ABB will supply its Onboard DC Grid™ platform, energy management technology, batteries, and propulsion components for two Spanish Navy coastal hydrographic vessels scheduled for delivery by 2028
ABB has secured a contract with Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia to supply an integrated DC-based power distribution and propulsion package for two new Spanish Navy coastal hydrographic vessels (BHC).
The vessels, scheduled for delivery by 2028, will support hydrographic surveying and coastal mapping operations critical to Spain’s maritime safety, environmental monitoring, and national defense missions.
ABB has secured a contract with Spanish state-owned shipbuilding and design company Navantia to supply two forthcoming Spanish Navy coastal hydrographic vessels (BHC) with a complete DC-based power distribution and propulsion system.
Scheduled for delivery by 2028, the new vessels will play a critical role in mapping and studying Spain’s coastal waters, contributing to national defence, environmental monitoring, and maritime safety. ABB’s integrated scope of supply – comprising Onboard DC Grid™ with PEMS™ power and energy management system, transformers, thruster motors, and batteries – will optimise the vessels’ energy efficiency and operational flexibility while minimising fuel consumption and emissions. As part of the project, ABB will also handle all system integration processes including engineering, testing, and commissioning for the ABB scope.
Onboard DC Grid™ is a compact and lightweight modular power system platform ideally suited to specialised vessels operating in complex environments. Highly configurable, it supports the simplest to the most demanding applications in the low- to mid-power range, while its best-in-class fault tolerance maximises safety and reliability of the new vessels. In combination with ABB’s PEMS™ power and energy management system, Onboard DC Grid™ will optimise the hydrographic vessels’ total power resources including variable speed generators, energy storage systems and easy integration of future energy sources.
“ABB has shown to be a dependable and capable technology partner over our two previous collaborations involving the Spanish Navy. This collaboration will enhance the new hydrographic vessels performance and energy efficiency,” commented Alberto Cervantes, Director of Corvettes and Maritime Action Ships Business, Navantia. “The forthcoming coastal hydrographic vessels will operate in demanding environments, where the energy efficiency, reliability and flexibility of ABB’s Onboard DC Grid™ will prove invaluable.”
“We are honored that Navantia and the Spanish Navy have once again chosen ABB’s power solution for these two new coastal hydrographic vessels,” said Sindre Sætre, Business Line Manager, Coast Guard and Navy, ABB’s Marine & Ports division. “We look forward to taking the next step in our partnership with both parties as we collaborate on this exciting project, which underscores our dedication to advancing naval innovation through electrification and digitalization.”
In May 2023, ABB won a breakthrough order with Navantia to retrofit the Spanish Navy flagship, Juan Carlos I, with an electric propulsion system including two Azipod® units. Later that year, it secured a second contract with the shipyard to supply a complete DC-based power and distribution system to Poseidon, a Spanish Navy for submarine rescue and other subaquatic interventions (BAM-IS).
