ABB Drives news and customer cases

The ACS880 liquid cooled drives from ABB will deliver high energy efficiency, low operating costs, ultra-low noise and zero emissions for the three all-electric ElectRa 2800 harbor tugs in Istalbul. Together, all three tugs will eliminate over 5,000 tonnes of CO2, which is roughly equal to the annual carbon emissions of 1,000 cars.

AFV Beltrame Group, headquartered in northern Italy, deployed ABB drives and motors to save energy in the water pumping systems that cool the production machinery. The drives regulate the speed of the pumps and reduce energy consumption when the operating cycle is discontinuous.

Amanbagh resort in Rajasthan, India saved around 30% energy annually by installing ABB drives in their facility. Variable speed drives adjust the motor speed of fans or pumps to meet the current building needs.

As part of Oulu Energy Arena's renovation project, ABB delivered ultra-low harmonic version of ACH580 drives to control compressors, ensuring reliable and energy-efficient ice making on the rink.

Active rectifier units from ABB provide a stable DC supply to fast charge five new electric ferries operating on three routes across Amsterdam’s busy North Sea Canal.

With the installation of ABB drives, energy efficiency of HVAC system of IKEA stores in Alcorcón and San Sebastián de los Reyes will be increased by 25%. Reduction of CO2 emissions estimated at 425 tons per year.

To ensure that the milling machine will not start up unexpectedly during daily maintenance, Schwermetall Halbzeugwerk, based in Germany, uses the Safe Torque Off (STO) function in ABB DC drives to safely switch the motor torque off.

Hobart City Council in Melbourne, Australia will experience an estimated 77 tonnes reduction of carbon emissions with a new more energy efficient solution from ABB. The solution includes ABB drives, motors and Smart Sensors.

ABB worked together with Nishishiba Electric to produce an optimally efficient solution for the next generation hybrid coastal cargo vessel under construction in Japan. ABB's liquid-cooled Multridrives will power the vessel's propulsion system while reducing emissions and maintenance costs.

ABB's ACH580 frequency converters were chosen to improve the energy efficiency of East Branch of Shanghai Library. For a huge library such as the East Branch, reducing energy use is critical to the sustainable development of the venue. With ACH580 drives used in the HVAC systems, reductions can reach up to 30%.

Collaboration between three companies – ABB, shipbuilder Asenav, and live fish transport service Patagonia Wellboat – is boosting the sustainability of aquaculture in southern Chile. The latest addition to Patagonia Wellboat’s fleet is the Patagón IX, which uses ABB drives and propulsion motors.

ABB technology, incl. variable speed drives, will help create a more sustainable approach at Renewcell’s new industrial textile recycling plant in Sweden. The innovative solution can help save about 90 billion liters of fresh water per year.

Energy Efficiency is high on the list of priorities in the United Arab Emirates. Recently, ABB partnered with the district cooling company Tabreed to use innovative technology to achieve operational excellence and save large amounts of pumping energy.

Naveen Nadesan of Remtron, an ABB Authorised Value Provider in Australia, and Mitch Palmer from AlburyCity Council in New South Wales, discuss how cooperative efforts to provide greater energy efficiency has resulted in multiple benefits.

For many years Swegon has relied on ABB technology built into its chillers, heat pumps and multifunction systems. When equipping the new CHIL climate chamber, ABB inverters were the natural choice. ABB's ACH580 drives support the control room, the “heart” of the operation.

Zeetug30 was commissioned in early 2020, and the initial operational results are looking particularly promising for Turkish owner, GİSAŞ Gemi Sanayi A.Ş. However, turning the project into reality required some ‘out of the box’ thinking by NAVTEK Naval Technologies. Local Sales Channel Manager at ABB explains how industrial drive technology plays an integral part in the solution.

In Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rangers, the outside can heat up quickly, so a retractable roof was a requirement for Rangers' new stadium Globe Life Field. For Uni-Systems Engineering the Globe Life Field retractable roof was the largest they had built to date. For this project, Uni-Systems utilized ACS880-11, the latest technology in the ABB regenerative drive family.

In the Ammertal-Schönbuchgruppe (ASG) association’s Ammerbuch-Poltringen waterworks in Germany, IE5 motor and variable speed drive (VSD) packages are driving compressors to soften clean water in the water treatment system. The ABB energy-efficient motor and VSD solution is an important component in the energy management process for this clean water supplier in the region of Swabia.

At the sewage treatment plant in the North Rhine-Westphalian city of Bocholt, Germany, preventing climate change and improving energy efficiency are two of their most important goals. That’s why the operators selected ABB IE5 synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) and drive packages to save energy.

