ABB - Experts & Thought Leaders

With the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s 9th Global Conference on 21-22 May in Nairobi approaching fast, businesses across the world face the goal of doubling progress towards energy efficiency by 2030 to meet COP28 emissions targets and cut energy costs. However, a recent report from the Energy Efficiency Movement shows that while there is optimism and appetite among businesses to invest in energy efficiency, the survey also identified barriers, including a lack of specialist resources (33 percent). Version of motor-driven systems To address this deficit and help businesses take the first step on their journey toward energy efficiency, ABB is launching an online calculator that offers easy access to data insight based on the energy performance of motor-driven systems. ABB is launching an online calculator that offers easy access to data insight By inputting basic details about their motor fleet, running hours and average operating power, the customer can estimate energy and emissions savings, and payback period. The online calculator is a light version of the in-depth energy efficiency audit used by ABB’s experts in a full study and is based on the same algorithm. Environmental impact and operating costs “Improving energy efficiency is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways for industrial organizations to reduce their environmental impact and operating costs,” said Erich Labuda, President of the Motion Services division at ABB. “However, many businesses lack the data insights needed to act. Our new online calculator democratizes access to this valuable information and helps businesses understand the scale of the opportunity.” Latest motor and drive technology The calculator focuses on low-voltage motors of efficiency class IE3 and below The calculator provides an initial estimate of the potential energy and cost savings achievable by upgrading pump and fan systems driven by low voltage direct online (DOL) motors, which are installed without a variable speed drive (VSD) to control their speed.  The calculator focuses on low-voltage motors of efficiency class IE3 and below. It estimates the energy savings that could be achieved by upgrading to the latest motor and drive technology – the IE5 SynRM package – for optimal energy efficiency gains. Energy efficiency journey After seeing the potential results, the next step in the energy efficiency journey is a full energy efficiency audit, where ABB’s experts gather site-specific data to precisely identify an operator’s top opportunities for saving energy. Once an audit’s recommendations are implemented, the final step is to protect their investments with customized service agreements that keep their motors and drives operating efficiently and reliably through their lifetime.

ABB and CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, have identified significant energy-saving potential through a strategic research partnership focused on the cooling and ventilation system at one of the world’s leading laboratories for particle physics institutes, located in Geneva, Switzerland. The study included energy efficiency audits which have helped to identify a savings potential of 17.4 percent across a fleet of 800 motors. energy consumption roadmap The research, conducted between 2022 and 2023, followed an agreement between ABB and CERN. This saw the partners developing a roadmap for reducing the energy consumption of the site’s cooling and ventilation system via data-driven energy efficiency audits. It has identified potential annual energy savings of up to 31 gigawatt-hours (GWh). If achieved, these savings could be enough to power more than 18,000 European households and could avoid four kilotonnes of CO2 emission, the same as planting over 420,000 trees. Energy efficiency audits CERN and ABB experts assessed a wide variety of data from motors in various cooling and ventilation applications Energy efficiency audits work by evaluating the performance and efficiency of motors based on their operational data. Audits help large facilities like CERN to identify the most significant energy-saving opportunities across whole fleets of motors. CERN and ABB experts assessed a wide variety of data from motors in various cooling and ventilation applications. They combined data from multiple sources, including digitally connected motors, CERN’s SCADA system, and data gathered directly from their pumps, piping, and instrumentation. energy efficiency upgrades The experts analyzed the efficiency of the whole system to provide insights to pinpoint the motors with the best business case for energy efficiency upgrades. “We are proud to cooperate with CERN and support its ambition to conduct physics research with a low-carbon footprint, by helping them to achieve more energy-efficient operations of their cooling and ventilation systems,” said Erich Labuda, President of the Motion Services division at ABB. low-carbon society “This research project represents another step in CERN’s energy efficiency journey." "As an institution with a large installed base of motors, working with CERN is a great example of how we can support in making a big impact in improving energy efficiency as part of the transition to a low-carbon society.” minimizing environmental footprint Giovanni Anelli, Head of the Knowledge Transfer group at CERN said, “The collaboration with ABB was set up to optimize the laboratory’s cooling and ventilation infrastructure to reduce its energy consumption and is in line with CERN’s commitment to minimize its environmental footprint as well as to share the findings publicly for the greater impact on society." "It’s a great example of a collaboration where each side brings their contribution to the table. CERN brings its large-scale infrastructure and ABB contributes with its technology and service expertise." Cooling and ventilation systems "We are very happy with the final result of this research project as we have exceeded our goal of identifying a 10-15 percent energy efficiency improvement.” “Cooling and ventilation systems are a fantastic first place to look for energy efficiency upgrades,” Labuda elaborated. 64% energy-saving potential “This is because they are often overdesigned, being specified to operate at a maximum load way above the average. We found one pump motor at CERN with an energy-saving potential of 64 percent." "It is also important to not just evaluate motor efficiency, but the system as a whole including the fans, condensers, and cooling towers. This holistic approach supports the improvement of CERN’s overall energy efficiency and reliability.” condition monitoring solutions CERN’s next step is to create a roadmap for the upgrade of the first motors to the solutions recommended as part of the energy efficiency audit: IE5-rated Synchronous Reluctance Motors (SynRM) operating with variable speed drives (VSDs).  These motors will also be digitally connected, enabling condition monitoring solutions to accurately monitor their health and performance to ensure maximum uptime.

