Tag Archives: ABB

ABB Installation Products tackles cable to connector stability on heavy-duty electric vehicles

Environmental, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

ABB’s Installation Products division has pioneered the world’s first full range of hinged high voltage connector backshells for heavy-duty electric vehicles with its Harnessflex® EVO™ Connector Interfaces, it says.

Cable to connector stability is critical to the operation of any electric vehicle, with heavy-duty EV wiring particularly vulnerable to high engine temperatures, strain, abrasion, vibration, ingress and corrosion. To protect and stabilise these connections, ABB Installation Products has come up with its Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces.

Heavy-duty vehicles comprise a small percentage of the world’s transportation but are responsible for nearly a quarter of total estimated road emissions globally, ABB says. As countries tackle climate change, commitments to reduce heavy-duty vehicle emissions are leading to tighter standards on fleet and public transportation, as well as industrial and agricultural equipment. The move toward lower-emission vehicles translates to modern engine designs with a significant amount of electrical wiring and hotter running temperatures. ABB’s Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces are part of a complete cable protection system designed to meet or exceed industry standards, protect critical wiring, and improve performance and reliability in high voltage applications, ABB says.

Andrea Castella, EVP and General Manager, ABB Installation Products Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said: “As EV adoption accelerates, ABB is working with vehicle makers, transportation providers and original equipment manufacturers to integrate robust electrical wiring solutions that meet evolving requirements and sustainability objectives, while delivering safer and reliable performance.

“Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces offset the need for expensive, bulky cable clamps in high voltage applications and expands ABB’s electrification solutions for a broad range of demanding and high-use areas of transportation, from construction and agriculture to trucks, buses and trains.”

The Electric Vehicle Orange colour of ABB’s Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces indicate high voltage wiring and components, deliver cable-to-connector strain relief with high mechanical performance, as well as prevent debris intrusion. Designed with a tamperproof, integrated clip system, Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces add an extra layer of security to high voltage systems and strengthen resistance to abrasion and vibration on EV applications.

ABB Installation Products pioneered the world’s first full range of hinged high voltage connector back-shells for heavy-duty electric vehicles with its Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces.

Nathan Cook, Global Business Development Manager for Cable Management Products, ABB Installation Products, said: “ABB’s first-of-its-kind Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces reduce cable movement and form tighter junction joints for safer and more secure high voltage connections in electric ancillaries, DC/DC converters, onboard chargers, high voltage battery packs, hybrid systems, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and dynamic and static power systems.”

Over the past four decades, Harnessflex specialty conduit systems and cable management solutions have been widely used in industrial, robotics and transportation installations. Harnessflex EVO Connector Interfaces are tested and produced at ABB’s Coleshill, UK facility and are available globally, the company says.

IGO awards Cosmos electrification study to Perenti, ABB collaboration

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, ,

Perenti and ABB, in collaboration, have been awarded an inaugural contract by IGO Ltd to undertake a study for the full underground electrification of IGO’s Cosmos Nickel Project in Western Australia.

The electrification study is a significant step in IGO’s commitment to continuously improving its sustainability performance by trialling new technologies and decarbonising its operations, helping to create a green energy future, it said.

In November 2022, Perenti signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global technology company ABB to collaborate to develop a service offering that combines Perenti’s mining expertise and technical capability with ABB’s electrical and technological expertise.

The study will see experts from Perenti and ABB work side by side with IGO to provide a pathway for the optimum design of mine electrification at Cosmos. All aspects of electrification will be considered in the study including:

• Mine design optimisation for electric operations
• Production and operating philosophy
• Fleet selection
• Power distribution and electrical infrastructure design
• Electrification system and battery management
• ESG and safety impact analysis, and
• Cost modelling of both Capex and Opex.

“At IGO we believe in a green energy future, and that extends to our underground mining operations where the electrification of our fleets will create a safer, greener, and more productive operation. We are excited about this future and our collaboration with Perenti and ABB to make this a reality,” Chris Carr, IGO Head of Technical Services, said.

“Valuing the environment and enabling the energy transition is one of Perenti’s three key sustainability imperatives and this study demonstrates the capabilities of our electrification collaboration with ABB,” Raj Ratneser, Executive Sponsor of Decarbonisation at Perenti, added.

“Decarbonisation and electrification are critical to the future of mining, and we are privileged to be working with our client IGO on this pioneering study.”

