Delivering flexible power for modern tankers

Tankers spend long hours running steady main engine loads at sea – ideal conditions for a shaft generator to take over onboard power production and cut fuel consumption on every voyage. At the same time, cargo and ballast pumps, inert gas systems and cargo heating can create peaks of power demand during loading and discharge at ports. This makes efficient and flexible power systems essential. 

The Switch’s proven power solutions are designed to cover both ends of that range: efficient at low, steady sea loads and robust enough for high, intermittent port loads, all within a compact footprint. Where hybrid or diesel-electric propulsion is fitted, vessels also gain smoother, more precise maneuvering during berthing and ship-to-ship operations, along with the high-redundancy power that dynamic positioning demands. In addition, support for energy storage and future energy sources provide the flexibility needed as tanker operations evolve.

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A typical tanker installation can save around 300 tons of fuel, 900 tons of CO₂ and roughly USD 200,000 per year compared to a genset.

Marine solution concepts

  • Isometric diagram of a shaft generator system labeled 'The Switch PM shaft generator' with orange cables connecting modules across a light-blue background.
  • Infographic showing shaft generator system with hybrid DC distribution and labeled components: The Switch PM shaft generator and The Switch DC-Hub on a rail/ship/industrial setup.
  • 3D diagram of a diesel-electric propulsion system for a single-screw vessel, with orange cables and equipment labeled The Switch
  • Infographic of a hybrid-electric propulsion network for a single-screw vessel, showing DC distribution lines and labeled components like The Switch EBL and DC-Hub.
  • Isometric view of a ship’s full-electric propulsion system with DC distribution panels connected by orange cables to a propulsion motor.
  • Hero-style diagram of diesel-electric propulsion with AC distribution for a twin-screw vessel, showing engines, switchgear, and propeller shafts.
  • Diagram of a hybrid-electric propulsion system with DC power distribution showing switch blocks and multiple propulsion modules connected by orange power lines.