Kongsberg Maritime to extend range of Elegance Pods for large cruise vessels

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

Building on a proven propulsion platform, the new Elegance Pod combines advanced hydrodynamics, permanent magnet motor technology and low-noise operation to deliver increased efficiency, enhanced passenger comfort and reduced emissions. 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.

Ville Rimpilä, Senior Vice President – Thrusters, Kongsberg Maritime, said that with the introduction of the new Elegance Pod range, the company is extending a proven propulsion platform into the upper tier of the cruise market. He said cruise operators are looking for solutions that combine efficiency, reliability, manoeuvrability and future readiness, and the launch demonstrates Kongsberg Maritime’s commitment to delivering technology that meets those expectations while supporting customers throughout the vessel lifecycle.

The new Elegance Pod is being developed with a strong focus on total system efficiency. Its 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.

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

The new propulsion solution is supported by Kongsberg Maritime’s global service organisation, leveraging extensive experience from the company’s existing large-scale thruster portfolio to ensure reliable lifecycle support worldwide. Kongsberg Maritime unveiled the new Elegance Pod propulsion range at SMM in Hamburg on September 2.