Azipod® propulsion units arrive to the Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions where Wasaline’s new ferry Aurora Botnia is built.
They are fully assembled and are ready for immediate installation, complete with a propeller. Each of the five blades is about two meters in length – taller than an average person’s height! They are made from nickel aluminum bronze for increased strength and excellent performance in both open and ice-covered waters.
The Azipod® units where the electric drive motor in a submerged pod outside the ship’s hull, can rotate through 360 degrees, increasing vessel’s maneuverability.
The Azipod® units are being lifted by cranes to the bottom of the drydock that is used for vessel construction. Each of the units is about 5 meters in heigth, which is more than a standard one-storey house.
In the drydock, the Azipod® units are prepared to be moved on tracks to be positioned underneath the ship’s hull for installation. Together, the two units will provide the new ferry with 11.6-megawatt power. That’s about 15,500 horsepower – enough to power 130 average passenger cars.
The Azipod® units are brought right under the ship’s hull.
“The installation was literally about plugging the ready-made units into the vessel hull,” said Johanna Kaijo, Rauma Marine Constructions’ Production Manager in charge of the project.
It takes millimeter precision – and skilled shipbuilders – to connect the propulsion unit to the steering unit inside the vessel.
Installation work was supervised by the local ABB Marine & Ports commissioning team.
Azipod® propulsion saves valuable space on board and simplifies hull construction.
Ready for launch – congratulations to Rauma Marine Construction and Wasaline!