“Congratulations to IGO on taking on such an ambitious project, which combined with their renewable power project will largely decarbonise their Cosmos mining operations,” Max Luedtke, Vice President and Business Line Mining Manager, ABB, said.

“The progress between ABB and Perenti is advancing every day and this study is an ideal opportunity to advance our efforts and collectively drive towards providing electric solutions that effectively decarbonise the mining industry.

“At ABB, we take pride in sharing our eMineTM approach for electrification and automation, spanning from pit to port, through such effective collaborations within the industry.”

ABB, Boliden target low carbon footprint copper for EMS equipment, electric motors

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ABB says it is working with Boliden to build a strategic co-operation to use low carbon footprint copper in its electromagnetic stirring (EMS) equipment and high-efficiency electric motors.

The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while driving the transition to a more circular economy, ABB says.

The partnership with Boliden forms a part of ABB’s strategic ambition to reduce the environmental impact of raw materials used in its products by replacing them with lower carbon alternatives, it says. Apart from using recycled copper, ABB has committed to increase the use of recycled electric steel (e-steel) and recycled aluminum.

The move is also an important step in closing the circularity loop that has already seen ABB designing its motors to be up to 98% recyclable, with the remaining 2% of materials available to be incinerated for heat recovery. Recycling copper, aluminum and steel offers energy savings of between 75-95% compared with virgin production, according to the company.

Ola Norén, Head of Metallurgy Products, Process Industries, ABB, said: “As a part of ABB’s 2030 sustainability strategy, our target is for 80% of our products and solutions to be covered by a circularity approach. The work with Boliden is an important step towards this goal. By taking stock of the delivery by the end of this year we’ll ensure that all our metallurgy products use recycled hollow copper conductors from 2023.”

Ulf Hellstrom, Managing Director at ABB Motion, Sweden, added: “We want to enable a more sustainable and resource-efficient future, and with this collaboration our customers can not only decarbonise by upgrading to energy-efficient motors but will also be able to install ABB technology that has an improved environmental footprint thanks to Boliden’s copper. This is an excellent example of the circular economy in practice.”

The co-operation includes ABB placing the first order for Boliden’s certified recycled copper through Finnish metals manufacturing specialist Luvata. Hollow conductor wire made from the material will be used in ABB’s EMS products for both steel and aluminum manufacturing.

Furthermore, as of 2023, ABB will purchase Boliden’s low-carbon and recycled copper to cover the demand for its IE5 Ultra-Premium Efficiency SynRM and e-mobility motors produced in Europe, it says. The two companies have also signed a memorandum of understanding that will see ABB supporting Boliden in identifying inefficient low-voltage motors across its operating units. These motors can then be replaced with high-efficiency motors within ABB’s take back upcycling framework, with the old motors recycled to provide raw material for Boliden’s recycled copper.

Boliden has developed low-carbon copper that is mined using fossil-free energy and also produces copper using secondary raw material from recycled products. The carbon footprint of these products is 65% lower than the industry average, according to the miner.

A typical 75 kW motor weighing 650 kg might include 80 kg of copper. Using Boliden’s copper saves approximately 200 kg of CO₂ emissions for every one of these motors manufactured, ABB says. Each stirrer has up to 2,700 kg of copper, saving up to 6,700 kg of CO2 per stirrer.

ABB and Perenti to collaborate on mining electrification projects

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Perenti has signed an agreement with ABB to collaborate and explore approaches to support net-zero emissions targets for underground and open-pit mines.

Experts from the two companies will work together to address electrification in mine hauling operations, power distribution, energy efficiency and power management, the companies said.

Australia-based Perenti has mining expertise and technical capability, which complements ABB’s technology expertise. Together, the teams plan to explore business models and solutions to provide wider services for pilot, brownfield and greenfield mining customer projects to support the electrification of operations.

ABB has been calling for open collaboration within the mining industry and has taken action on several similar initial non-binding agreements to build commitments with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), technology innovators and mining companies. This includes pacts with FLSmidth, Amazon Web Services, MEDATech, Liebherr and others.

“Mining customers are committed to facing environmental, societal and economic challenges head on as they aim to decarbonise mining operations,” Joachim Braun, Division President, Process Industries, ABB, said. “With ABB’s sector leading position in electric mine technology development, and Perenti’s excellence and experience in mine development and mine operations, the scope of this collaboration is a perfect opportunity to make real progress in providing electric solutions that will decarbonise the industry.”

