Mitsui and BEMAC to acquire The Switch from Yaskawa

The agreement will see Mitsui acquire a minority shareholding in The Switch. BEMAC specialises in distribution, control and monitoring technology for marine and industrial applications, and holds a market share of over 50% in the Japanese shipbuilding industry. 

The Switch includes advanced technology in MW-class permanent magnet (PM) machines (PMMs), DC distribution solutions, high-power AC drives and high-speed induction motors in its product portfolio, with a track record of delivering more than 22 GW of these products primarily for wind power and marine applications.

The Switch has seen demand for large-sized vessel shaft generators and propulsion motors for electric propulsion ships increase steadily. Since delivering the world’s first megawatt-class PM shaft generator in 2015, The Switch is currently the market leader in PM shaft generator markets, with its machine and drives product portfolio ranging from below 1 MW to over 10 MW.

These variable speed shaft generators are typically used in various large vessels, such as LNG carriers, container vessels, car carriers and different types of tankers, where they enable significant fuel savings and emissions reductions.