Motors and Generators

There are more than 300 million industrial electric motors in operation worldwide. Every year, they turn almost half of all electricity generated into torque in a variety of applications and industries.

The consistent expansion of India’s economy has pushed the government and the private sector to simultaneously cut costs and reduce carbon emissions across various industries.

One-third of all electricity is converted into motion by electric motors and their number is expected to double by 2040, which is the equivalent of adding an electricity market the size of China to global power demand.

ABB India’s IEC LV motors business is expanding and transforming the company’s long-established manufacturing facility in the country. Started in 1951, it now boasts of an expanded modern workplace facility with upgraded shopfloors.

Independent survey commissioned by ABB highlights the critical role that energy efficiency now plays in the sustainability agenda for global businesses with 91 percent saying this influences their choice of electric motors

Asia embarks on a transformative energy shift, energy efficiency stands out as a game-changer.

MV Titanium, the world’s first MV, speed controlled, industrial motor concept is featured in the new edition of Compressor Tech2 magazine.

There is huge potential for electric motors to boost energy efficiency, since motor-driven systems such as pumps and fans, and a wide variety of other applications, represent 65% of industrial electricity use.

In the industrial sector, the greatest potential for reducing electricity use and emissions lies in improving the efficiency of electric motors and devices like pumps and fans. 

ABB has supplied ultra-premium efficient IE5 SynRM (synchronous reluctance) motor and drive packages to modernize pumping applications

KEPCO is installing ABB’s high-inertia flywheel synchronous condenser to help maintain a stable grid frequency as the use of renewable energy increase.

To highlight how ABB can support customers' ambitions towards energy efficiency and circularity, customers from Lithuania were invited to visit ABB’s Large Motors and Generators factories in Jüri, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland.

Innovative solutions like IE5 SynRM motors & drives are making a difference by ensuring reliable and cost-effective water supply management

ABB high voltage motors, compliant with the new IEC standard, are helping DBT cut energy consumption and carbon footprint.

David Hawley explains, technologies like energy efficiency and increased electrification can deliver over 80% of the needed emissions reductions.

Heikki Vepsäläinen, President of Large Motors and Generators at ABB, joins Liam Dowd, the Sustainability Lead at Reuters, for an insightful conversation regarding MV Titanium.

Chocolate production and packaging segments can boost energy efficiency by deploying the new liquid-cooled IE5 synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motor that offers up to 40 percent lower energy losses than commonly used IE3 motors. 

ABB has developed the new Modular 20-megawatt (MW) class synchronous generator as a flexible, scalable approach to balance power grids.

Transparency in sustainability is crucial for fostering trust between businesses and stakeholders. Consumers, investors and regulatory bodies are demanding more detailed disclosure of information about the environmental impact of products and practices.

Robert Chin, Global R&D Manager IEC LV Motors at ABB, explains that while IE5 is regarded as the current state-of-the-art in energy efficiency, motors that meet the anticipated IE6 “hyper-efficiency” level are already commercially available in the form of synchronous reluctance (SynRM) technology.

ABB India's IEC low voltage (LV) motors business has achieved a significant milestone in energy conservation. Its installed base over the last 5 years has contributed to annual energy savings of over 500 gigawatt hours (GWh) for Indian industries

ABB India in collaboration with Witt India - a premier manufacturer specializing in tunnel ventilation systems, is setting new benchmarks in tunnel ventilation technology.

The central sewage treatment plant in Kulmbach Germany upgraded its inlet lifting pump station for enhanced energy efficiency and optimal operation. Replacing the older variable speed drive (VSD) with an ABB ACQ580 water and wastewater drive, paired with an ABB IE5 synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motor, promises significant energy savings.

Stefan Floeck, Division President of IEC Low Voltage Motors at ABB Motion, introduces a groundbreaking innovation: magnet-free synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) technology has now achieved the anticipated IE6 Hyper-efficiency level.

