The winners of the first ever ‘Electric and Hybrid Marine Awards’, which champions the best in technology and design in the sector, have been announced.
Of the five categories up for grabs – Supplier of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Chief Engineer of the Year, Propulsion System Manufacturer of the Year and Electric and Hybrid Propulsion System of the Year – all were decided by a team of 24 international maritime journalists, marine industry experts and academics.
Caledonian Maritime Assets won the Electric and Hybrid Propulsion System of the Year award for its MV Hallaig diesel-electric ferry – said to be the world’s first seagoing passenger and vehicle ro-ro hybrid ferry, designed following a US$31m Scottish Government investment.
ABB won the award for Propulsion System Manufacturer of the Year, batting off stiff competition from Rolls-Royce, Wärtsilä and GE Power Conversion. The company won after ending 2013 with record revenues of nearly US$42bn and signed six contracts worth US$180m for cruise liner orders of its Azipod equipment. It was also given credit for its Onboard DC Grid propulsion system.
Supplier of the Year was won by Imtech Marine, having been shortlisted for achieving increased revenues and order intake amounting to US$661m during 2013. The company was also recognised for its hybrid propulsion system, used on the MV Hallaig, resulting in fuel savings of 38%.
More than a dozen of the industry’s finest were featured in the Chief Engineer of the Year category, but it was Carsten Johansen, chief engineer at Scandlines, who landed the award.
The final award, for Innovation of the Year, went to Cavotec for its world-first integrated automated mooring and shore power system.
