ABB Marine & Ports Achieves Record Order Intake Amid Strategic Leadership Transition
ABB's Marine & Ports division within its Process Automation business area recorded record order intake during the first half of 2025, setting an impressive milestone. Customers saw increased activity within marine port automation and electrification sectors during this time, which speaks to growing industry demands for decarbonization solutions and digital technologies for maritime operations.
Marine & Ports division underwent a dramatic leadership transition as Juha Koskela, its longtime leader, passed over presidency to Rune Braastad. Koskela stressed Marine & Ports' shift away from dependence on just four segments-cruise ships, icebreakers, offshore oil and gas equipment and crane automation-to becoming an ever more diversified business with strong footholds in emerging segments like cargo shipping, naval vessels and port electrification. Marine & Ports restructuring into fully accountable global business lines has also allowed faster decision-making and improved market responsiveness.
Fuel Cell Technology Achieves Progress Toward Commercial Viability
ABB and HDF Energy advanced their maritime decarbonization efforts through a joint development agreement on high-power fuel cell units for marine applications. Based on a Memorandum of Understanding from 2020, pilot installations should begin taking place by 2028-2029 with serial production starting in 2030. HDF Energy of France will supply fuel cell technology while ABB supplies power converters, power management services, electrical integration capabilities and control integration solutions.
This collaboration represents an important step toward making fuel cells a commercially viable decarbonization option for maritime industry applications. Hanane El Hamraoui, CEO of HDF Energy stated that their partnership brings together HDF's fuel cell knowledge with ABB marine systems integration expertise to provide practical decarbonization solutions. Rune Braastad, President of ABB Marine & Ports Division emphasized their company's dedication to speedy maritime decarbonization through technological advancement.
Small Nuclear Reactors Being Examined for Marine Applications
ABB expanded its partnership with Blykalla to explore Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a marine power source, the expanded Memorandum of Understanding reflecting growing momentum for nuclear energy usage in maritime propulsion. ABB's expertise in system integration, power distribution, control and automation technologies will play a vital role in successfully deploying SMRs as shipboard solutions.
Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman noted the company's compact reactor design as being especially well suited to meet maritime demand for clean energy, while Juha Koskela noted their SMRs hold significant potential for driving decarbonization and enabling ship designs that emit less emissions compared to those powered by carbon-based fuel vessels. Together, these efforts mark an important step on shipping's decarbonization journey.
Generations 2025 Publication Outlines Decarbonization and Digitalization Strategy
ABB released their Generations 2025 publication on December 18th, providing insights on energy efficiency and digitalization developments in the maritime sector. It explores market-ready solutions, greenhouse gas pricing measures and technological innovations supporting shipping's transition towards reduced emissions - such as ABB's Onboard DC Grid power system which reduces both fuel consumption and emissions and its new dynamic positioning control system (DPCS). Key contributions also included ABB's Onboard DC Grid power system as well as their dynamic positioning control system (DPCS).
The publication provides fuel-agnostic solutions designed to give shipowners greater flexibility based on energy efficiency, emissions reductions and cost effectiveness. Technical contributions include test results from ABB Dynafin propulsion technology as well as digital tools designed to increase vessel efficiency. It also explores artificial intelligence in port operations as well as automation and maritime crew relationships; ABB claims digital crew systems complement rather than replace human capabilities aboard ships.
Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Orders and Operational Deployments
Washington State Ferries (WSF) awarded ABB an order for two hybrid-electric propulsion systems for two 160-autoferries, reflecting their increasing adoption of electrified vessel technologies. Furthermore, ABB's newly implemented dynamic positioning functionality (DP2) demonstrated major enhancements to vessel control during sea trials conducted by DEME in December 2025.
ABB's expansion into cargo shipping has yielded significant results through permanent magnet shaft generator orders and increased take-up of its Onboard DC Grid modular power system. Furthermore, ABB and Wallenius Marine formalized their partnership and established the first OVERSEA Fleet Support Center in Stockholm; which currently services 50 ships; Braastad has indicated plans to scale this offering up to several hundred vessels.