Sun, souks and sand as ABB Formula E heads to Marrakesh

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship heads this weekend to magical Marrakesh for the fifth round of Season 6. After an action-packed race in Mexico, which saw Mitch Evans from Panasonic Jaguar Racing win in dominant style to take the lead in the drivers’ championship, the all-electric single-seater series now heads to North Africa to thrill fans in Marrakesh for the fourth time.

Twenty-four drivers will compete for first place on the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan – a 12-turn, 2.99-kilometer track in the city’s Agdal district, in the shadow of the red city walls. Named after the Crown Prince of Morocco, the circuit is comprised partly of permanent racetrack and partly of roads around the hotel district. This combination guarantees a varied challenge for teams and drivers.

ABB has been present in Morocco since 1980 and has become an essential supplier of electrification, robotics, motion control, industrial automation and electrical networks. ABB works closely with Morocco in support of its sustainability strategies, which are designed to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent by 2030 and increase the share of renewable energies. In 2009, 1.7 percent of its electricity came from renewable sources. By 2015, this had risen to 34 percent and is projected to be 52 percent by 2030.

Pierre Leretz, Country Managing Director for ABB Morocco, said: “Morocco’s ambitious climate protection goals fit perfectly with that of ABB, title partner of the flagship Formula E race series that is creating tremendous awareness for e-mobility. It was just over two years ago that ABB and Formula E began their journey together in Marrakesh – the first race for ABB as title partner.”

E-mobility is a key area for ABB and in Morocco the company supplies e-chargers for car manufacturers Tesla and Jaguar. ABB is also the official charging partner of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, which supports the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

ABB supports the country’s sustainability goals through several projects. Working with Energie Eolienne du Maroc, one of the leaders in Morocco’s energy sector, ABB built Morocco’s first hybrid substation. Located at a wind farm owned by Moroccan firm, Nareva, in southern Morocco, it connects to the country’s national grid and is designed to withstand the challenging weather conditions of the desert and the marine air conditions.

In its first major metal industry project in Morocco in 2010, ABB supplied and installed a low and medium voltage package of drives, motors and transformers for the whole new plate mill line for Maghreb Steel, the country’s only producer of flat steel. This resulted in energy savings of up to 25 percent across the whole line and a lower environmental impact.

ABB Morocco has headquarters in Casablanca, in addition to a turbocharger service station in Agadir, which is equipped with the most modern machinery and specialized tools to provide a wide range of products and services to shipping companies and ship builders.

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 144,000 employees.  www.abb.com

2019/2020 ABB FIA Formula E Championship – Calendar

Round City                  Country         Date
1          Diriyah             Saudi Arabia November 22, 2019
2          Diriyah             Saudi Arabia November 23, 2019
3          Santiago           Chile             January 18, 2020
4          Mexico City     Mexico          February 15, 2020
5          Marrakesh        Morocco       February 29, 2020
6          Rome                Italy               April 4, 2020
7          Paris                 France           April 18, 2020
8          Seoul                South Korea  May 3, 2020
9          Jakarta              Indonesia      June 6, 2020
10        Berlin               Germany       June 21, 2020
11        New York City USA              July 11, 2020
12        London             UK                July 25, 2020
13        London             UK                July 26, 2020