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Leading power and automation technology group, ABB, has announced that it will supply the entire electric system to provide power throughout the vessel and five 'high-performance' Azipod propulsion units for the 175-metre-long Chinese mega-crane vessel, Hua Tian Long [pictured], in a deal that ABB describes as "the next step in the evolution of electric propulsion systems".

The vessel has a gross tonnage of approximately 42,500 and is one of the largest salvage vessels in Asia.

The advanced power and diesel electric system package will consist of medium-voltage switchboards including power management systems, generators, transformers, frequency converters, motor and the Azipod thrusters.

Azipod propulsion is a gearless steerable propulsion system where the electric drive motor is in a submerged pod outside the ship hull, resulting in reduced fuel consumption by up to 20 percent and decimetre-accurate manoeuvrability.

The new retractable Azipod units, installed on a vessel for the first time, will bring a range of additional benefits, including entering shallow harbours and dry-docking without need of thruster removal, ABB says.

Further benefits of the retractable propulsion units are listed as being the reduction of operational risk by enabling thruster maintenance on the ship deck during drilling and the reduction the fuel consumption during transit when the forward units are lifted inside the hull to reduce resistance.

"The application of the retractable design marks another innovative step in the evolution of the Azipod propulsion system," remarked Heikki Soljama, Managing Director of ABB's marine and ports division. "This unique innovation reiterates our focus on technology leadership as a key differentiating element in ABB’s Next Level strategy."

The vessel is to be retrofitted at You Lian Dockyards (Shekou) Ltd, China. It is scheduled to be delivered back to the customer at the end of 2016 and to operate in offshore fields around the world.