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Orion Marine
Marine Electrical

Marine Electrical Retrofit & Modernization

Obsolete parts, recurring faults, new regulations. We modernize the electrical systems of vessels in service — without losing what already works.

Retrofit

Modernizing a system that is still in use

A retrofit starts from what the vessel already has. Switchboards, distribution, drives and controls were designed together, often many years ago, and changing one part changes the load, the protection and the space around the others. That is why we survey the existing installation and its drawings before anything is specified.

Retrofits usually have a hard edge: a docking window, a spare part that is no longer made, or a regulation date — such as the shore power requirement arriving in EU ports from 2030. We plan the work against that edge, and finish with testing and commissioning. Where the work is a new system rather than a change to an existing one, see installation and outfitting.

Scope

What we modernize

Upgrade one system or several in the same yard period.

  • System modernization

    Bringing an ageing electrical system up to current equipment and practice — in stages, if the vessel needs to keep working.

  • Obsolete component replacement

    Breakers, relays, controllers and other parts that can no longer be supported, replaced with compatible current equipment.

  • Switchboard upgrades

    Main and emergency switchboards modified or upgraded: new sections, new breakers, new protection.

  • Distribution upgrades

    Distribution boards and feeders reworked when loads change or capacity runs out.

  • Automation and control upgrades

    Control systems and automation upgraded, and new equipment integrated into them.

  • Motors and drives

    Motors replaced, variable frequency drives added, and both set up for the load they serve.

  • Cabling

    New and replacement cabling, routed and terminated to suit the modified system.

  • Shore power integration

    A shore connection added to an existing vessel — the AMP retrofit, our strongest specialization.

  • Testing and commissioning

    Every modification tested and commissioned before the vessel returns to service.

Project proof

A shore power retrofit on a vessel in service

OOCL Montreal, a 4,402 TEU container ship in service since 2003, was retrofitted for shore power at Sefine Shipyard in 2026. Orion Marine delivered the AMP and marine-electrical scope inside the yard period, and the vessel left able to plug in at berths that offer a shore connection.

Read the case study
How it runs

From the existing system to the upgraded one

We plan every retrofit around what has to keep working.

  1. 01

    Survey

    Survey of the existing installation

    Switchboards, loads, drawings and spare capacity are checked on board, so the change is designed against the real system.

  2. 02

    Engineer

    Engineering the change

    The modification is designed, long-lead equipment is ordered against the dock date, and the cut-over is planned so that downtime stays short.

  3. 03

    Deliver

    Installation, testing and commissioning

    The work is installed, tested and commissioned, and the drawings are updated to match what is now on board.

Related

Related services and guides

Projects

Newbuilding vs. Retrofit: How to Decide

A practical framework for weighing a new vessel against upgrading the one you already operate.

4 min read

Shore power

AMP Shore Power Retrofit: What the Scope Involves

Owners often price a shore power conversion as a cable and a socket. Here is the scope that decides whether the vessel can actually plug in.

6 min read

Regulation

The 2030 Shore Power Deadlines: FuelEU Maritime and AFIR

Two EU regulations set 2030 as the year shore power stops being optional for containerships and passenger ships. Here is what each one actually requires, and why 2030 is not the date that should drive your planning.

5 min read

FAQ

Questions about electrical retrofits

What is a marine electrical retrofit?
A change to the electrical system of a vessel already in service: replacing obsolete equipment, upgrading switchboards, distribution or controls, or adding a new system such as a shore connection.
Can a retrofit be done in stages?
Often, yes. Where the vessel cannot be out of service for long, the work can be split, so that preparation is done on board or alongside and the cut-over is kept to a docking or a port stay.
Is a shore power conversion a retrofit?
Yes. On an existing vessel it is an electrical retrofit, and one of the more involved ones. See shore power and AMP for what it includes.
When should a system be retrofitted rather than repaired?
When parts are no longer available, failures keep coming back, or the system can no longer carry what is asked of it. Repair and troubleshooting work often shows which it is.

Planning a retrofit?

Tell us what the vessel has today, what needs to change and when she can stop. We'll come back with a scope.