ABB Switzerland highlights Using energy efficiently€¦ · as we will show you in this brochure: ... improving pro- ductivity or better ... At a very early stage, ABB Switzerland

ABB Switzerland highlightsUsing energy efficiently

ABB

Contents

Editorial 3 Energy efficiency – a contribution to environmental protection 4 Innovation – foundation for growth and success 6 Finding, challenging and supporting talent 8 Power technology 10 Industry 17 Transportation technology 22 Building technology 26 Waste incineration 30 Food and beverage 32 Pharmaceuticals and chemicals 34

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President and Country ManagerABB Switzerland

Using energy efficiently and in a sustainable way – this is the challenge we face today. It is becoming clear that there is an urgent need to act, particularly in the area of future energy supplies. Innovative technologies are required to address the challenges and use the energy that is available more efficiently.

ABB, the world’s leading power and automation engineering company, supports its customers with innovative products, systems and services that enable them to become even more efficient and more productive, and thereby improve their competitiveness. These offerings take many shapes and forms, as we will show you in this brochure: from power technology and industrial solutions, through transportation and building technology, right up to the food and beverage sector.

Our engineers worked on energy-efficient products and systems long before the “power supply gap,” the “CO2 problem” or “energy efficiency” became hot topics. This capability to anticipate future requirements is the hallmark of an innovative company.

And ABB will continue to consistently invest in its innovation capability in future: through selective research and development, and through advanced talent management. As a result, we are able to offer a broad portfolio that enables customers to achieve savings and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions. Our business philosophy says it all: Power and productivity for a better world.

Jasmin Staiblin

Energy efficiency –our core business

When it comes to energy supplies, the world is facing major challenges. How can we satisfy the continually growing de-mand? How can we come to grips with increasing supply risks? How can the environmental impact be reduced?

The fastest, most practical and most cost-effective way to save energy is to use existing, proven technologies more efficiently. The potential benefits are enormous, because only about 20 percent of available energy is actually usefully converted. The rest is lost along the value-added chain that starts with genera-tion, continues through transmission and ends with consump-tion by industry and private households: either in combustion processes as waste heat or in inefficient transmission and end-user applications.

As a leading global supplier of power transmission, power dis-tribution and automation technology, ABB makes an important contribution toward achieving savings. Our technologies make it possible to cut the losses along the energy chain by about 25 percent by reducing electricity consumption, improving pro-ductivity or better plant management.

Energy efficiency in primary energy productionJust transporting primary energy sources such as oil, nat-ural gas and coal consumes a considerable amount of en-ergy. ABB supports the transportation industry with ap-propriate technologies, helps optimize the associated processes and energy consumption and therefore enables its customers to cut their CO2 emissions. Fossil fuels are not only transported by means of oil and gas pipelines, but also on ships. ABB is a global leader in the manufacture of high-performance turbochargers for diesel and gas en-gines. More than half of all large ships sailing the world’s seas and a considerable number of diesel power stations are equipped with ABB turbochargers. Turbochargers boost the output power of the engines by up to 300 percent.

Energy efficiency in power generationIn the field of renewable energies, ABB also provides tech-nology for hydro and wind power stations, as well as photo-voltaic systems. The laws of physics dictate that the average energy conversion efficiency in conventional electric power generating stations is about 40 percent. Electric power gen-

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Technologies that better use existing energy are a great way to save energy. ABB products help reduce losses along the entire energy chain by about 25 percent, from generation right through to the consumer.

Energy efficiency – a contribution to environmental protection

ABB Switzerland Industries Report 2008

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eration technologies are continuously improving and losses are nearing their theoretical limits, not least due to the opti-mization of power station process control systems, and ABB is capable of supplying almost the entire spectrum of electri-cal devices required for power station automation systems.

Energy efficiency in power transmissionAbout six to eight percent of the electricity that leaves a power station never arrives at the end-user’s site – the longer the transmission distance, the greater the losses. However, we rely on electricity from distant power sources such as offshore wind farms and hydroelectric power sta-tions, as well as that sourced through international energy exchange agreements. Optimized transmission systems are therefore needed. The most efficient technology avail-able is high-voltage DC transmission (HVDC) from ABB. This system’s transmission losses over long distances are considerably lower than those of conventional AC trans-mission lines. The semiconductor modules required are manufactured in Lenzburg.