ABB drives, motors and ABB Ability™ digital services played a major role in helping the Brazilian water and wastewater company Saneago cut pumping energy bills by around US$700,000 annually. At the same time, the ABB Ability™ Digital Powertrain solution improves uptime by giving valuable new insight into the condition of the equipment and maintenance needs.

The Council has succeeded in not only solving the problem of electrical lighting disturbances in nearby dwellings, but also upgrading their ageing infrastructure to enable their water supply system to operate more efficiently and cost effectively.

Aiming to raise efficiency on its automated egg farming lines, Big Dutchman-China began using ABB variable speed drives (VSD’s) for conveyor and fan operations – giving better uptime, ease of use and peace of mind for both the OEM and their customers.

Switzerland’s Jungfrau Region has two new cableways to carry visitors in fast, comfortable gondolas high into the mountains. ABB motors and drives ensure safety and reliability while saving energy.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation System, KLIS, is a massive and bold engineering project designed to bring much needed water to the Indian state of Telangana. ABB is a key supplier of mega-motors as well as variable speed drives for starting and control solutions.

Moist towelettes and sanitary products in wastewater can clog pumps. Mittelmärkische Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (MWA) uses the integrated pump cleaning function built into the ACQ580 to prevent this.

Medium voltage converters offer clear benefits at the higher turbine power levels now demanded for new offshore wind parks. ABB’s PCS6000 MV converter already supports power ratings up to 13 MW. It is the first MV converter to receive UL certification, which means that it can be used in North America.

ABB’s ACQ580 water dedicated drives are helping to reduce the occurrence of pump blockages at the Unitywater Deception Bay Pumping Station.

FRESH Völklingen produces first-class fish in large saltwater pools without any access to the sea. Instead the water in use is circulated in a completely closed water cycle. ABB’s industrial and general purpose drives control water treatment pumps in harsh environmental conditions.

ABB pioneering technologies help Viettel Group to achieve green and innovative asset objectives for its headquarter.

An ABB synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) and variable speed drive package has resulted in a considerable drop in energy costs of almost AUD 15,000 annually. CO2 savings of approximately 131 tonnes* annually have also been achieved, thereby contributing towards Campbell’s Australia reaching its ambitious sustainability target.

Manchester United recently completed a project to extend the capacity of its stadium at Old Trafford, UK. The Quadrant buildings have added around 7,600 seats to the stadium by increasing capacity in the second tier in the north-west and north-east quadrants of the ground.

ABB Motion presented its pioneering solutions at the hybrid conference for green transition, which was jointly inaugurated by the Crown Prince of Denmark and the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs.

When the E18 road link between Turku and Helsinki in Finland was to be upgraded to a motorway, ABB’s channel partner Airwecare, was called upon to supply, dimension and install ABB drives to control the tunnel fans. The fans are part of the whole tunnel ventilation system supplied by Suomen Ilmastointitukku Oy.

Finland’s City of Helsinki Public Works Department (PWD) Construction Management was concerned about wasting energy in its schools. One of these was Konala Comprehensive School, where the gymnasium was considered a high energy consumer.

ABB's energy-saving variable-speed drives and efficient permanent magnet motors to help Canal Sugar reduce energy consumption at its world-class factory in Egypt.

Shanxi Wanjiazhai Yellow River Industry Group Co., Ltd., has chosen ABB to deliver the major drives, motors and auxiliary equipment that will run the massive pumping stations that are being installed in the second phase extension of the Wanjiazhai Yellow River Water Diversion Project. This follows positive experience with ABB equipment that is being used in the first extension of the water channel, which was completed in 2015.

To explore ways to minimize harmonic distortions, but without using complex and costly external filters, Hamburg Wasser, a municipal water and wastewater utility, decided to test an ABB ULH drive which is designed for the water industry and does not create harmonics.

ABB’s medium voltage PCS6000 converters already support wind turbine power ratings up to 13 MW and the next generation will go even higher. The converters are successfully operating in the world’s most powerful offshore turbines.

ABB drives service engineers in Athens modernize a crucial drive system overnight, exceeding customer expectations.

Jämtkraft, an innovative, Swedish-based utility company that dates back over 125 years, has been synonymous with environmentally friendly energy since its inception in the late 1800s. The company relies on ABB to provide lifecycle services for the drives that control critical equipment at the plant.

In Sweden, Sandvik Materials Technology modernized their nearly 50-year-old main furnace and took a digital leap with the ABB Ability™ Operations Data Management zenon software solution to boost production.

A leading circular economy service company, Lassila & Tikanoja, has signed a service agreement with ABB to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the company’s recycling facility.

ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for powertrains guards continuous production at Switzerland’s leading power semiconductor plant.

Veisto Oy, the manufacturer of sawn timber production lines, has adopted ABB’s virtual commissioning to safely train customers on how to use equipment – weeks before it is installed and commissioned.

New shore-to-ship power in Norway’s ports can potentially reduce nearly 15,000 tons of carbon emissions each year.

ABB drives and motors increase efficiency of Mälarenergi’s waste-to-energy plant, while reducing carbon emission and provide stable power and heating for the city of Västerås.

ABB’s energy-efficient ACH580 variable speed drives help ensure a comfortable indoor climate and fresh air all year-round in Switzerland’s second biggest shopping mall.

Customer safety is ensured by ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for drives.

150-year-old Coop reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10,000 tons per year at new logistics center for Switzerland’s largest bakery. ABB and Johnson Controls contribute to this success by delivering energy efficient motors and variable speed drives (VSDs) to the ultra-modern refrigeration system.

A landmark hotel is meeting its environmental goals with ABB drives and high-efficiency motors. Energy usage has been reduced by 445,000 kWh a year – enough to boil two million kettles of water.

Enhanced PCP Top Drive motor performance with ABB's VFDs.

Nobody wants problems with wastewater, least of all companies managing a community's entire water supply. ABB’s new variable speed drives (VSDs) provide crucial reliability at the key unmanned pumping station in Pietarsaari, Finland. Pietarsaaren Vesi is a municipally-owned utility in charge of ensuring an uninterrupted water supply for the population in the area.

The ACS880-17 regenerative drive with position control – perfectly supports the design approach for the Gyro Swing. The drive includes integrated functional safety to meet the highest safety standards.

ABB’s ACS880 variable speed drives (VSDs) save space on marine vessels with power density increased by up to 50 percent.

Ecospray, an environmental technology company, uses ABB motors and drives in its marine exhaust cleaning systems which help ship owners meet new emission regulations.

ABB winch control helps Norwegian Deck Machinery enter ferry market.

Towering over a spectacular part of the Swiss Alps, the mighty Jungfrau, at 4,158 meters, even looks down on the peaks of the nearby Eiger and Mönch.

ABB motor and drive package helps sugar mill to reduce cane-crusher energy use by 40 percent.

In Germany, a sausage maker that has been in business for nearly two centuries was looking for ways to save energy in its production processes. It found that by replacing the fan motors in its smokehouses with ABB’s IE4 motors it could cut the fans’ energy use in half.

Bengaluru, ABB’s technology central to another major Indian infrastructure project. High power drives and motors run the ventilation system with specialized safety software, contributing to the efficient operations of this critical connectivity link.

Sarem Makina relies on ABB components, such as drives, PLCs, motors, control panels and low voltage products, in their machinery for highest possible reliability.

The magnificent Swiss Alps offer spectacular resorts renowned for fabulous skiing and a myriad of winter activities, including the Alpine World Ski Championship in St. Moritz.

Successful completion of the commissioning of the world's most powerful ventilation system.

The updraught of a special indoor wind tunnel is powered by four ABB drives, which offer energy efficiency and unrivalled split-second control.

ABB's low-energy SynRM and drive technology providing estimated 20% energy savings at its latest pumping station project.

Plastic container maker sees 60 percent fall in energy costs and 30 percent higher output.

Progressive modernization of 151 drives for up-to-date technology on the SSAB's galvanizing line.

A variable speed drive controlled pump simulates the waves at Rio2016 stadium.

Drive enabled electronic thrusters improve Dynamic Positioning.

ABB's Drives Remote Support prevented likely stoppage of coke production.

Why switching to AC drives for plastic extrusion makes sense.

Metsä Group’s new bioproducts mill is the industry’s largest-ever investment in Finland.

ABB high efficiency low voltage motors controlled by ABB drives powers the Linnanmäki wooden roller coaster from summer 2016 onwards.

Finnish sawmill uses ABB's ACS580 general purpose drives to increase production efficiency.

Indian pump supplier uses ABB solar pump drive to meet water, energy and environmental goals.

ABB's rapid service saved the day of a Finnish funfair and its visitors.

Ellison AC chose ACH550 to control pumps in heating, chilled water and condensed water applications.

Two ABB standard drives for HVAC have reduced energy costs from 180 to just 50 pounds a week, giving an annual saving of over 6,000 pounds for The Castlegate Business Park.

ACS550 general purpose drives help upgrade Riecor Farm's irrigation system: 40% energy savings, smoother operations, and reduced man-hours.

