AIDA ship order gives Siemens something to smile about

Siemens Industry Solutions Division has received an order from Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, to to provide diesel-electric propulsion systems, and power generation and distribution systems for the AIDA Cruises  ship ordered at the shipyard in August. Siemens’ scope of supply also includes the automation equipment which will control and monitor all the on-board functions. The value of this order is described as “in the lower double-digit million euro range.” When the new cruise ship comes into service in the spring of 2013, it will be the seventh AIDA ship to be equipped with Siemens technology.

The new ship will be an Aidablu class vessel of 71,100 grt. It will have a length of 252 m, a width of 32.2 m, and a passenger capacity of 2,192.

Siemens will supply two Siship Drive MV series 12.5 MW electric motors for the ship’s diesel-electric propulsion system. The two propeller motors run with very low noise and vibration levels.

The diesel-electric propulsion systems are very eco-friendly because of their reduced pollutant emissions in the rated load range during diesel operation.

Four diesel generators with a total power of 48 MVA will be installed to supply the electrical power on board. The power will be distributed by an NXAir medium voltage substation equipped with a protection and energy management system. The energy management system makes all the information relevant to the ship’s power supply available on the bridge. It also enables the diesel engines to be switched in and out optimally to minimize fuel consumption. The energy management system will be connected to the “Siship Imac” ship automation system by an open interface based on the PCS-7 control system, which will handle all on-board monitoring, alarm and control functions.

The safety management system, air-conditioning control and regulation, and the autonomously functioning emergency shutdown system will be integrated into the Siship Imac. Data will be collected from a total of around 13,000 measuring points, which will give the user detailed data of all the processes running on board.

January 19, 2011