Energy efficiency in industryIndustry consumes about 40 percent of the total amount of electricity generated. Substantial energy savings can be achieved by improving the productivity of factories or plants through the application of advanced automation systems and other electrical equipment. Process control systems, enter-prise software, instrumentation, low-voltage products, drives, motors and robots are among the key technologies.

For example, ABB variable-speed drives can cut the power consumed by electric motors by 50 percent and more by ad-justing their speed to meet the required power output. The potential savings are enormous. In over 90 percent of present-day industrial applications using electric motors, the speed can be adjusted only coarsely or not at all. The electricity consumed in many applications can be reduced to one-eighth by cutting the speed in half. In 2007, energy-saving motors and drives from ABB saved more than 130 terawatt-hours of electricity worldwide. This corresponds to about five times the energy consumed by all Swiss households in 2007.

Energy efficiency in buildingsIndustrial, commercial and residential buildings are re-sponsible for about 38 percent of the energy consumed by end users around the world. If heating temperatures, lighting and consumption by electrical devices are adjusted to actual requirements, substantial energy savings are possible without having to sacrifice comfort. This can be done, for example by using low-voltage devices and auto-mation controls and building systems made by ABB. Up to 30 percent energy savings are possible simply by efficiently controlling temperature.

All these examples show that ABB is able to contribute sub-stantially to energy savings along the energy chain, from gen-eration to consumption by end users, and that its technologies contribute to addressing the significant challenges of today and tomorrow.

ABB technologies enable the losses along the energy chain to be cut by about 25 percent.

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Innovation and quality are key topics at ABB Switzerland. Products and systems based on the latest technologies and meeting the strictest price and environmental specifications are continuously developed in collaboration with and for customers. ABB’s research center in Baden-Dättwil is an important contributor.

Innovation – foundation for growth and success

Over 160 employees from 25 countries work in Baden-Dättwil at one of seven of the ABB Group’s research centers. In close collaboration with the ABB business units and leading universi-ties, these motivated specialists examine the limits of what is presently doable. This is the only way technological innovation in the fields of electrical engineering, power electronics and in-dustrial automation will continue to be the Group’s key to suc-cess, as it has since the beginning.

Improve and reinventA passion to drive technological progress forward is what moti-vates researchers. ABB’s exploration is therefore primarily dedi-cated to improving or reinventing methods and technologies associated with the core products and systems offered by the company. More than ever, this applies to the energy efficiency and environmental soundness aspects, as it has done for years as per ABB’s philosophy.


Anticipating trends, applying technologyResearchers have been working for 40 years in Baden-Dättwil, driven by a pioneering spirit that characterizes ABB. Anyone wanting to shape the future rather than simply manage it must find and promote talent, properly analyze trends and some-times also anticipate them. Technology is a tool for solving the great challenges of today and tomorrow. “Talents – Trends – Technology”; given the right conditions, the three Ts form a concrete basis for innovation strength – particularly in Switzer-land, which earns its bread and butter from knowledge-inten-sive value added and the export of high-tech products.

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A researcher analyzes material for an electric application.

New self-diagnosing sensors cut maintenance costs.

A passion to drive tech-nological progress forward is what moti- vates researchers.

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Shaping the future means setting trends, offering technologies to solve global challenges and finding people with both techni-cal and human skills. ABB depends on well-qualified engineers and specialized technicians to develop new products, reliably manage projects at home and abroad, manufacture high-quality products and dedicate themselves to their customers. Such talents must be fostered and challenged.

Flexible annual working hoursAt a very early stage, ABB Switzerland developed a series of benefits to remain attractive as an employer. For example, the popular benefits package gives employees flexibility in choos-ing their annual work hours in coordination with their supervi-

sors and colleagues. In principle, it is possible to work part time, share a job, or work from home some days. Nine day care centers at six locations with a total of 265 spaces also contrib-ute to giving families more flexibility.

