The Swiss company ABB has been awarded with new order worth $ 60 million to provide all the electrical systems and the Azipod XO propulsion system for two new cruise ships belonging to the American Carnival Corporation. The two ships, will be built by Fincantieri in Italy, and will sail for the cruise lines Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line. The contract also includes generators, chief executives, a system for remote control and distribution transformers.

ABB announced that the new Azipod is a propulsion system where the orientable gearless electric drive motor is located in a submerged pod outside the hull of the ship, and that the design will increase the safety and efficiency on consumption, making it the propulsion system more environmentally friendly.

Heikki Soljama , responsible for business Marine and Ports of ABB, expressed satisfaction at the continuation of the collaboration with the shipbuilding group Fincantieri, which has lasted for over 25 years: the first delivery of an electric propulsion system for ABB, Fincantieri was made for a Carnival cruise ship in 1990; since then 14 ships built by Fincantieri were equipped with Azipod propulsion of the Swiss group. Twenty-four ships of Carnival Corporation today are equipped with Azipod propulsion systems.