- MCR1000 is first rectifier type in ABB’s HPR portfolio to complete a Life Cycle Assessment and receive an Environmental Product Declaration
- Certification establishes a benchmark for environmental transparency and life cycle carbon footprint management
- EPD provides verified environmental data to support customers’ sustainability journeys, reporting and procurement requirements
ABB has announced that its MCR1000 High-Power Rectifier (HPR) has achieved an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), following the completion of a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), further enabling customers to make informed choices towards a low-carbon transition.
As sustainability requirements become increasingly embedded in industrial procurement and international trade, manufacturers are under growing pressure to provide transparent and verifiable environmental data. Regulatory developments such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), alongside rising customer expectations around supply chain emissions, are accelerating demand for independently verified environmental performance information.
The EPD-certified MCR1000, developed under the guidance of the global research and development (R&D) team and manufactured at ABB’s Shanghai HPR factory in China, provides customers with credible life cycle environmental data that can support sustainability reporting, procurement decisions and decarbonization initiatives. The certification provides independently verified environmental data and supports customers across industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, green hydrogen and chemicals as they advance their sustainability goals.
ABB team members in the Shanghai factory were involved in the EPD process. Image ABB 
MCR1000 has been deployed in more than 300 installations globally, supporting customers to reach their power and reliabil requirements. Image ABB 
ABB customers can be assured of the MCR technology's life cycle credentials with the EPD acheivement. Technology shown on the assembly line in ABB's Shanghai factory. Image ABB
The certification also marks an important milestone for ABB, with the MCR1000 becoming the first product within ABB’s global HPR portfolio to achieve both LCA and EPD certification, highlighting ABB’s commitment to life cycle carbon footprint management and environmental transparency.
“As sustainability becomes an increasingly important consideration in industrial investment and procurement, customers need greater transparency into the environmental impact of the technologies they deploy,” said Ralph Burgener, Global Business Unit Manager for High-Power Rectifier in ABB’s Process Industries division. “Achieving EPD certification for MCR1000 is an important milestone, demonstrating how we are embedding life cycle thinking into product development while providing independently verified environmental data our customers can use to support their own sustainability and decarbonization objectives. This is another step in ABB's commitment to helping industries become more resource efficient through innovative power conversion technologies.”
The EPD certification was completed in accordance with internationally recognized ISO standards and is based on a detailed assessment of the product’s environmental impact throughout its life cycle. Using SimaPro software and the Ecoinvent database, the assessment evaluated every stage of the product life cycle, from raw material extraction and component manufacturing through to assembly, transportation, operation and end-of-life recycling.
For ABB, the LCA provides valuable insights into environmental impacts across the product life cycle, enabling more informed decisions on material selection, manufacturing processes and future product development.
Building on ABB’s proven Swiss-developed MCR platform, the MCR1000 is one of the company’s flagship solutions for high‑power conversion applications. Since its localization and continued development in China in 2012, the product has been deployed across a range of energy-intensive industries. Since 1999, more than 300 MCR systems have been installed worldwide.
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com
ABB’s Automation business automates, electrifies and digitalizes industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs – from supplying energy, water and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. With its ~26,000 employees, leading technology and service expertise, Automation helps process, hybrid and maritime industries outrun – leaner and cleaner. go.abb/automation
