By
Rebecca Gibson |
Power and automation technology group ABB has inaugurated a new global manufacturing base in Shanghai for its Azipod C marine propulsion system. The new base covers 37,000 square metres with an annual output of 60 units at present.
“With this latest move, our total investment in Shanghai amounts to US$50 million this year,” said Claudio Facchin, chairman and president of ABB North Asia and China. “ABB will continue to introduce new technologies, global resources and operational expertise to China and Shanghai with globally unified quality standards.”
The Azipod unit is an electrically driven propeller mounted on a pod, which rotates 360 degrees around its vertical axis and delivers thrust in any direction to enhance manoeuvrability.
The smallest unit in the range, the Azipod C, has been installed in a variety of vessels in China, including the ferry line between Yantai-Dalian and in China’s first independently designed 3,000-ton comprehensive marine surveillance vessel. Fuel savings of up to 30 per cent have been reported.
“The new base will bring us closer to the key shipbuilding markets and enable us to better serve the fastgrowing market for high-end vessels as more Chinese shipyards shift their focus in this direction,” said Heikki Soljama, global head of ABB’s marine and cranes business unit.
“We will continue to apply advanced technology and quality management standards in manufacturing to meet the expectations of our customers in China and around the world.”