Peikko Finland Oy is a manufacturer of concrete fastenings and composite beams for the construction industry.A building management system (BMS) was installed in 2006 to control, among other services, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) within the steel component production building.

Maria Fedorovicheva, Global Product Marketing Manager, explains how data centers can reduce their carbon footprint with ABB ultra-low harmonics drives for cooling.

Frank Taaning Grundholm, VP Global HVACR Sales, explores how we can move towards more sustainable and energy efficient operation in healthcare facilities.

Frank Taaning Grundholm, VP Global HVACR Sales, on how ultra-low harmonic drives can boost
energy efficiency and save on capital costs.

Power-to-X, the concept of
combining a number of electricity conversion,
energy storage and reconversion pathways,
makes effective use of surplus electricity
production.

High-efficiency motors combined with variable speed drives (VSDs) have a crucial role to play in
reducing iron and steel plant energy costs and meeting environmental targets. Pasi Mannisto examines these issues from the perspective of motor and drive specialist ABB.

Article written by Surendra Muppana, Global Water Segment Manager for ABB Motion.

Vesa Kajander and Daniel Olsson discuss the benefits of the compact ABB HES880 Mobile Drive for vessels changing their work patterns and needing extra deck kit but find they’ve got no space left for the drive below.

Article by ABB Motion global HVACR product marketing manager Maria Fedorovicheva.

For designers, installers and operators of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, energy efficiency is rightly the number one selection criteria. This applies particularly to fan motors. However, while EC fans - the popular solution that integrates a fan, motor and speed control – are regarded as something of a de-facto guarantee for efficiency, that is not always the case.

Article by James Chalmers, vice president of ABB Motion Global Water and Wastewater, on how variable speed drives can reduce leakage and minimize financial losses.

By combining smart monitoring technology with drives and motors, water utility operators can secure pre-emptive asset management optimization and, in the process, drive a significant shift from reactive to real-time monitoring.

This design offers efficiency and speed control.

The average plant may be 30 to 50 years old with only isolated pockets of automation limited to PLCs and SCADA systems.

Around one million passengers a year travel between Helsinki and Stockholm on Viking Line’s cruise ferries each year. With affordable tickets and duty-free goods, it’s no wonder that Northern Europeans are taking to the sea.

Brith Isaksson, ABB Motion’s global segment manager food and beverage, outlines a two-step process to unlocking the energy saving potential in a process plant.

Discussing ABB's EC Titanium IE5 Motor with Mark Gmitro.

Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is one of the most significant key performance indicators to show how efficiently a data center uses energy.

Here, we look at how ultra-low harmonic VSDs can improve the power quality in buildings by eliminating troublesome harmonics at their source.

The use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) and electric motors to control the speed of ventilation fans in road and rail tunnels are increasingly becoming a solution of choice in air ventilation systems. We asked Frank Grundholm, Vice President, Global HVACR Sales, ABB Motion, a few questions to explain why the prominence of VFDs is on the rise.

For companies in the food manufacturing sector, refrigeration can account for up to 70 percent of their total electricity bill. Yet, it remains one of the most untapped sources for energy saving.

ABB has developed a condition-based maintenance approach for variable speed drives. Operating in the cloud, the data-driven methodology can identify the risk of potential component failures one to two years ahead. By Stefano Legnani, Global Service Product Manager, ABB.

Electrification among small vessels and workboats is an area of rapid innovation at the moment. One example of innovation is a fully-electric fish farming boat, Evoy, which is possibly the world’s fastest serial-production craft of its type. At the heart of Evoy’s electric propulsion system is an ABB drive.

Electric power can offer important energy efficiency and environmental benefits over diesel engines in mining applications.

Brith Isaksson, ABB Motion’s global segment manager food and beverage, outlines a two-step process to unlocking the energy saving potential in a process plant.

Frank Taaning Grundholm, Vice President – Global HVACR Sales – Drives, ABB Motion, elaborates on the winds of change blowing through the commercial buildings sector and the unique challenges they are posing in terms of climate control.

Data centres use enormous amounts of energy, especially in cooling the IT equipment housed within their walls. However, investing in variable frequency drives (VFDs) and energy efficient motors in cooling systems can make a massive contribution to keeping energy consumption under control.

Len Eros, ABB Motion, outlines how digitalisation can improve safety, reduce costs and maximise production uptime in cement plants.

It’s the smoke that kills people and not the fire. So, it’s key to have efficient and sustainable systems to maintain supportive ambience in an HVAC systems.

ABB has extended the scope of its ABB Ability Digital Powertrain concept that connects drives, motors, pumps and bearings with a new Condition-Based Maintenance service option for drives.

