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Power and potential — how Volvo Penta IPS can transform the marine commercial market
Power and potential — how Volvo Penta IPS can transform the marine commercial market
The all-new Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System (IPS) professional platform gives commercial vessel operators good reason to take notice. The fully integrated helm-to-propeller experience has evolved into a platform that offers unparalleled benefits.
As the marine world looks forward to the release of the larger, more versatile package, Jan-Willem Vissers, Director, Marine Commercial, explains how it will help operators boost performance, sustainability and uptime.
How will the new Volvo Penta IPS professional platform maximize uptime for marine commercial operators?
Volvo Penta IPS offers unrivaled benefits for marine commercial operators. This new, fully integrated professional platform has been developed for marine commercial use and heavy-duty applications. It maximizes uptime for operators because it is more reliable and backed by enhanced service support. We are responsible for the complete package, from helm to propellor. This has enabled us to boost performance and efficiency, as well as enhance predictive maintenance capabilities. The result is extended service intervals for operators, and when service or maintenance is needed, our network offers superior support. We back the platform with global parts availability and 24/7 customer support through our worldwide authorized service network. This streamlines service functions for operators and saves them time and expense.
It's important to note that the Volvo Penta IPS platform has close to 20 years of proven use and more than 36,000 units delivered. It already has a well-established network of parts and service providers and excellent integration with Volvo Penta’s most popular engines. The new professional platform builds on this heritage with reduced fuel consumption, flexible power options, faster speeds, increased integration and many more benefits. The overall result is that we achieved a new standard for maximizing vessel uptime with lower operational costs.
Can the Volvo Penta IPS professional platform help companies meet sustainability goals or improve their sustainability metrics?
The Volvo Penta IPS professional platform is the largest and most powerful platform in the range, and it’s extremely efficient. It has been expanded to work with professional vessels and superyachts from 25 to 55+ meters with top speeds from 12-40 knots, and it retains the forward-facing propellor design that has been proven to manage power in the most efficient way possible.
The marine drive features a game-changing dual power input concept that offers flexibility and modularity as companies work towards improved sustainability. It can utilize different combinations of energy sources — from combustion engines running on fuels to fully electric or hybrid solutions. This enables companies to use the energy source that suits their current operations and then easily adapt to future needs.
At its launch in 2025, Volvo Penta IPS 40, which is the largest drive in the platform’s range, will be powered by two Volvo Penta D13 engines, generating an equivalent shaft power from 1800 to 2700 hp per driveline. These engines are paired with the most compact after-treatment system available in the market in this power range, which requires hardly any extra space in the engine room. If you compare the total weight of an alternative driveline, the Volvo Penta IPS 40 offers the IMO III package at the same or even lighter weight.
What performance advantages does this professional platform offer?
The new Volvo Penta IPS professional platform is designed for heavy-duty commercial applications. It is capable of generating outstanding efficiency gains and is expected to deliver up to 30% savings in fuel consumption and emissions, 40% longer cruising range, 20% higher top speed and faster acceleration when compared to a traditional inboard shaft installation. Its forward-facing dual-propellor design delivers unrivaled maneuverability not previously seen on these bigger vessels.
The platform will also feature a new ECO Mode, an efficiency-driven feature that can automatically start and stop individual engines based on the power needed for a situation. Depending on the application an operator is engaged in, this means that up to 50% of the time, half of the engines could potentially be resting. This optimizes fuel consumption and engine running hours, which can extend the time between service intervals and reduce overall maintenance needs.
How does the cost compare to alternatives?
The Volvo Penta IPS professional platform will have a lower overall cost of ownership due to longer service intervals and increased time between overhauls (TBO) due to the Eco Mode function. This also generates lower fuel/energy consumption per nautical mile, and in turn, lower fuel consumption reduces the required amount of fuel on board, resulting in a lighter boat. Lighter boats offer longer cruising ranges and higher top speeds. This will improve operations by enabling boats to travel faster and farther, which will improve overall company performance.
When you factor these performance benefits with longer service intervals, increased redundancy and improved servicing, which is facilitated by streamlined maintenance and repair operations, operators will increase their uptime. This will enable them to keep their boats in operation and limit required service times. This means boats can get back to work more quickly. The combination of improved efficiency, reduced maintenance and enhanced support will have a real effect on operators’ bottom lines.
What will the driving experience be like for commercial operators?
Volvo Penta IPS will provide reduced noise and vibration thanks to a through-hull suspension and integrated exhaust system. This human-centric design has a tremendous effect on the operating experience, making it more comfortable and quieter — in fact, this platform provides up to a 50% reduction in perceived noise, which can greatly improve operating conditions on large commercial vessels.
A unique design positions the platform to require less space in the engine room, which results in more space on board. This frees up more room for crews to be productive, have more passenger space or capacity, or for companies to load more cargo or equipment, boosting their profitability.
