ABB opens site on Mission to Zero

Automation company ABB has opened a carbon-neutral production site in Lüdenscheid, Germany, as part of its Mission to Zero project to transition to sustainable energy. The site is claimed to be the first CO₂-neutral and energy-self-sufficient factory in the world and will save about 630 tonnes of CO₂ a year. As part of the project, the company is also commissioning a solar power plant at its subsidiary, Busch-Jaeger.

Tarak Mehta, President of the Electrification at ABB, said, “The photovoltaic system is part of an integrated solution that covers all aspects of energy production and distribution, making it possible to generate enough power to cover, on sunny days, 100% of its power requirements.

“With this state-of-the-art site, we demonstrate the advantages of creating a system in which all components are digitally networked and controllable. This intelligent ecosystem enhances energy efficiency, sustainability and resource conservation, enabling a genuine zero emission future for industry and beyond.”

Installed over car parks on the company’s premises, the PV system will deliver around 1100 MWh of climate-neutral solar power a year — the annual requirement of around 3360 private households. In combination with a cogeneration plant, which operates at double the energy efficiency of a coal-fired power plant, around 14% more energy can be generated than is needed at the site.

Surplus power is fed into the public grid, contributing to the region’s power supply. To cover peaks in demand, additional green energy is sourced from MVV Energie, which guarantees 100% carbon-neutral energy production.

ABB’s energy management system allows constant surveillance and optimum control of energy production, consumption and storage, operating mainly autonomously. The system calculates the optimum energy flow on the basis of predictive data and compensates for deviations in real time.

In April 2019, MVV and ABB signed a partnership agreement to focus on shared solutions for the sustainable improvement of energy efficiency in industry, medium-sized companies and municipalities on the way to establishing a smart city. Both companies want to work towards the design of future cities through innovative technologies, such as storage solutions and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Only a few weeks ago, the transport company Hamburger Hochbahn placed an order with ABB for the delivery of 44 charging systems for electric buses at what is currently Germany’s largest charging depot for electric buses.

Image credit: © ABB