Data centers already use around 2% of the world’s energy production, and their energy demand is set to increase eightfold.

It is more urgent than ever to invest in transport technologies that can save our planet as well as our urban environment. Discover more about it in Morten Wierod's World Economic Forum blog post.

Frank Grundholm, vice president for global HVACR sales at ABB Motion, explains how variable frequency drives (VFDs) are used together with
electric motors for the effective control of rail and road tunnel ventilation fans

There is a growing sentiment that lavishing the HVACR landscape with IT attention will open the industry to a whole new world of possibilities, leading to greater efficiency and enhanced reliability

Considering the load profile of the building based its actual location is essential while selecting HVAC solutions, says Frank Taaning Grundholm, Vice President – Global HVACR Sales – Drives, ABB, in an interaction with Aultrin Vijay of Thermal Control Business Update.

BACnet-enabled variable speed drives from ABB play the lead in creating a comfortable indoor
climate while increasing energy efficiency of a major development in Malaysia’s capital. Article by Sami Niskanen, Application Manager HVAC, ABB Drive Products.

Disruptive technologies are forcing large companies to rethink their approach to innovation and R&D.

We’re wasting much energy while pumping oil from the ground. And we are leaving a lot of that oil in the well. Ironic isn’t it? Here’s a potential solution.

Demand on the world’s natural resources is becoming ever-greater. But what can be done to reduce water shortages and optimize operating efficiencies?

When selecting a variable speed drive (VSD), it’s important to take the time to dimension it correctly.

In industrial processes, valves are familiar components. Could a pump turbine be an energy-efficient solution to replace energy-consuming valves?

Plastic container manufacturer PrimePac Ltd gained 60% energy savings and 30% production improvement when they replaced a 23 year old blow molding machine.

Did you know that factories, hospitals, schools and other buildings are full of fans that contribute a significant portion to the electricity bill?

ABB remote digital service centers are set to transform industrial productivity in the era of the fourth industrial revolution

The future of mining lies in digitalization

Another interesting ISH 2017 fair is behind us with a record 200,000 visitors - and the market is clearly showing faith in a brighter future.

How to run your irrigation system smoothly and with lower electricity costs.

Thank you for the interest in ABB and the IdeaHub Innovation Challenge!

First introduced in New York in 1857, elevators catalyzed the development of skyscrapers, and forever transformed urban architecture, landscapes and living.

Through improvements in energy efficiency, global fossil fuel consumption for power generation could be reduced by up to 30 percent.

Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in the middle of cold and dark winter – except for SLUSH!

Industry investing in energy efficiency generates up to 50 percent more added value on top of energy savings.

Electric motors and variable speed drives deliver numerous benefits to the vessels that serve the offshore rigs.

Regenerative drives built for rugged mining vehicles are enabling better total efficiencies and reduce cost and emissions.

January 1, 2017 is an important date for all users of electric motors rated from 0.75 kW to 375 kW.

Innovation is at the forefront of everything ABB does and partnerships with high potential startups and tech companies are an important part of it.

Finding the right variable frequency drive enables the use of top drive motor's full torque potential throughout the entire speed range.

Emerging ecosystems of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are maturing through partnerships – would you like to join forces with us?

Standards and directives have a significant impact on the spread of energy-efficient electrical equipment, and thus saving energy.

Picture the Norwegian fjords: Beautiful tree-covered mountains. Snowcapped glacier peaks. Crystal-clear water. Noisy diesel engines spewing air pollution.

Accurate simulation models are becoming increasingly important tools to secure wind farm integration into power grids in accordance with the requirements.

The increased penetration of renewable energy requires changes to the standards and grid codes to ensure that power grids remain reliable and robust.

The distributed renewable energy sources in power grids are steadily increasing - a smarter, more diverse and robust electricity infrastructure is necessary.

Two thirds of available energy efficiency potential remains untapped. A better world is created by engineering innovations together.

The ABB drives test laboratory offers customers the opportunity to test our drives in combination with either their own motors or any motors supplied by ABB.

The world’s demand for energy production and consumption continues to grow – it’s time to act now to ensure a sustainable future for the next generations.

By activating new, energy-efficient solutions in the cloud, innovations can be implemented more quickly, while still managing to save energy.

The trend towards an asset life-cycle management model.

Drive and Load - poetry in motion just like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

SynRM brings between 8 to 15 percent improvement in energy use.

Everything counts at a sawmill such as Westas Group which produces around 200,000 square meters of lumber annually.

Even relatively small investments with a fast payback time can give big boost in operating profitability. Especially in older facilities.

ABB drives can save energy and generate profits 25 times more than stock market average. Can this be true? Absolutely.