The Green Factory certificate is issued to selected enterprises as the highest-level of recognition for their efforts in driving sustainability. The certification is part of China’s efforts to encourage the development of green and environmentally friendly industries. The ABB Beijing plant manufactures a wide range of variable speed drives (VSDs) that are used throughout industry in China to save energy by providing precision control of electric motors.
“ABB’s target is for all its operations to be carbon neutral by 2030. Achieving Green Factory status for the Beijing facility recognizes our commitment to the continuous optimization of our high-performance products and the outstanding contribution we make to China’s sustainable development,” said LuPing Qi, President, ABB’s Motion, China. “Over the past 10 years we have delivered more than five million drives to customers in China, with a total energy saving equivalent to the annual power generation of 64 large power plants and reducing CO2 emissions by 430 million tons.”
The Beijing site has also taken steps to improve its energy efficiency. This includes a solar PV system on the factory roof, which has generated a total of over 35 megawatt-hours (MWh) as of 2019. ABB’s own drives and high efficiency motors are also incorporated in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, constant pressure water supply system and air compressors, reducing power usage by at least 50 percent. Waste heat from the motor test room is used to heat the factory in winter. In addition, ABB has purchased green energy credits through the international carbon exchange platform since 2019, meaning that all power used by the factory comes from green energy.
ABB has also adopted ecological design as an integral element of its drives product development process. This includes considering the impact on resources and the environment. For example, ABB has optimized the size and the number of parts used in its drives to reduce the amount of materials required. The company is also focused on building an intelligent factory to improve production efficiency. So far, this includes the construction of four automatic production lines for drive components.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