ABB’s MV Titanium concept is the world’s first medium-voltage (MV), speed controlled, industrial motor, in the 1-to-5-megawatt (MW) range that brings connectivity and control features in an easy to specify and install package.

ABB EcoSolutions QR-code provides full transparency to environmental impacts across the entire product lifecycle. Products within the portfolio comply with a set of key performance indicators defined in ABB's circularity framework and carry an external, third-party verified environmental product declaration (ISO 14025).

ABB's integrated technology will provide the inertia and short-circuit current needed to maintain power supply on the islands as they absorb increasing levels of renewable energy

ABB has achieved another world first for its IE5 SynRM (synchronous reluctance motor) series with the launch of a new version that combines the benefits of ultra-premium energy efficiency with highly effective liquid cooling. The new design sets a new benchmark for high power output and reliability in a compact footprint.

Energy efficient, Grid-compliant, and Modular to fit your needs. The next evolution of ABB's Synchronous Generators

Dive into this insightful piece by Reuters Events Sustainable Business, where Stefan Floeck, President of IEC LV Motors, shares how our Premium motor portfolio is the culmination of 140 years of expertise.

Heikki Vepsäläinen, President ABB Large Motors and Generators is joined by Guy Nicholson, Head of Grid Integration, Statkraft UK, for an in-person fireside chat.

As a leader in high-efficiency electric motors, ABB IEC Low Voltage (LV) Motors offers reliable energy-efficient motors for various industries including metals, chemicals, cement and mining, food and beverage.

Motors are at the beating heart of chemical production, where they power critical applications from pumps and fans to compressors.

Synchronous condenser technology is helping SEV, the main electricity supplier, to restore spinning inertia vital to keep the Faroe Islands power grid in balance as the drive towards renewable energy resources increases

The IEC has published the first global standard to classify energy efficiency for high voltage Induction motors

Guided by a team of dedicated professionals, we recently surpassed customer expectations, achieving our second-best recorded design efficiency.

The new design sets a new benchmark for high power output and reliability in a compact footprint.

David Bjerhag, Global Business Line Manager for Large Motors and Generators, ABB, explains how a circular approach has significantly reduced the CO2 impact of its large motors and generators, and how it can be further extended in the future.

We are reshaping the future of electric motors by using innovative circular design and sustainable materials

For a new geothermal project in Indonesia, Ormat has chosen a generator designed according to ABB’s Top Industrial Efficiency (TIE) option for optimized efficiency and built from Greenforge® steel.

Heikki Vepsäläinen, Large motors and Generators Division President, ABB is featured in a new Business Reporter article, where he explains how focusing on energy efficiency and circularity puts carbon emissions for industrial motors into perspective.

Energy efficiency – achieving the same outcome using less electricity – is broadly understood as an essential contributor to reaching Net Zero.

Petteri Hyytiäinen, Chemicals Global Industry Segment Manager, ABB, explains how the chemical industry can ensure safety and boost energy efficiency by deploying motors that offer up to 40% lower energy losses compared to commonly used IE3 motors.

New-generation mobile dedusters from German company NESTRO are the first in the world to offer IE5 SynRM motors as standard. Users can save up to 22 per cent in energy costs compared to conventional equipment.

In the most recent of our ABB Large Motors and Generators Fireside Chats, Heikki Vepsäläinen, President, Large Motors and Generators, ABB is joined by Tim Schulten, President, Sulzer Services

Dutch paper manufacturer Smurfit Kappa Parenco puts sustainability at the forefront of every decision it makes. When ABB launched a campaign to promote Super Premium Efficiency IE4 motors, it quickly opted to take part.

Industrial businesses realize the critical importance of energy efficiency. It is an immediate step that facilities can take to improve their sustainability, contribute to reaching net zero, and boost profitability.

In a world-first, customers operating in hazardous area industries can now ensure safety and boost their energy efficiency by deploying motors that offer up to 40 percent lower energy losses compared to commonly used IE3 motors.

