ABB opens Murmansk Arctic centre

The new Marine Service Centre, situated in Murmansk, builds on a decade of local ABB services in support of ice-going vessels. In 2009, ABB’s engineers operating from smaller scale service facilities in the region supported 15 vessels. By 2019, the number of ships has exceeded 50, with projects covering over 100 Azipod propulsion units.

“Opening the Murmansk Marine Service Centre is a truly special moment for ABB in Russia,” said Juha Koskela, managing director, ABB Marine & Ports. “We work relentlessly to ensure that our services meet customer needs and expectations locally.”

The new centre occupies 2,000m² in a purpose-built facility for an initial staff of 20, including 12 local field engineers. The centre also features a warehouse for Azipod propulsion and electrical spare parts to ensure shortest delivery times.

The facility will also provide Russian language support to owners within the worldwide ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Centres network of seven global hubs focused on equipment monitoring and preventative and predictive maintenance.

ABB’s technologies are widely used for vessels operating in the Arctic. ABB has delivered Azipod electric propulsion systems to over 80 icebreakers or ice-going vessels with a combined propulsion power of up to 45MW.