It is a remarkable period for Accelleron. On the 100th anniversary of the world’s first turbocharger, built by Accelleron’s direct ancestor company, the drive to offer efficient solutions remains a hallmark of the global manufacturer. The international powerhouse continues to grow from strength to strength at a rapid pace. And as Francis Borg, the Branch Manager for Malta rightly puts into perspective, “the Malta Service Station remains a strategic hub for services in the Mediterranean region,” right at the centre of one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Tracing back its roots to Alfred Büchi’s collaboration with the Swiss engineering firm Brown, Boveri & Cie in the early 1920s, Accelleron is proudly marking this impressive history of the turbocharger. Found in large internal combustion engines in ships, the results derived from a turbocharger are impressive in terms of engine performance, fuel efficiency and reduction of emissions.
Accelleron today is a giant in its field and a world-leading company, having spun off from ABB. With a solid past, its focus is clearly set on the future. The company has made a few strategic acquisitions, including most recently that of True North Marine, bringing onboard the Canadian company’s specialist solutions for digital weather routing and voyage optimisation. This acquisition means that Accelleron’s customer base for digital solutions has increased to 3,300 ships, complementing Accelleron’s own digital solution Tekomar XPERT Marine and Turbo Insights that is geared towards the vessel’s performance, to increase efficiency, save fuel costs, and lower emissions.
True North Marine’s President, Brian Hatter, has been quoted as stating that “our combined offering will create a transparent data connection between the bridge and engine room that allows vessel owners and charterers to work together for more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Further outlining the efficiency gains that are now being offered by the firm's expanding digital solutions, Cristian Corotto, President of Accelleron’s Digital Division and Group Digital Strategy remarked at the time that “The new synergies from this acquisition will help customers optimise their global fleet planning, saving fuel and money, reduce emissions, and ensure compliance with evolving international regulations.”
After acquiring global fuel injection leader OMT in 2023, Accelleron brought on OMC2 last July “to expand production capacity” for fuel-injection systems. Mr Borg explains that “the recent acquisitions of OMC2 and OMT align with Accelleron's broader strategy of diversifying its business portfolio”, as he divulges that “by expanding into the injectors segment, a critical component of engine systems, Accelleron is positioning itself to offer more comprehensive solutions to address engine efficiency and support the transition to carbon-neutral fuels.” Mr Borg says that "Accelleron's chief focus is on organic growth, and on thoroughly integrating these acquisitions."
Further, Mr Borg highlights “the recent strategic agreement with Geislinger, which directly integrates our service station in Malta.” He continues to explain that “this collaboration will support the continued growth of Accelleron's service capabilities, allowing us to extend our service network to include dampers.” Elaborating in more detail on the role of the Malta branch, Mr Borg further notes that “the service station in Malta is fully involved in this initiative, ensuring that we can deliver timely and efficient support.” Remarking on the extensive preparations that this entails, the Branch Manager points out that “we have successfully completed a comprehensive training program in collaboration with Geislinger, which equips our teams with the necessary expertise to be fully operational and deliver top-tier service in this sector.” Very much in line with company standards and client requirements.
“The partnership with Geislinger further strengthens Malta's customer offering, solidifying our commitment to excellence in service delivery across the region.”
In September 2024, it was announced that Somas Instrument AB, a manufacturer of marine control and on-/off valves, has appointed Accelleron “as an authorized global service provider for its marine customers”. Indeed, Mr Borg says “our recent partnership with SOMAS, which focuses on the maintenance of butterfly valves in exhaust gas after-treatment systems for two-stroke engines.” He underlines that “this partnership is particularly significant as it provides SOMAS’ maritime customers with direct access to Accelleron’s extensive global service network.” Running through the impressive figures garnered by this collaboration, Mr Borg is quick to indicate that “with over 500 highly skilled service technicians spread across 100 locations worldwide, we are in a strong position to offer prompt and reliable support, ensuring that customers benefit from our technical expertise and comprehensive support network.
These relationships continue to highlight Accelleron’s strategy of offering more than turbocharging solutions to its clients. Be it digital tools, additional components to the engine and as can be recalled with last year’s acquisition of OMT, high precision fuel injection solutions. Mr Borg boldly states that “these initiatives reflect Accelleron’s commitment to broadening its service offerings and strengthening its position in key sectors of the marine and energy industries.”
Powering the largest merchant vessels and machines across the world, Mr Borg acknowledges that at Accelleron “we work closely with manufacturers to ensure efficiency gains, which directly translate into reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions.” As a testament to its leading position, he also notes that “Accelleron is at the forefront of this effort, playing an essential role in driving improvements in engine performance.”
Accelleron’s drive towards efficiency across the whole spectrum of the solutions on offer to clients also includes a shift towards carbon-neutral fuels like methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. This drive, Mr Borg admits, “is certainly a major challenge, but it's one we are fully prepared to embrace in order support our customers in meeting new and more stringent sustainability standards.” On this point, Mr Borg is quite clear that “we're committed to supporting our customers in navigating these changes and ensuring a more sustainable future.”
That emphasis is also visible in Accelleron’s commitment “to building strong relationships with the local community to foster collaboration and attract new talent,” as Mr Borg attests that “we have strengthened our partnerships with schools and the Merchant Marine Academy in Italy, and we are beginning to see promising results from this initiative.” With a vibrant maritime tradition in Malta, Mr Borg reveals that “we aim to replicate these efforts in Malta as well.” Reflecting on the firm's long-term purpose of accelerating sustainability in marine and energy industries, he states that “this strategy not only allows us to connect with potential future employees but also underscores our dedication to supporting local education and skill development in the region, in a world striving to become sustainable.”
As Accelleron celebrates a century of innovation as a global technology and service leader, the company’s Malta Service Station, at the centre of the Mediterranean region, plays a strategic role in delivering results for clients – efficiently and excellently.