Mark Norwell, Managing Director and CEO, Perenti, said: “ABB and Perenti share a vision to develop energy-efficient solutions for the mining industry. By combining our experience across mining operations and digital solutions with ABB’s leading technologies we are focused on supporting the decarbonisation of mining through electrification. We look forward to working with ABB on this exciting new venture.”

ABB launched its ABB Ability™ eMine portfolio of technologies and methodologies last year, an approach to make the all-electric mine possible, with fully integrated electrification and digital systems from mine to port.

Perenti says it is committed to acting on climate change through promoting innovation, developing and deploying low emissions technology and working with its clients to implement projects that improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

Boliden’s trolley journey continues to evolve with Kevitsa line launch

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In its latest move to become the most climate friendly and respected metal provider in the world, Boliden has opened the trolley line at its Kevitsa mine in Finland.

The line, which encompasses a 1.3-km-long track, now has three Komatsu 227 t 830E-5 trucks running on it, according to Stefan Romedahl, President Business Area Mines, Boliden. “The following 10 trucks will be converted in the spring of 2023 when the in-pit trolley line will be commissioned,” he told IM.

This project aims to cut the mine’s carbon dioxide emissions, with estimates the volume of CO2 emitted could reduce by 9% over mine’s lifetime using this electrical infrastructure.

Boliden is not new to trolley operations. It started testing trucks on the Kevitsa line late last year, while its Aitik copper mine in northern Sweden ran electric-drive trucks on trolley as far back as 2018.

Following a two-year trolley assist pilot project on a 700-m-long line at Aitik – which saw Eitech and ABB supply electrical infrastructure; Pon Equipment and Caterpillar carry out truck modifications; and Chalmers University provide supporting research on system aspects of the electrification – the company, in late-2019, decided to further invest in trolley operations at Aitik. This was announced at the same time as the Kevitsa trolley plans.

Romedahl confirmed there are now 14 Caterpillar 313 t 795F ACs trucks running on a 1.7-km-long trolley line at Aitik, which will be extended as the depth of the mine increases.

Stefan Romedahl, President Business Area Mines, Boliden

While all the trucks at these two operations use diesel-powered propulsion after they come off the trolley infrastructure, Romedahl said the plan was to convert them to ‘zero emission’ solutions in the future, with a battery-trolley setup under consideration.

“Yes, this is the long-term strategy,” he said. “Boliden is working closely with our suppliers to achieve this in the upcoming years.”

With the world requiring many more mines to electrify industry, Romedahl was hopeful more of these would move towards fossil-free operation.

“At Boliden we have the vision to be the most climate friendly and respected metal provider in the world,” he said. “That is not something you can have as a vision without doing quite a lot in the field of sustainable company development. The trolley lines are one of many activities we do to reach that vision.

“For Boliden, it is crucial to perform in the direction of fossil freeness as soon as possible. The green transition can’t happen in 10 years; it needs to happen now.”

ABB to divest minority stake in Hitachi Energy JV

Environmental, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , ,

ABB says it has reached an agreement to divest its remaining 19.9% stake in the Hitachi Energy joint venture that was formed from ABB’s Power Grids business in 2020 to Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi has exercised its call option that was agreed between the parties in December 2018, agreeing to pay $1.679 billion to acquire the minority stake.

The companies have agreed to settle remaining obligations relating to the original transaction, and ABB will continue to provide transition services to Hitachi Energy for it to fully separate from ABB’s systems, ABB says.

ABB does not expect to record any significant gain or loss as a result of the sale, expecting net positive cash inflows of approximately $1.425 billion upon closing of the sale.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and closing is expected to happen in the December quarter of 2022.

Timo Ihamuotila, Chief Financial Officer of ABB, said: “We are delighted to have agreed on the final part of the transaction earlier than expected and on favourable terms. This will further strengthen our balance sheet and give us additional flexibility in our capital allocation decisions.”

Yoshihiko Kawamura, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer, CFO of Hitachi, Ltd., and the Chair of the Board of Hitachi Energy, said in a separate press release: “We are pleased with the progress of Hitachi Energy and we look forward to supporting the Hitachi Energy 2030 Plan, as announced during Hitachi Investor Day 2022.”

Hitachi Energy says it is making good progress with its portfolio offering that is strengthening, expandin, and evolving the power system supporting customers and partners across the entire lifecycle to enable a sustainable, flexible and secure energy system. It says it is also well-positioned to accelerate the growing electrification of transportation, industry and building sectors with its long-term Hitachi Energy 2030 purpose-driven growth plan.

