ABB has been granted orders worth more than $60 million to provide complete power and Azipod propulsion systems for two new Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) cruise ships to be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenbury, Germany.

The first ship order for ABB was booked in 2011 and in the first quarter of 2012 was when the booking for the second vessel was made.

Meyer Werft, founded in 1795, is particularly well known for the development and construction of huge, modern and highly sophisticated cruise vessels. The new ships, named “Project Sunshine,” are the first vessels in Royal Caribbean’s new class of cruise ships.

With a capacity of over 4,100 passengers, the 158,000-gt ships have been redesigned to optimise capacity and fuel use while maintaining passenger comfort. RCL and Meyer Werft also plan to incorporate the most recent energy efficiency and environmental technologies on the ship.

The fall of 2014 and spring of 2015 are the current scheduled dates of delivery to RCL. A complete electrical system will be supplied for the new ships, with each delivery including power generation and distribution systems, thrusters motors and two 20.5 MW propulsion systems.

The energy efficient Azipod propulsion provides greater manoeuvrability in all operating conditions and uses less fuel than a traditional system.

“ABB offers the cruise ship industry the latest generation of technical solutions and solid electrical infrastructure that optimize vessel performance while enhancing passenger comfort and safety,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division.

The first quarter of 2012 has seen ABB win numerous large cruise ship orders for its Azipod propulsion. The Azipod propulsion system can have an enormous impact on the operating efficiency of ships and floating vessels by being able to reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 20 percent.