Most large ships such as container vessels, LNG carriers and tankers are powered by two-stroke main engines. When they additionally have a shaft generator system, this can support the main engine of the ship by generating electricity for the onboard grid as well as boost the power on the main propulsion shaft. A shaft generator alone can also provide the power needed to turn the propeller for maneuvering a ship in a harbour or as back-up in case of main propulsion engine malfunction. The electrical system that controls and operates the shaft generator is also able to connect energy storage, shore to ship power and other new energy sources to the power and propulsion system of a ship.

Permanent magnet (PM) shaft generators take this solution one step further.  PM shaft generators are more compact and more efficient than induction or synchronous generators due to their lower electrical losses. The efficiency difference is significant at full load, and it becomes even greater when operating at partial load. Compared to induction generators, PM generators have significantly losses in the rotor and lower winding losses in the stator and  do not need an excitation supply and therefore avoid most of the losses that occur in externally excited synchronous rotors.

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LNG carriers and container ships

In 2024, ABB announced an order from Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (SHI) to equip 15 liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers with the permanent magnet shaft generator technology. The 174,000-cbm capacity ships are due delivery between mid-2026 and August 2028. Representing SHI’s the largest fleet of LNG project involving permanent magnet shaft generator systems, the contract is also the South Korean yard’s single largest ever order for LNG carriers. 

In 2025,  30 further systems were ordered from ABB. 18 are for ships being built by Chinese shipbuilders and 12 for ships for South Korean manufacturers. These will be delivered between 2028 and 2030.

ABB have also won different orders to equip a total of over 160 container vessels, serving all the top four container shipping companies.

These generators represent not only gains in efficiency, but also a more compact design, meaning a more efficient use of the space available on a ship.

ABB in Marine and Ports

As shaft generators become more common, global supply chains will be able to depend on ships that use less energy and produce fewer emissions. In this way ABB is helping shipping companies outrun, leaner and cleaner.

Discover these and many other groundbreaking ABB technologies from the world of marine and ports.