Saudi Arabia-based steelmaker Watania has selected ABB High Dynamic Performance (HDP) motors for critical applications in its new wire rod mill.

Energy efficiency is regarded by the International Energy Agency (IEA) as the “first fuel”, because making the best possible use of energy that has already been produced is the smart and cost-effective way to simultaneously meet energy affordability, security and climate goals

From mixing to extrusion, calendering, cutting and more, electric motors are critical at almost every step of rubber manufacturing. Therefore, investing in equipment that maximizes throughput and increases product consistency is the best way to deliver high-quality products at affordable prices.

In the recent edition of The Naval Architect, Juha-Pekka Kivioja, Global Product Manager for ABB's Large Motors and Generators explains how ABB's solutions that use permanent magnets (PMs) are smaller, lighter, simpler to install and – most importantly – more efficient, helping the shipping industry meet these IMO regulations.

We talk to North America Outlook magazine about the combination of many technologies and approaches that are available for businesses to act on today to bring us significantly closer to net zero. Whilst introducing the latest generation AMI 5800 True NEMA motor.

Heikki Vepsäläinen, Division President of Large Motors and Generators, discusses renewable power in this article covered by Wired Magazine.

The second phase of the EU’s Ecodesign Regulation raises the bar for electric motor energy efficiency – and the rest of the world is sure to follow, says Daniel Eberli, Head of Product Management and Marketing IEC LV Motors Division, ABB.

The ABB application-specific energy appraisal has supported USG Industrial Utilities in increasing energy savings of pump application by 360 MWh per year through the upgrade of their condensate pump stations with nine high-efficiency variable speed drives and IE4 motors.

Runtech EP Series Turbo Blowers utilize purpose-designed motors and drives from ABB. The blowers are used in vacuum solutions that can realize energy savings up to 70% compared to conventional pump-based systems.

Roller mills are at the heart of Swissmill's production process. When the company decided to replace all its roller mills and the motors that power them, it selected ABB to supply the new motors. 

This White Paper provides recommendations for improved flywheel design practices and therefore complements the ISO standard.

Geothermal energy is a sustainable, renewable resource that can play a useful role in the transition from fossil fuels to a low or zero carbon future. We share our knowledge in this new White Paper.

The world's energy systems are changing, with the security of supply no longer assured and costs rising globally. While the transition to renewables is, of course, vital to decarbonization, there is a question that is still largely overlooked—why aren’t we trying harder to make better use of the energy we already have?

Finnish sawmill operator Kuhmo was the first company in the world to use ABB IE5 SynRM motors in a timber drying process. Its latest plant upgrade could produce six-figure energy savings in just a couple of years with highly efficient ABB motors and regenerative drives.

Reducing CO2 emissions and planning a more sustainable future are global priorities. Not only do we need to decarbonise generation, but we also need to make the most efficient use of the energy we produce right now.

Many water and wastewater facilities still use old, inefficient electric motors. Modernizing motor systems is the key to cutting costs, meeting rising demand, and reducing emissions.

The global food and beverage sector consumes approximately 30 percent of the world’s energy. It is also responsible for 20 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. As consumers and governments call on all industries to limit their emissions, the food and beverage sector must find ways to operate as efficiently as possible.

The latest generation of motors create new opportunities for machine builders – with higher power density, excellent dynamic response, and a broader scope for machinery applications.

On July 1st, 2023, the second step of the EU Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 comes into force, setting additional requirements for certain electric motors. The regulation’s first step, which was implemented in 2021, intends to make electric motors and drives more efficient with the aim of saving 110 Terawatt hours per year in the EU by 2030.

ABB has completed a major turnkey project for Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable power generator, to help restore the missing system inertia vital for the stable operation of the UK power grid. This is essential as the country switches from fossil fuels to use more renewable energy such as wind and solar.

Synchronous condenser (SC) technology and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) complement each other in a hybrid configuration. Christian Payerl, Synchronous Condensers Expert, ABB explains

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