PONANT’s polar exploration cruise vessel Le Commandant Charcot, which recently became the first to reach the geographic North Pole, has signed up for ABB MarineCare services to ensure safe and sustainable operations. The 10-year service agreement provides round-the-clock remote support, diagnostics and condition monitoring, as well as preventive and planned maintenance, and the critical spare parts. The service scope also includes warranty for the ship's energy storage system, supplied and integrated by ABB.
The Polar Class PC2 expedition vessel features the largest energy storage system ever installed on a cruise ship, as well as two ABB Azipod propulsion units with a combined power of 34 megawatts. With the electric drive motor situated in a submerged pod outside the ship hull, the Azipod system can rotate 360 degrees, increasing maneuverability and operating efficiency of a vessel and cutting fuel consumption by up to 20 percent compared to conventional shaftline systems, according to ABB.
