll algorithm that would improve safety on ships.
On the other hand, the US-based Royal Caribbean has sought multiple partnerships to help ensure more sustainable operations of its fleet. Beyond the deal with ABB, Royal Caribbean, for example, also penned an agreement with Finnish technology group Wärtsilä in September 2024, entailing a five-year lifecycle agreement covering 37 of the Group’s cruise vessels.
As disclosed at the time, the deal would seek to optimize the performance and reliability of the ships’ engines to ensure the ‘highest level’ of operational efficiency.