Copper Mountain increases scope of trolley assist haulage project

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Copper Mountain’s 2021 ESG Report has highlighted the progress the company has made on its “net-zero journey”, with its ongoing trolley assist project in British Columbia, Canada, one of the key drivers towards hitting its major 2035 goal.

The company operates its namesake mine in BC, which has recently increased throughput to 45,000 t/d as part of this net-zero journey.

Earlier this year, the company commissioned its trolley assist project with the help of Komatsu, SMS, ABB, BC Hydro and CleanBC. This project, the first of its kind in North America and a key plank of Copper Mountain’s goal of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2035, was designed to support four full-sized, trolley-capable 830E-5 Komatsu trucks at a time with hauling ore up a 1-km section of ramp in the operation’s main pit to its primary crusher.

Since commissioning the project, the company has amended its plan to convert seven trucks to trolley assist operation, now saying a total of 11 trolley-capable Komatsu trucks will be available to use trolley assist in the pit.

Each truck is expected to reduce diesel use by approximately 400 litres per hour, the company says, which equates to approximately 1 t of CO2 emissions.

“The trolley assist system will reduce annual carbon emissions by 30% compared to 2019 levels,” Copper Mountain says. “This is based on calculated savings of 6,000 t CO2e/y for the initial seven trucks as calculated for the trial, which, when scaled to the full fleet of 28 trucks, would produce a savings of 24,000 t CO2e/y, or approximately 30% compared to 2019 levels.”

With additional trolley sections planned over the next five-to-seven years, Copper Mountain says it could see a reduction of carbon emissions of up to 50% compared with 2019 levels.

The fact the Copper Mountain Mine is connected to the BC electricity grid, which has one of the lowest carbon intensities in the world due to being powered by clean and reliable hydroelectric power, makes the trolley assist project even more ‘sustainable’.

The company says it has been working with BC Hydro to upgrade the power supply infrastructure to the Copper Mountain Mine to provide more power for trolley assist and future power demands as it decarbonises and explores additional ways to electrify its operation.

Alongside the trolley assist project, Copper Mountain says it is working with partners to reduce emissions from diesel-powered haul trucks.

In 2021, it established a partnership with Cummins, Komatsu and SMS to test the use of a renewable diesel in haul trucks, and it continues to advance other partnerships to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Outside of trucks, Copper Mountain said it has targets to electrify its shovels in 2023 and drills in 2024.

Also in 2021, Copper Mountain collaborated with the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and IBM to build a digital carbon emissions certification system called Mines Digital Trust. Using blockchain technology to attach ESG disclosures to metal production, this program enabled transparency along the supply chain and allowed third parties to track responsible producers through the Open Climate Network, led by the OpenEarth Foundation and the UN Global Innovation, the company said.

ABB and Hydrogen Optimized Inc to accelerate RuggedCell high-power water electrolysis tech

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ABB and Hydrogen Optimized Inc (HOI), the Canada-based technology innovator unlocking green hydrogen production at scale, have signed an agreement to expand the companies’ existing strategic relationship.

This includes an investment by ABB into Key DH Technologies Inc (KEY), the parent company of HOI, as it seeks to accelerate the fast-emerging green hydrogen production segment with unique large-scale architecture.

The signing follows the two companies’ showcase of their green hydrogen technologies at the August 23, 2022, German-Canadian Atlantic Renewable Hydrogen Expo in Stephenville, Newfoundland.

By accelerating the strategic collaboration between ABB and HOI launched in 2020, the two companies are advancing the deployment of economic large-scale green hydrogen production systems to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries that address a wide range of essential needs – energy, metals, cement, utilities, ammonia, fertilisers and fuels for aircraft, ships, trucks and rail, ABB says.

The companies will leverage their respective capabilities and resources to rapidly commercialise HOI’s patented RuggedCell™ high-power water electrolysis technology for the world’s largest green hydrogen plants. Water electrolysis is the process of applying electrical energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. RuggedCell technology converts renewable electricity such as hydro, solar and wind power into green hydrogen for industry.

“We look forward to building on our companies’ two-year working relationship to pursue the enormous global opportunity of green hydrogen,” Joachim Braun, Division President, ABB Process Industries (pictured on the left), said. “Following a rigorous validation of the RuggedCell technology, we are confident that, in combination with ABB’s high-power rectifiers, it can become a category leader in the large-scale green hydrogen segment. Our complementary technologies will strengthen the Hydrogen Optimized value proposition and fast-track the commercialisation of the RuggedCell.”

