Abundant, accessible and affordable energy: prerequisite for prosperity
Energy is essential, with utilities delivering gas to heat homes, and electricity lighting up lives. Yet today, 770 million people live without access to electricity1. As the world’s population grows, so does energy demand, making energy security more crucial than ever.
Ensuring that everyone has uninterrupted and affordable access to energy calls for a comprehensive strategy. This includes diversifying energy sources and decreasing the costs of their production, expanding the use of clean energy technologies, increasing efficiencies, and reliably integrating renewables into power grids.
Distributed Control Systems
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Ensuring energy security today
While the world is taking great steps to transition to less carbon-intense sources, today, hydrocarbons make up most of the global energy mix. It is therefore key to prioritize efficient production and processing of these resources, as well as their responsible use. ABB helps do this through automation, electrification and digital technologies.
In subsea oil production, for instance, ABB power conversion and distribution systems sit at depths of 3,000 meters and supply reliable energy. With these systems, oil and gas operators can reduce power consumption and emissions – all while contributing to securing energy availability.
Gas is another area where ABB makes a difference, with demand projected to grow 10 percent in the next decade2. ABB’s technology for gas pipelines helps to meet the world’s needs, and analytical equipment detects leaks so that action can be taken. ABB also works on developing dual-fuel propulsion for liquefied natural gas ships, enabling them to utilize electric power as they deliver this fuel to where it’s needed.
ABB’s Energy Transition Equation Report for offshore oil and gas shows how autonomous operations improve supply reliability and predictability while helping reduce carbon emissions by up to 320,000 tons per site annually – the equivalent of taking up to 160,000 passenger cars off the road.
Making a world of difference
More energy sources, more energy security
A diverse range of energy sources increases the resilience of the energy supply, which is especially important for industries that rely on uninterrupted power for their operations. However, a challenge lies in the variability of many renewable energy sources. For example, wind power depends on the availability of wind, while solar power relies on sufficient sunlight.
Integrating power and process automation helps to stabilize energy supply, particularly when incorporating renewables. The ABB Ability™ System 800xA distributed control system is central to this, ensuring energy for industries is secure, stable and affordable.
Another solution that enables balancing energy demand with availability is the ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® Energy Management. It provides operators with insights into energy consumption and consolidating generation from various sources.
A promising energy vector, hydrogen, could become 20 percent of the global energy mix by 20503 as costs decline and policymakers support. ABB technology plays a vital role in making this possible. ABB rectifiers, for instance, turn the alternating current electricity produced by hydrogen electrolyzers into direct current for deployment to the grid.
As new energy projects develop, minimizing risk and optimizing costs is essential. To support such projects, ABB Adaptive Execution™ methodology evolves the traditional project approach to deliver results faster.
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The alternative secure fuel source: energy efficiency
Reducing energy use is often the most cost-efficient way to meet energy needs and increase availability. Many ABB technologies help do this, which is particularly important for energy-intense industries, such as chemicals, mining, metals and minerals, cement, pulp and paper, power generation, marine, ports and others.
An example of this is how ABB’s digital solutions deliver performance insights to industrial companies and empower them to optimize energy use. These solutions include asset condition monitoring, asset health and management, predictive maintenance, energy management, simulation, virtual commissioning, remote support and collaborative operations.
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Energy security as key to true security
While the need for energy security is pressing, it also drives the diversification of supply. The International Energy Agency says that the current energy security landscape could be a historic turning point towards a cleaner and more secure future4. When energy is abundant, accessible and affordable, people can be truly empowered to improve the world. ABB is making a world of difference in enabling energy security globally.
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Energy security – ensuring enough for all
This episode of the Process Automation Podcast explores the topic of energy security. While many of us take access to energy security for granted, 770 million people live without access to electricity. As the world’s population grow, so does energy demand, making energy security more important than ever.
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