Health is keyABB also assigns great importance to the health of its em-ployees. The company regularly hosts events centered on health, including an employee triathlon. The cafeterias provide a balanced diet. Time and stress management workshops help employees learn to deal with increasing challenges. Hiring new employees is one thing; retaining them in the company and keeping their knowledge up to date is quite another. That is

ABB is one of the favorite employers of those working in the natural sciences. Optimum conditions are required to ensure that this does not change and that skilled employees continue to choose ABB.

Finding, challenging and supporting talent

8 ABB Switzerland Industries Report 2008

Our core businessABB’s business can be summarized in a single phrase: “Power and productivity for a better world.” As a leading global engineering company in the fields of power and automation technology, ABB is committed to offering prod-ucts, systems and services that improve the reliability of the power supply system and industrial productivity. At the same time, ABB helps use energy more efficiently and reduce environmental pollution.

2007 – a successful business yearThe ABB Group’s companies conduct business in over 100 countries and employ more than 110,000 people worldwide, of which about 5,800 are based in Switzerland. In 2007, ABB Switzerland generated sales of 3.3 billion Swiss francs, 27 percent more than a year earlier. Orders received reached 4.3 billion Swiss francs, compared to 3.3 billion in 2006. In 2007, the company was able to create 481 new jobs.

Energy efficiency and productivityAll five divisions participated in this excellent result. Last year, numerous interesting projects that contributed were completed in the power technology, industry, transpor-tation, buildings, waste incineration, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals and chemicals sectors.

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why training and continuing education are a top priority at ABB Switzerland and are continuously being adapted to meet new challenges. Examples include the learning centers for appren-tices, ABB’s technical school for on-the-job training courses, as well as courses and career development programs at ABB’s University. However, the main focus is on continuous develop-ment and growth at the work location, which is driven by a steady flow of new assignments and projects. Continuing education is a decisive contributor to the success of the company, and ultimately ensures that employees are motivated and confident.

ABB employees build drives at the facility in Turgi, power semiconductors in Lenzburg, low-voltage products in Schaffhausen and gas-insulated switchgears in Oerlikon (from left to right).

At a very early stage, ABB Switzerland developed a series of benefits to remain attractive as an employer.

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Power technology

ABB enables energy to be used efficiently as far upstream as the generation stage in hydro, wind and conventional power stations. And our transmission systems technologies offer network stability that improves supply reliability.

10 ABB Switzerland Industries Report 2008

The wind turbine, located on the north German coast near Bremerhaven, was built by Multibrid GmbH. At 5 MW, it is the largest in the world, standing over 100 meters tall and with rotor blades almost 60 meters long. The gondola at the top of the tower weighs 300 tonnes. ABB is supplying medium-voltage con-verters made in Turgi and permanent magnet generators built in Finland.

Not yet an everyday ratingSince wind turbines of this rating are not yet standard, it was necessary to develop and build an appropriate converter. The

specifications were challenging: the con-verter, known as a “full power converter,” had to meet the restrictive space require-ments in the tower. In the event of inter-mittent power outages, it must be capable of absorbing the power generated by the turbine, and of course compliance with the network operator’s specifications is also required at all times. The engineers at the Turgi facility were able to meet these specifications by using appropriate power electronics. The largest mega turbine has been successfully connected to the grid and more of these huge generators will soon be similarly equipped.

Plenty of power for high-capacity wind turbine

ABB is supplying medium-voltage converters for the largest wind turbine ever built.

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Breath of fresh air at the world’s largest offshore wind farm

“Borkum 2” is a 400-megawatt (MW) off-shore wind farm located over 100 kilo-meters from Germany’s North Sea coast. ABB is supplying its innovative and environmentally friendly HVDC Light (high voltage DC) transmission technol-ogy for the project. This technology makes it possible to control efficiently the flow of electricity from the wind power plants and reliably connects the wind turbines to the power grid.

