ABB’s Mission to Zero; a reality for today

I felt particular pride as we inaugurated ABB‘s first CO2-neutral and energy self-sufficient production site in the world.

Achieving a zero emission future is an objective very close to my heart. The world we live in is undergoing rapid change. From industrialization to urbanization and digitalization, we must find a way to successfully manage the pressures being placed on our planet and its resources.

While many talk about the steps which we need to take to combat the ever escalating consequences of climate change, at ABB I am proud that we are committed to writing the sustainable future of industry, cities and energy now.

Wednesday’s event in Germany marked an important step in that journey and one which I hope will inspire change across multiple applications around the world; we celebrated the culmination of decades of experience in electrification and pioneering digital technologies with the launch of ABB’s first, real-life, zero emission case study.

Inaugurated at our flagship Busch Jaeger subsidiary in Lüdenscheid, we have shown how the sustainable energy transition can succeed with digital energy management. After a two-year design and construction phase we welcomed former Formula 1 driver, Nico Rosberg, who is now actively involved in the fully electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship and who shares our vision for a zero-emission future, to officially open our first CO2-neutral and energy self-sufficient production site.

The scale of the achievements in Lüdenscheid were certainly befitting of such a high-profile guest. Measuring 3500 square meters and installed over the car parks on the company premises, a solar power plant will deliver around 1100 MWh of climate-neutral solar power a year – approximately the annual requirement of 340 private households.

Our pioneering technology, which includes ABB’s scalable energy management system OPTIMAX® at its heart, will generate enough power to cover on sunny days 100 percent of the factories power requirements. It will also reduce carbon emissions by 630 tonnes of CO2 a year, with any surplus power being fed into the public grid and contributing to the region’s power supply with sustainably produced energy.

With this state-of-the-art site, we demonstrate the real advantages of creating a system in which all components are digitally networked and controllable. This intelligent ecosystem represents the very best in safe, smart and sustainable electrification, enabling a genuine zero emission future for industry and beyond. This is an exciting step in our Mission to Zero journey and I personally couldn’t feel more proud of what has been achieved here.

 

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About the author

Tarak Mehta

Tarak Mehta is the President of the Electrification business and has been a member of ABB’s Group Executive Committee since 2010. He took up his present role in January 2016. The Electrification business delivers safe, smart and sustainable electrification to customers through a market leading portfolio of products, solutions, and services. Tarak Mehta was President of the low voltage division from October 2010 to the end of 2015. Prior to that he held a number of senior management roles including head of ABB’s Transformers business from 2007 to 2010, Product Group Manager, Breakers and Switches in high voltage from 2004 to 2006, and numerous other management positions working in the U.S., Sweden and Switzerland. Before joining ABB in 1998, he worked for nine years at Cooper Power Systems in the U.S. from 1989 to 1997. Tarak has a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University obtained in 1989 and an MBA in finance and marketing from the University of Chicago, earned in 2000.
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