From power to superpower

FROM POWER TO SUPERPOWER

The new IPS 40s hail Volvo Penta’s entry into the 35-metreplus superyacht segment. A pioneering dual power input concept and the flexibility to embrace sustainable new power sources make these advanced pods very attractive indeed

by Paola Bertelli - ph. courtesy by Volvo Penta

Left, Nicola Pomi, Global Yacht and Superyacht Director Volvo Penta. Powerful, and versatile, the new IPS 40s (above) is installed as a twin, triple and quad (page opposite, top) set-up. Page opposite, right, the hybrid version of the IPS 40: the pod is powered by both a conventional engine and an electric motor ph.

Giovanni Malgarini

Volvo Penta unveils new IPS 40 system. A revolution that has opened up the 35 to 55-plus metre displacement, semi-displacement and planing superyacht sector to the Swedish manufacturer. Already honed and tested on a fast ferry in Sweden, it will come to market in 2025.

“Volvo Penta adopted a very specific strategy of starting small, honing its offering and then moving on to launching on larger craft,” explains Nicola Pomi, Global Yacht and Superyacht Director Volvo Penta – “We’ve been thinking big since we presented the smaller IPS in 2005. In 2010, we started installing our engines in multiples on larger craft and now we’ve come to the next step – superyachts. We needed a more powerful drive, hence the development of the IPS 40s. And we won’t be stopping there as because it’s a pod set up for the electric, is it very versatile and suitable for even larger applications”.

The Volvo Penta engineers’ pioneering dual power input concept, which pairs two power sources to each individual pod was also pivotal as it doubles the power output.

The IPS 40s, available from 2025, will comprise twin 1,000 hp D13s each that translates into a maximum power output of 8,000 hp in the case of a quad set-up.

“We are the leaders in manufacturing and selling sustainable systems,” says Pomi. “So instead of thinking about increasing the physical size of the engines, we focused on making the power modular. Having two engines that can power the same pod guarantees better flexibility and efficiency. Plus one or two engines can be used depending on the use profile at any particular time. Our aim is to be efficient where and when required”. In a second step, a mix of power units that use different energy sources will be able to be combined with the new pods from 2026.

“We are seeing a bit of a race to electric power at the moment but there are different solutions out there. Volvo Penta is preparing for all possible scenarios. The platform is set up for a mix of power sources, from engines that use renewable fuels to all-electric or hybrid solutions”.

The IPS 40s mark Volvo Penta entry into a segment dominated by wellestablished competitors. However, it is bringing an innovative product to the mix that Nicola Pomi doesn’t hesitate to call a game changer: “There is no pod solution like ours that’s integrated from helm to propeller for 35-55-metre craft. If we add in the Humphree stabilisers, the integration we can offer broadens still further. Because our systems are so innovative, efficient and sustainable, we’re not just entering the segment, we coming in to change it”.

The Volvo Penta pod system’s debut in the superyacht world brings with it all the advantages that have earned it its impressive reputation: exceptional manoeuvrability, improved comfort underway, less noise and vibration, lower fuel consumption. The system’s compact size and aft location open up new design scenarios too as more space is suddenly

The IPS 40s are all part and parcel of the growth and development strategy Volvo Penta has been pursuing since the early 2000s. The IPS 30s were the first to be installed on superyachts: clockwise, from top, the Mangusta GranSport 33, the wallywhy200, the Amer 120, the Sanlorenzo SX112 and the Azimut S8

available for guests and crew.

The advantages for yards are many and varied: installing an integrated Volvo Penta system means that you only deal with one supplier for the entire driveline. The system also arrives ready-assembled. Pomi adds: “We guarantee serious technical support starting with the definition of the waterlines to optimise our system’s efficiency and the integration of all the systems in the engine room”.

Seamless aftermarket is an other major plus with this system: all of the IPS 40 are available in the Volvo Penta catalogue, so if the propeller breaks down, you’ll have a new one at your yacht in the space of a few hours no matter where you are in the world. The assistance service for superyachts is becoming increasingly tailored too and is delivered by either technicians from Volvo Penta or specialist distributors flanked by a team of Volvo Penta engineers located in the areas of the world most superyacht tend to congregate during the different seasons. Because boats that special have very special requirements.

www.volvopenta.com