The two HVDC Light converters employ IGBT semiconductor modules made by ABB Semiconductors, the world’s largest

manufacturer of this type of module. And the losses are very low when the DC pro-duced by the converters is transmitted to shore via underwater cables. The second converter transforms the DC back into AC, which is then fed to the high-voltage grid. The world’s largest offshore wind farm will emit an estimated 1.5 million tonnes less CO2 annually than comparable fossil fuel energy sources.

Switching 50 percent more powerAnother success story from Lenzburg is a new High-Power-Technology IGCT semiconductor that can switch about

50 percent more power than its prede-cessor, even though its size is almost the same. Customers can now add consid-erable value by upgrading converters that to date have been limited by their switching capability. Only minor changes are necessary.

ABB has a contract from the German energy company E.On to deliver the electrical infrastructure required to connect an offshore wind farm to the power grid. Power semiconductors from Lenzburg play a major role.

The world’s largest wind turbine stands over 100 meters tall.


The need to provide total power supply coverage, the issue of climate change, and electricity market deregulation are making renewable energies more and more attractive. ABB helps optimize and improve the reliability of alternative power generation and management. For example, the new S800PV photovoltaic high-performance circuit breaker made by ABB’s CMC low-voltage product group in Schaffhausen ensures that solar modules are protected from overload and damage. An auxiliary contact pro-vides information related to solar module

shutdown in the event of a fault. This minimizes downtime and contributes significantly to improving efficiency.

Widespread useABB therefore offers the opportunity to optimize commercially viable energy generation in a photovoltaic market that is growing almost exponentially. The S800PV is already installed in many solar electric power generation systems, including in energy farms in Spain and in the devices of Germany’s leading manufacturers.

Enabling the reliable use of solar power

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Whether it be for protecting solar modules or sensitive photovoltaic system electronics: high-performance S800PV circuit breakers help optimize the use of solar energy.

High-performance circuit breakers protect solar modules from overload in energy farms.


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The Kleintal hydroelectric power station in the canton of Uri uses the water in the Chlitalbach creek to generate elec-tricity. The water is dammed above the village of Isenthal and fed to the Kleintal power station through a high-pressure shaft. In 2006, the Altdorf electric utility, the operator of the small power station, decided to overhaul the 50-year-old plant.

ABB received an order to supply a new removable stator, as well as a voltage regulator and synchronization system.

ABB was also hired to dismantle the hydro generator including the exciter, recondition it at the ABB factory in Birr and subsequently reassemble the unit.

State-of-the-art technologySince the restart in March 2008, the gen-erating station’s power output is much higher. The stator winding has been insu-lated using the latest materials and has a higher thermal rating. Thanks to the use of new materials and redesign of the re-mo vable stator, losses at the customer’s plant have been reduced by 9 kW.

Further more, the generator’s output rating is 10 percent higher, enabling it to deliver more power to the grid.

The challenges of a retrofit include keep-ing or modifying what is still useable, replacing components that are at the end of their service life and integrating every-thing, without shutting down operations, to make a complete system capable of high performance, that is easy to operate and fault-free. Such was the case for the aging 380 kV outdoor substation at Sils in Domleschg, one of the most important nodes on Switzerland’s electric grid. Year after year, about 9,300 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electric energy are distributed here across international borders.

Top operating reliabilityABB will replace part of the primary and all of the secondary equipment with state- of-the-art power circuit breakers and com-bination current transformers, as well as protection and control devices. They will be tied into a new automation system that will ensure top operating reliability, performance capability and availability.

After the refurbishment, the substation will be easier to monitor and control and will be securely protected. Migrating to the latest ABB technologies makes it

possible to integrate other components at any time.

Comprehensive retrofit for important network node ABB has extensive expertise and experience that enables it to very successfully carry out complex retrofit tasks. An example is the Sils switching station in Domleschg.

More power at the Kleintal hydro electric power plant

ABB is upgrading the generator and other equipment at the Kleintal hydroelectric power plant in the canton of Uri. This enables the customer to save energy and increase output power.

Refurbishing the generator leads to lower losses.

The outdoor substation at Sils in Domleschg.


