Kongsberg Maritime Expands Pod Range

Kongsberg Maritime is expanding its Elegance Pod propulsion range with the launch of five new sizes delivering up to 22MW, enabling the company to address the requirements of the world’s largest cruise vessels.

The new units are being developed to support both today’s and future vessel architectures, including hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems, providing shipowners with greater flexibility as the cruise sector continues its transition towards more sustainable operations.

The Elegance Pod’s compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance. The design also delivers low noise and vibration levels, an increasingly important consideration for passenger vessels.

The new Elegance Pod is designed for seamless integration with Kongsberg Maritime’s power and energy solutions. When combined with the company’s intelligent energy management systems, the propulsion and power plant can operate as a fully coordinated system, optimising energy use while ensuring safe and reliable performance across all operational conditions.

The pod control system can also be tightly integrated with Kongsberg Maritime’s advanced integrated bridge solutions, providing operators with enhanced situational awareness, streamlined vessel control and improved operational efficiency.

“The foundation of Elegance Pod is already proven in service,” said Anton Westerlund, Vice President Product Management – Thruster Systems, Kongsberg Maritime. “By extending the power range to 22MW, we are bringing the same hydrodynamic efficiency, operational flexibility and lifecycle performance to the largest cruise ships now entering the market.”