ABB

ABB acts as a major multinational engineering corporation with a distinct and influential legacy in the global maritime industry. Formed in 1988 through the merger of ASEA of Sweden and Brown, Boveri & Cie of Switzerland, the company combined two long-standing European industrial traditions to create a Zurich-headquartered powerhouse. While its operations span electrification, robotics, and industrial automation across various sectors, its Marine and Ports division functions as a specialized entity dedicated to the specific power and control needs of the shipping and offshore markets. In the maritime sector, ABB serves as a primary integrator of electrical propulsion and automation systems. The company played a historic role in transforming modern ship design through the development of electric podded propulsion. This technology, introduced in the early 1990s, replaced traditional shaft lines with electric motors housed in submerged pods outside the hull, granting vessels superior maneuverability and efficiency. This innovation proved particularly vital for the cruise industry, allowing for larger vessels to navigate smaller ports, and for ice-breaking operations, where torque and control are critical. The organization’s maritime operations extend beyond propulsion to cover the entire energy flow on board a vessel. It engineers and delivers integrated power systems that manage electricity generation, distribution, and consumption, ensuring stability for complex marine operations. These solutions are applied across a diverse range of vessel types, including container ships, LNG carriers, ferries, and specialized offshore support vessels. In the offshore energy sector, the company provides critical power management systems that support drilling rigs and wind farm installation vessels, often operating in harsh environmental conditions. Furthermore, ABB addresses the connection between ships and shore infrastructure. The company develops shore connection technologies that allow vessels to plug into land-based power grids while docked, eliminating the need to run auxiliary engines and thereby reducing emissions in port areas. As the shipping industry navigates the transition toward decarbonization, the company adapts its engineering to support hybrid and fully electric operations, integrating battery energy storage and fuel cell systems into marine power grids. Through its global network of service centers and engineering hubs, the corporation supports the lifecycle of marine assets from initial design and construction to retrofitting and modernization.