ABB is electrifying and making its production locations more sustainable step by step
FHI organizes it on June 5 Energy in Industry event in the Basilica in Veenendaal. Sustainability, energy optimization and efficiency are central during the event. Kees Jan 't Mannetje talks about ABB's ambition: all factories CO2 neutral by 2050.
“ABB develops sustainable solutions and anticipates current market demands with future-proof technologies,” says Kees Jan, development specialist at ABB. He focuses on energy transition, sustainability and circularity, energy savings and energy management. Or, as he puts it: “All the transitions that are happening right now.”
Mission to Zero
“We aim for net zero emissions by 2050 and work together with our customers and suppliers to achieve a CO2 neutral society,” says Kees Jan. ABB realizes the energy transition by combining digital technologies with measures to reduce energy consumption and by using renewable energy sources. Kees Jan states: “Our technologies prevent and reduce emissions at both our customers and our own activities.”
In 2020, ABB established the Mission to Zero. The mission of this Mission to Zero is divided into two steps. Step one, 80 percent of all ABB factories worldwide CO2 neutral by 2030. And step two: 100 percent CO2 neutral by 2050.
The factory in Ede
The sustainability process for the ABB factory in Ede started at the end of 2021. And in September 2022 they organized the press event in which they announced that the factory had achieved CO2 neutral status. This includes compensation by purchasing certificates.
The factory in Ede is a production location for flush-mounted boxes and installation cabinets and uses approximately 80,000 cubic meters of gas. This represents 155 tons of CO2 emissions.[1] In December 2023, the factory received the necessary permits from the province to install a heat-cold storage (WKO storage) installation. The installation is planned to be completed at the end of this summer, 2024. The factory is now fully electrified and the gas installation can be removed.
Grid congestion
One of the themes that is now high on the agenda is energy monitoring and grid congestion. And then focused on monitoring energy consumption behind the meter. This has provided ABB with so many insights that they have adjusted and optimized their entire production process. Kees Jan goes into this in more detail during his presentation.
The result of the energy monitoring process is that the Ede factory can now spread the energy consumed more efficiently and over more hours. In addition, ABB monitors each individual machine and knows the consumption required for the production process per product.
One of the crucial things that Kees Jan would like to convey is: to successfully complete the entire process, it is necessary to involve your own staff and local partners from the start.
His advice to companies that are in the early stages of a sustainability process: “Start by gaining good insight into your energy management.”
Do you want to know more? Kees Jan 't Mannetje will tell you more about the transition to a sustainable, future-proof factory during the Energy in Industry event. Visit the website for more information and sign up for a free visit.
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