Ship&Offshore | Ausgabe 02/2017
Powering marine growth
Helsinki-based The Switch, a specialist in the development and supply of advanced drive trains, says it is targeting 200% growth within the marine segment in the next five years, building on recent orders, its acquisition of Wärtsilä Drives, and the financial positioning of its parent company, the EUR 3.3 billion-turnover Yaskawa Electric Corporation. The company believes that its permanent magnet (PM) and frequency converter technology can have the same transformational effect in the marine business as it has had in the wind industry. In the latter, The Switch is a preferred supplier, providing permanent magnet generators and full-power converters to wind turbines worldwide. In total, the firm has installed capacity in excess of 13 GW. The largest low-voltage (690 V) PM generators installed have a capacity of 8.6 MW. The Switch manufactures modular and flexible PM machines that – in conjunction with frequency converters – convert mechanical energy into electric power which can then be utilised for onboard systems and equipment.