Andrew T.B. Stuart, President and CEO of KEY and HOI (pictured on the right), said: “This agreement positions us for success in the large-scale segment with customers requiring installations in the hundreds of megawatts to multi-gigawatts. ABB’s global footprint, commercial relationships and technology leadership in high-power rectifiers, distributed control systems and manufacturing automation provide us with the market reach and capabilities to achieve our company’s goals.”

The proceeds of ABB’s investment into KEY, led by ABB Technology Ventures, will be used to advance HOI’s intellectual property development, build up corporate capabilities for increased business activity and introduce automated manufacturing and robotics, ABB says. This will accelerate the rollout of gigawatt-scale electrolyser manufacturing.

ABB looks to acquire Siemens’ low voltage NEMA motor business

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ABB says it has signed an agreement to purchase Siemens’ low voltage NEMA motor business in a move that could see NEMA’s mining customers in North America benefit from improved support.

With manufacturing operations in Guadalajara, Mexico, this acquisition provides a well-regarded product portfolio, a longstanding North American customer base, and an experienced operations, sales and management team, ABB says. The business employs around 600 people and generated revenues of approximately $63 million in 2021.

This transaction is part of the ABB Motion business area’s profitable growth strategy, allow the NEMA motors division to enhance its product offering, expand its supply chain relationships and improve support to its North American customer base, ABB said. It also offers the opportunity to better support the customers in Mexico with local manufacturing and sales.

ABB expects to benefit from identified synergies and to use the R&D expertise, supply chain relationships and market access to bring the combined portfolio to its full potential.

“This bolt-on acquisition creates strong value for ABB’s NEMA motors division,” Tarak Mehta, President ABB Motion, said. “Investing in the business and opening up sales opportunities in North America and especially Mexico will allow this business to be margin accretive to the ABB Motion business within 24 months.”

Jesse Henson, President of ABB’s NEMA motors division, added: “We have long appreciated the quality and design of these motors. Now that we have met the leadership team behind them, I am even more confident that, together, we can grow our combined businesses faster than either of us could alone. We look forward to adding the Siemens low voltage NEMA motor portfolio to our existing offering of ABB and Baldor-Reliance® industrial electric motors.”

The global NEMA motor industry, roughly $2.7 billion in size, ABB estimates, comprises industrial electric motors primarily used within North America. NEMA motors are essential components used to run equipment in industries such as food and beverage, oil and gas, mining & aggregates, and water & wastewater and in applications like those which move air, liquids and units.

ABB to highlight energy-saving potential of electric motors and VSDs with new digital service

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A new digital service from ABB will, the company says, enable industrial operators to maximise energy efficiency and boost sustainability by identifying motor-driven equipment in their facilities with the best energy-saving potential.

The ABB Ability Digital Powertrain Energy Appraisal service will draw on data measured from fleets of digitally connected electric motors and variable speed drives (VSDs) to show where and how much energy can be saved by upgrading to the latest high-efficiency technologies. Industrial operators can then make data-driven decisions when prioritising investments, the company says.

Upgrading to energy-efficient technology is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to lower energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions, ABB says. Across the world’s 300 million industrial motor-driven systems, there is potential to cut global electricity demand by up to 10% by switching to high-efficiency systems.

“The challenge for an industrial operator is knowing where to start in a fleet of hundreds of electrical motors,” Adrian Guggisberg, Division President of ABB Motion Services, says. “ABB developed the new Digital Powertrain Energy Appraisal service to provide clarity by analysing motor data and identifying where businesses should focus investment to maximise energy-efficiency gains that reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions.”

Traditionally, an energy efficiency appraisal requires time-consuming manual collection and evaluation of data and covers only the largest motor-driven systems on a site as these are typically seen as having most potential for saving energy, ABB says. However, this could overlook significant energy-saving opportunities for electric powertrains that are smaller, less accessible or where energy-saving potential is not obvious.

The new digital appraisal service uses a plug-and-play approach to simplify energy efficiency assessments by pulling operational data remotely from across an entire fleet of digitally-connected motors. This provides much deeper insight into the business case and carbon footprint benefits of upgrading to high-efficiency motor-driven systems, while being much safer and faster.