ABB showcases the future of electrification

ABB presented its electrification solutions that will allow customers to take full advantage of the trends that will accelerate the global market and drive the business’s profitability. During a media day in Bergamo, Italy, ABB highlighted these trends that will significantly impact electrification:

Digitalization – Demand for data is increasing, driven by the digital transformation of industries, processes, procurement, and services. By 2022, 75 percent of data will be processed outside of the originating core. In 2018 this was 10 percent, according to data from research firm Gartner.

Urbanization – Cities across the world are experiencing an accelerated population growth and associated infrastructure development. By 2040, about 6 billion people will be living in cities, compared to 4 billion in 2018, the United Nations estimates.

Shift to electricity – Electricity use is growing at two times the rate of any other form of energy. This is driven by new consumption modes, such as electric vehicles, advancing data centers, and enabled by more efficient use, integration of distributed generation, and energy storage.  The International Energy Agency estimates that the share of electricity in the energy mix will rise to more than 30 percent in 2040, from 23 percent in 2018.

“These megatrends are creating high-growth pockets within the electrification market, such as data centers, electric mobility and commercial buildings, which we are well positioned to serve,” said Tarak Mehta, President of ABB’s Electrification business. “Our key goal is to deliver safe, smart and sustainable electrification for our customers and partners.”

ABB’s Electrification business is spending approximately 3 percent of annual revenues on research and development on core technology and new products, with a strong focus on digital solutions.

Among the product highlights participants could experience was NeoGear, ABB’s low-voltage switchgear, which was launched last month. It combines the innovative bus plate technology with the connectivity and digital smartness of the ABB Ability™ platform.

NeoGear is the safest option for operators with no exposure to live parts. It reduces the physical switchgear footprint by up to 25 percent, increases cooling efficiency to reduce heat losses by up to 20 percent, and reduces overall operational costs by up to 30 percent, due to more efficient condition monitoring.

Also on display was ABB’s solid-state circuit breaker concept, which will enable electrical grids to better keep up with the rapid growth of renewable energy sources and the shift towards electrification of transport – whether electric cars, buses, trucks or maritime vessels.

ABB’s Electrification business is the world’s number 2 player with revenues of $13 billion in 2018 and an operating EBITA margin of 12.8 percent[1]. It has roughly 55,000 employees and addresses a market worth $160 billion. All presentations and information concerning the event can be found here: https://new.abb.com/about/our-businesses/electrification/electrification-media-day 

The business has received a host of awards for its market-leading solutions including eMove VISION mobility’s 2019 Best of Mobility award for the Terra HP charger. Meanwhile, the Steel City® 8-inch recessed poke-through (RPT8) floor box was among the Showstopper winners announced at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Show held in Las Vegas. The latest Relion protection, REX640 received an Innovation Award during the Energetab expo fair in Poland and SWICOM, a condition monitoring and diagnostic solution for switchgear, was awarded the gold medal by the Polish Energy Networks. ABB also picked up two prestigious Red Dot Awards for the ABB-tacteo® sensor and ABB i-bus® KNX PEONIA® sensor.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com

_{[1] Electrification result adjusted to include GEIS on an annualized basis, based on H2 2018 contribution}