When you combine the enhancements in driving experience, flexibility, performance and support, we expect the new Volvo Penta IPS professional platform to have a profound effect in the marine commercial market. Marine operators can surely benefit from utilizing the most fully integrated, fuel efficient and operator friendly propulsion system on the market.
Volvo Penta IPS offers unrivaled benefits for marine commercial operators. This new, fully integrated professional platform has been developed for marine commercial use and heavy-duty applications. It maximizes uptime for operators because it is more reliable and backed by enhanced service support. We are responsible for the complete package, from helm to propellor. This has enabled us to boost performance and efficiency, as well as enhance predictive maintenance capabilities. The result is extended service intervals for operators, and when service or maintenance is needed, our network offers superior support. We back the platform with global parts availability and 24/7 customer support through our worldwide authorized service network. This streamlines service functions for operators and saves them time and expense.
It's important to note that the Volvo Penta IPS platform has close to 20 years of proven use and more than 36,000 units delivered. It already has a well-established network of parts and service providers and excellent integration with Volvo Penta’s most popular engines. The new professional platform builds on this heritage with reduced fuel consumption, flexible power options, faster speeds, increased integration and many more benefits. The overall result is that we achieved a new standard for maximizing vessel uptime with lower operational costs.
Can the Volvo Penta IPS professional platform help companies meet sustainability goals or improve their sustainability metrics?
The Volvo Penta IPS professional platform is the largest and most powerful platform in the range, and it’s extremely efficient. It has been expanded to work with professional vessels and superyachts from 25 to 55+ meters with top speeds from 12-40 knots, and it retains the forward-facing propellor design that has been proven to manage power in the most efficient way possible.
The marine drive features a game-changing dual power input concept that offers flexibility and modularity as companies work towards improved sustainability. It can utilize different combinations of energy sources — from combustion engines running on fuels to fully electric or hybrid solutions. This enables companies to use the energy source that suits their current operations and then easily adapt to future needs.
At its launch in 2025, Volvo Penta IPS 40, which is the largest drive in the platform’s range, will be powered by two Volvo Penta D13 engines, generating an equivalent shaft power from 1800 to 2700 hp per driveline. These engines are paired with the most compact after-treatment system available in the market in this power range, which requires hardly any extra space in the engine room. If you compare the total weight of an alternative driveline, the Volvo Penta IPS 40 offers the IMO III package at the same or even lighter weight.
What performance advantages does this professional platform offer?
The new Volvo Penta IPS professional platform is designed for heavy-duty commercial applications. It is capable of generating outstanding efficiency gains and is expected to deliver up to 30% savings in fuel consumption and emissions, 40% longer cruising range, 20% higher top speed and faster acceleration when compared to a traditional inboard shaft installation. Its forward-facing dual-propellor design delivers unrivaled maneuverability not previously seen on these bigger vessels.
The platform will also feature a new ECO Mode, an efficiency-driven feature that can automatically start and stop individual engines based on the power needed for a situation. Depending on the application an operator is engaged in, this means that up to 50% of the time, half of the engines could potentially be resting. This optimizes fuel consumption and engine running hours, which can extend the time between service intervals and reduce overall maintenance needs.
How does the cost compare to alternatives?
The Volvo Penta IPS professional platform will have a lower overall cost of ownership due to longer service intervals and increased time between overhauls (TBO) due to the Eco Mode function. This also generates lower fuel/energy consumption per nautical mile, and in turn, lower fuel consumption reduces the required amount of fuel on board, resulting in a lighter boat. Lighter boats offer longer cruising ranges and higher top speeds. This will improve operations by enabling boats to travel faster and farther, which will improve overall company performance.
When you factor these performance benefits with longer service intervals, increased redundancy and improved servicing, which is facilitated by streamlined maintenance and repair operations, operators will increase their uptime. This will enable them to keep their boats in operation and limit required service times. This means boats can get back to work more quickly. The combination of improved efficiency, reduced maintenance and enhanced support will have a real effect on operators’ bottom lines.
What will the driving experience be like for commercial operators?
Volvo Penta IPS will provide reduced noise and vibration thanks to a through-hull suspension and integrated exhaust system. This human-centric design has a tremendous effect on the operating experience, making it more comfortable and quieter — in fact, this platform provides up to a 50% reduction in perceived noise, which can greatly improve operating conditions on large commercial vessels.
A unique design positions the platform to require less space in the engine room, which results in more space on board. This frees up more room for crews to be productive, have more passenger space or capacity, or for companies to load more cargo or equipment, boosting their profitability.
When you combine the enhancements in driving experience, flexibility, performance and support, we expect the new Volvo Penta IPS professional platform to have a profound effect in the marine commercial market. Marine operators can surely benefit from utilizing the most fully integrated, fuel efficient and operator friendly propulsion system on the market.
Volvo Penta North America
A part of Volvo Group