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High energy efficiency and small footprint

A converter using the latest ABB technology controls the machinery in a pumped storage power station more efficiently than before.

Pumped storage power stations can respond more quickly than conventional hydroelectric power plants to daily power demand fluctuations or disruptions. Dur-ing periods of low electricity demand, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to a higher one and stored there. If de-mand increases, the turbo-generator set can quickly supply electricity thanks to the steep incline.

Energy-efficient machine controlThe Avce pumped storage power station in Slovenia will be connected to the net-work in early 2009. ABB Switzerland will

supply the plant’s frequency converters. State-of-the-art power electronics make it possible to vary the speed of the asyn-chronous generator, enabling optimum speed control that meets the require-ments in both pumping and turbine mode. For the technology used here, the converter is connected to the rotor and must only be rated for a fraction of the total machine rating, which cuts both space requirements and costs. A small footprint is important for a power station for which caverns must be carved out of the rock. This makes Avce, which will generate an average of 426 GWh of

power annually, the first pumped storage power station in Europe to be equipped with this new groundbreaking ABB tech-nology.

Pumped storage power stations can respond quickly to demand swings.


The demands on the city’s network oper-ations are enormous. Zurich’s electric utility company (ewz) developed an opti-mum supply concept to enable the main distribution network to continue to be used efficiently in the future. The long-range plan is to reduce the number of tie substations from four to three and to operate each of these using two latest-generation high-performance transform-ers. This load flow optimization will con-tribute significantly to efficient use of the available power.

Weighs over 300 tonnesThe utility, ewz, ordered the first speci-mens of this new generation from ABB. The three-phase regulating transformer is rated 250 megavolt amperes (MVA) and weighs 376 tonnes. ABB Sécheron in Geneva was responsible for the complete project management as well as installation and commissioning.

The transformer itself was manufactured by ABB Germany in Bad Honnef near Cologne. The powerful giant was com-missioned last year and since then has been provid ing a secure and efficient

supply of electricity for the vibrant life-style of Switzer land’s largest city.

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The largest network operator in western Switzerland, Energie Ouest Suisse EOS, awarded ABB an order to extend the 380 kV switchgear system located In Chamoson. The scope of the contract includes the gas-insulated switchgear, the protection equipment, the controls, implementation of the signal database as well as site supervision and commission-ing, which is scheduled for the third quarter of 2008.

Expansion of the 380 kV networkThe existing GIS system between Mar-tigny and Sion was built with the help of

ABB about 10 years ago and comprises six bays. In order to cover the steadily increasing demand for power, another feeder breaker will be added, which will enable the newly planned Chamoson – Chippis – Bickigen high-voltage trans-mission line to be integrated into Switzer-land’s 380 kV network.

This new connection is important for the canton of Wallis and will help improve the supply reliability of the 380 kV network. It will also help prevent power bottlenecks and thus potential blackouts in western Switzerland.

Supply reliability is a top priorityA gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) system is being extended in Unterwallis to enable the existing high-voltage network to be expanded.

A new high-performance ABB transformer will provide Zurich with reliable power.

A giant for Switzerland’s largest city

The extended switchgear system improves supply reliability.

The gigantic transformer is rated 250 MVA.


ABB has received orders valued at over USD 250 million from the United Arab Emirates. In less than two years, four substations will be supplied to the government-owned electric utility, Transco, which is responsible for build-ing a highly advanced power grid infra-structure. A gigantic project is under- way that will transform the island of Al Reem in Abu Dhabi into an interna-tional hub. Residential zones as well as commercial and business centers are

being built in an area covering 6.5 million square meters.

Four substations deliveredThe Power Systems division in Baden and the ABB organization in Abu Dhabi are responsible for supplying and com-missioning the four substations. The ex-perienced international ABB team is the key to success for a project of this size. There is a huge demand for a reliable power supply in the fast-growing United

Arab Emirates. ABB has been success-fully managing projects aimed at con-structing a high-capacity electric grid in this region for many years.

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Power for a huge project in Abu Dhabi

ABB is working on a project that will shortly provide a functioning power distribution network for Al Reem, one of the world’s largest construction sites.

