LUEDENSCHEID, Germany — After a two-year design and construction phase, as part of its “Mission to Zero”, ABB presented its first CO2-neutral production site in Germany on May 8. As a visible sign of intent, the company is commissioning a solar power plant at its subsidiary Busch-Jaeger in Luedenscheid. The installed ABB technology will generate enough power to cover on sunny days 100 percent of the factories` power requirements.
More than half of ABB’s worldwide revenues are generated by technologies that combat the causes of climate change. The company’s goal is to increase this contribution from 57 percent in 2018 to 60 percent by 2020.
“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 percent of its power requirements,” says Tarak Mehta, President of the Electrification business at ABB. “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.” The site is the ABB group’s first CO2-neutral and energy self-sufficient factory in the world.
Nico Rosberg, who is now actively involved in the fully electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship after his retirement from Formula 1, and also co-founded the Greentech Festival which will take place in Berlin soon, added, “The best thing we can do to make our world fit for the future is to implement trailblazing green technologies. The ABB solutions in Luedenscheid exemplify how the typical requirements of a complete industrial site can be met in a manner that conserves our resources by using them as efficiently as possible.”
Measuring 3500 square metres and installed over the car parks on the company premises, the photovoltaic system will deliver around 1100 MWh of climate-neutral solar power a year – approximately the annual requirement of 340 private households. In combination with a cogeneration plant, which operates with double the energy efficiency of a coal-fired power plant, around 14 percent more energy can be generated than is needed at the site. The surplus power is fed into the public grid, contributing to the region’s power supply with sustainably produced energy. To cover peaks in demand, additional green energy is sourced from MVV Energie AG, which guarantees 100 percent CO2-neutral production.
MVV and ABB have extended their cooperation and signed a partnership agreement in April with the primary 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”. The cooperation between the two companies is not only about the avoidance of CO2 emissions and the economic marketing of available flexibilities in the energy sector, but also about 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 AG 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.
The flagship site will save about 630 tons of CO2 a year and hence make an important contribution to help improve the climate and environmental situation at ABB in Luedenscheid.
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