ABB Generations 2025



Charting the maritime frontiers 

Generations, the article series from ABB's Marine & Ports division, showcases business perspectives and technical insight from global thought leaders and ABB experts. In the 2025 edition, the spotlight is on energy efficiency and digitalization in a pivotal year for maritime decarbonization. This is the place to discover the latest innovations and outstanding projects in the global maritime industry. The ideas, technologies and people featured here have the potential to change the way we live, do business and face future challenges.

Explore the topics:

Pathways to decarbonization

Technical efficiency

Digital intelligence and decarbonization

Decarbonization regulation and compliance

Voices of leadership and people

ABB Generations 2025

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Pathways to decarbonization

Profound changes are required to shift the shipping industry, which carries over 80 percent of world trade, to net zero emissions by or around 2050 to align with regulatory targets. With around 70,000 ships operating worldwide on conventional fuels and a new global fuel infrastructure needed to support lower carbon alternatives, no single ‘silver bullet’ is available to replace Heavy Fuel Oil. Instead, a spread of new alternative fuels, ship design innovations, power and propulsion technology development, and efficiency gains achieved using digitalization and automation will be essential.  

As a system integrator, ABB is working across shipping’s efficiency, technology and new fuel challenges to enable the zero-emission future. Some developments in 2025 include:   

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Covering the distance to shipping’s nuclear opportunities

The number of stakeholders engaging with nuclear ship propulsion in 2025 indicates that the maritime industry is eager to expand its options on net zero emissions.

 

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8 May
MARIN tests confirm efficiency of revolutionary ABB Dynafin™ propulsion

The efficiency gains of the revolutionary propulsion system ABB Dynafin™ have been decisively validated by leading research institute MARIN, after comprehensive basin tests and data analysis.
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20 August
View ahead for nuclear ship propulsion

Changing attitudes towards nuclear power are reflected in accelerating engagement by maritime stakeholders with the potential of small modular reactors.

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26 March
Radical thinking needed on nuclear ship regulation

Fast-paced developments in 4th generation nuclear reactors that promise zero-emission ship power are accelerating the need to reimagine International Maritime Organization regulations.



Technical efficiency

While the maritime industry has plenty to consider in facing up to its future challenges on decarbonization, fuel costs and already in-force requirements such as the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme mean that shipping needs market-ready solutions which demonstrably improve efficiency. They must also be fully optimized to ensure the efficiency of other vessel technologies and to improve the ease-of-use and safety of the ‘human in the loop’ crew on board.  

It is critical that ship owners, operators, and investors are assured they can take decisions from a position where efficiency is already optimized. ABB’s work in system development and integration in 2025 continues to uphold that assurance. 

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From incidents to innovation: How ABB’s DP control system redefines offshore operations

With strong encouragement from the market, ABB is proud to embark on a new chapter in vessel positioning by delivering next level dynamic positioning (DP) control system performance that is fully integrated into its ship control technology.

 
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Enhanced protection for closed bus-tie operation with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid™

Supporting the development of efficient and safe onboard power systems, classification societies and maritime technical associations are introducing new requirements to protect power plants with closed bus-ties. ABB’s Onboard DC Grid™ power system platform is based on a versatile protection philosophy to deliver reliable DC systems meeting the evolving requirements for redundancy and integrity.
 
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Digital intelligence and decarbonization

No discussion of technology in the marine and ports sectors in 2025 and beyond can ignore the growing impacts of digitalization, data analytics, or artificial intelligence. However, turning talk into action and distinguishing solutions that will succeed in the long-term is not always straightforward. This year, ABB Marine & Ports offered insights into the types of tools that the maritime industry is using today to meet its performance optimization goals and explored how digital technologies augment human capabilities. 
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AI accelerates productivity and safety in the world of ports

If the value of new technologies is measured by their utility, it's time for port expertise to start realizing the full potential of Artificial intelligence (AI).

 
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22 October
The digital crew member comes of age

A better understanding of how people and automation work together is key to enabling the ‘digital crew member’ to reach its full potential in enhancing ship safety and efficiency.
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19 March
The CO2e Calculator – a small but pivotal step in ABB's drive to decarbonize maritime

Launched in Autumn 2023 and recently upgraded to version 3.0 with a more intuitive interface and additional functionality, the CO2e Calculator allows shipowners, operators, and designers to estimate the potential emissions-reduction and energy-savings impact of five ABB technologies used on board ships



Decarbonization regulation and compliance

Regulatory targets have been decisive in framing the maritime journey towards decarbonization. The International Maritime Organization’s Net Zero target by around 2050, and the EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ legislation have accelerated the strategic engagement of global shipping with both energy efficiency and alternative fuels.  

In 2025, ABB shared insights into the connected thinking that drives its decarbonization strategy. 

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Navigating investment in shipping’s net-zero sum game

A new pragmatism is settling over shipping as it reviews its options on decarbonization for 2026, with the focus firmly on investing in fuel efficiency and flexibility.

 
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27 August
Countdown to October: Maritime decarbonization debate intensifies

As maritime decarbonization advances, optimizing ship energy efficiency becomes ever more critical to enable change, says Charlotte Nonnemann, new Vice President Regulatory & Public Affairs, Marine Systems at ABB’s Marine & Ports division.
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31 July
More efficient ships will alleviate alarm on underwater noise

Commitments from the International Maritime Organization to drive decarbonization have also included the reduction of underwater radiated noise – addressing a separate harm that ships cause to the marine environment.
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25 February
Maritime decarbonization moves forward on Waterborne Days

EU’s forward position on reducing ship emissions was evident and further strengthened at the highly sought-after Waterborne Days event in Brussels during early February.



Voices of leadership and people

At ABB’s Marine & Ports division, progress is driven by expertise and passion. These articles showcase how innovation, perseverance, and strategic vision are shaping the future of maritime. From pioneering research into fuel cells as a pathway to decarbonization to the personal lessons of patience and persistence that underpin professional success, and to the insights of division leaders discussing the evolution of the business, each story reflects the commitment of ABB experts to advancing technology and delivering customer value across the global maritime industry. 
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Navigating change at the top – Electric insights from ABB Marine & Ports

As the presidency of ABB’s Marine & Ports division changes hands after almost a decade, Juha Koskela and Rune Braastad explain a significant evolution in the role of the business in the maritime industry.

 
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3 April
'It all boils down to patience and persistence'

As the Global Commercial Manager responsible for sales of the Compact Azipod® propulsion and ABB Dynafin™ propulsion concept, Tuomo Salmi is involved in a range of interesting projects at ABB Marine & Ports. We sat down with him to discover what has shaped his attitude and outreach, and what is required to adapt and succeed in a constantly evolving market.
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30 January
Fuel cells offer a promising pathway to maritime decarbonization

Dr. Ahmed Abdelhakim, Global Product Manager, Fuel Cell Solutions at ABB Marine & Ports, finds currents and voltages great fun. Here he describes his passion for power electronics and the huge potential of fuel cells on maritime's journey to net zero.

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