ABB has secured a contract with Auckland Transport (AT) to deliver the maritime world’s first-megawatt charging system (MCS) to recharge electric ferries using the same interface as trucks and airplanes. Lowering the barrier to entry, the standardized and highly adaptable system is expected to improve electric vessel competitiveness against fossil-fueled counterparts.  As part of its Mission Electric initiative, AT has ordered two 200-seat all-electric ferries and two 300-passenger hybrid-electric ferries and is expected to become the largest electric ferry fleet operator in the Southern Hemisphere by 2030. New Auckland-owned ferries The new ferries are estimated to help AT cut diesel use by 1.5 million liters, and CO2e emissions Replacing conventional, diesel-operated ferries, the new ferries are estimated to help AT cut diesel use by 1.5 million liters, and CO2e emissions by 4,000 metric tons per year, equivalent to the annual emissions generated by about 90 diesel buses. “It is incredibly exciting to lead the way with modern, low-emission public transport,” said Nathan Cammock, Programme Director, Auckland Transport. “Our new Auckland-owned ferries will bring greater passenger capacity, improved accessibility, and a more consistent customer experience. They will rely on modern charging infrastructure to deliver on these capabilities.” 2050 Net-zero emissions target While ferries carry only six percent of public transport users in Auckland, their diesel engines produce 20 percent of the city’s public transport greenhouse gas emissions. New Zealand has set decarbonization goals by including a 2050 net-zero emissions target in its Zero Carbon Act. Given its responsibility for public transport infrastructure around the Hauraki Gulf, AT has chosen to electrify its ferry network using the CharIN megawatt charging system standard. ABB will work with local partners to deliver, engineer and install five complete charging solutions during 2024 and 2025 at several ferry terminals. Each system will feature a pair of 1.65MW chargers, consisting of a transformer, ACS880 converters, MCS plugs, and cable management on the ferry pontoons. ABB lower-power charging solution Chargers will deliver over three megawatts of direct current power to sustain the short turnarounds The chargers will deliver over three megawatts of direct current (DC) power to sustain the short turnarounds and high-power demands needed to maintain an efficiently operated ferry fleet. The connectors will be handled by the crew during passenger turnarounds.  The Auckland installation will also be the first MCS supplied by ABB to benefit from the standardized plug-in interface, although the group has been delivering shore-to-ship power for over 20 years since an initial contract with Princess Cruises in Alaska. The Auckland solution will be similar in charging capacity to ABB’s landmark project to support 10 all-electric ferries for public transportation provider Transtejo Soflusa in Lisbon, Portugal. New Zealand’s first fully electric, high-speed passenger ferry Ika Rere in Wellington utilizes an ABB lower-power charging solution for electric vehicles. ABB’s global support capabilities “ABB’s proven experience in delivering robust and high-performance ship charging solutions and their willingness to embrace the megawatt charging system were major considerations in AT’s choice,” commented Murray Burt, Chief Engineer, Auckland Transport. “It was important to combine ABB’s global support capabilities and long-standing local presence for a project that will transform Auckland’s ferry services.”  Noise- and emission-free operations Electrification is crucial and we must move away from emissions-generating technologies “Ferries connect communities and have a significant impact on the environment,” said Palemia Field, Ferry Segment Manager, ABB Marine & Ports.  “There’s a well-known Māori proverb which says ‘ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi’, or ‘once the old fishing net is worn, it is put aside to make way for the new fishing net’. Electrification is crucial and we must move away from emissions-generating technologies. Noise- and emission-free operations benefit both the broader and local communities, while passengers onboard enjoy improved travel comfort thanks to less vibration.” Maritime battery capacity As the electrification of the global ferry fleet increases, ABB expects more operators to opt for a standardized interface that is familiar from other industries. “We are ready to deliver the MCS solution to meet the demand, wherever standardized connections make it easier for operators to design their ferries and terminals,” Field said.  Electric ferry orders made up 37 percent of the maritime battery capacity deliveries between 2019 and 2022, according to research published by IDTechEx. A 2023 forecast from Spherical Insights suggests that the market for all types of electric ships will double in value by 2030 over a 2021 baseline, to surpass $10.5 billion.