Finland-based marine power electronics provider The Switch has won a contract to deliver single drives for shaft generators that will be installed on four tankers under construction at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in China.
The Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI)-designed, 113,600 dwt LNG dual-fuel Aframax vessels are being built for UK-based shipowner Union Maritime and are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2027.
WinGD is the system integrator for the PTO system. The Switch’s single drives will manage power output delivered from the ships’ two-stroke engines, ensuring the shaft generators operate as efficiently as possible, thereby helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Stefan Goranov, WinGD Head of Integrated Energy Solutions, said: “WinGD X-EL Integrated Systems aim to maximise overall vessel efficiency by optimising energy flow across all onboard producers and consumers. Finding the right elements for each part of the system is critical. With The Switch, we have absolute confidence in the quality and durability of their technology, as well as their collaborative approach to delivering the best possible outcome for the customer.”
Juha Tennivaara, VP Sales, The Switch, added: “This is our first order from WinGD and takes our relationship to the next stage. We are excited to be working with them and hope it will lead to more substantial collaboration in the future. As a premium player in this competitive market, WinGD are a great reference for us.”
Connecting shaft generators to a vessel’s AC system is one use case for The Switch single drives. Others include propulsion (connecting various types of electric motors to the AC system), battery (connecting a battery pack to the AC system) and other green energy sources (connecting fuel cells/solar/wind or other DC sources to the AC system). Both inline and geared drive solutions are available, with PTI-PTO and PTI-PTO-PTH functionality and a power range from 800A to 5,600A.
The Switch power electronics are designed specifically for the marine industry and optimised from a systems perspective. For instance, the drive can be directly connected to the vessel’s freshwater cooling system. The Switch power modules feature vibration dampers, and the cabinets have high enclosure protection to withstand the marine environment. Maintenance is said to be quick and easy, thanks to plug-and-play fast connectors.
Image: The Switch power electronics cabinet (source: Blue-C)