A secure power supply is essential to the huge Al Reem project.


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Industry

High performance products and automation systems enhance the productivity of our customers’ industrial plants. They help use existing energy more effectively and thereby cut CO2 emissions.


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Sweet environmental protection

The mill produces 90,000 to 120,000 tonnes of granulated sugar annually. Between the delivery of the beets and the end product lies an elaborate process. The centrifuges, where the unrefined syrup is removed from the sugar crystals, play an important role. They have been driven by ABB motors for many years.

Braking energy to the supply systemEnergy-saving motors of the highest effi-ciency class are used in the process. These high-efficiency motors feature low operating costs, long service life and

high reliability, and need little mainte-nance. In Frauenfeld, the AC drives for four sugar centrifuges supplied 15 years ago were recently replaced by the latest ACS800 series regenerative drives. These can also save significant amounts of energy during the braking cycle. Unlike traditional braking methods, they feed the braking energy back to the supply. As a result, sugar from Frauenfeld makes life sweeter for a lot of people, while at the same time saving energy during the production process and protecting the environment.

The sugar factory in Frauenfeld recently had ABB refurbish a number of drives – the motors used in the process are now even more efficient than before.

Higher productivity – lower energy input

A modern management system from ABB enables papermaker M-real Biberist to use energy more efficiently.

Alongside labor and raw materials, en-ergy is a major component of M-real’s operating costs. The company is Swit-zerland’s largest producer of fine paper and the plant is situated in Biberist. Given generally rising energy costs, any price increase therefore carries a substantial profitability risk. At the same time, there is a significant opportunity to cut costs in this area. M-real Biberist is using an advanced ABB energy mana-gement optimization system EMO to optimize procurement, consumption and resource utilization.

Optimizing energy consumptionThe system is designed to plan all rele-vant energy flows, measure and monitor

them online, optimize them if required, archive all data and settle invoices for the amount consumed. The EMO enables productivity to be maintained and energy costs to remain low, thereby ensuring that there is an adequate supply at the lowest cost. This has a positive impact on both M-real and the environment.

Energy consumption is a key cost driver in paper mills.

Drives improve motor efficiency at the sugar mill.


Clever energy management helps cement makers cut costs

An energy management system optimized thanks to ABB technlogy can reduce energy usage by up to eight percent per cement kiln.

The large amount of energy required to produce cement is a significant budget item. Cement producers therefore try to lower their energy consumption by using operating resources more efficiently and turning to cheaper fuels. It is a challenge to guarantee consistent cement quality with these wide-ranging input quality mixes.

Consumption cut by eight percentThe temperature in the kilns used to pro-duce clinker, a preliminary cement-making stage, is usually excessive. ABB’s Expert

Optimizer control system is able to meas-ure the actual temperature in the kiln every couple of minutes and automatically initiate an optimization routine. This en-ables fuel consumption to be cut by up to eight percent per kiln, which is an advan-tage that cement maker Holcim is only too happy to take advantage of in several Swiss factories and around the world.

Feed-forward control systemA new feed-forward technology is being used for the first time at Jura Zement’s cement factory in Wildegg. The Model

Predictive Control (MPC) system antici-pates the system’s short and medium term process flow and predicts the optimum control actions that will be necessary at that time. This enables the grinding mills to operate at maximum power and minimum energy con-sumption, resulting in considerably lower operating costs.

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Jura Cement’s Wildegg cement plant.


Drinking water is a scarce commodity on Australia’s popular Gold Coast tourist destination in Queensland. The first large-scale desalination plant in Tugun will help. It will produce approximately 125 million liters of drinking water for at least 400,000 people.

Advantageous ABB solutionIn this region seawater desalination is becoming ever more important. How-ever, the energy and maintenance costs are a disad vantage. These costs can be substantially reduced by using high-

efficiency motors and variable-speed drives from ABB.

Lower consumption thanks to drivesTo optimize the desalination system’s pumps, ABB supplied ACS1000 variable speed drives and motors. Alongside fast and precise process control, the low harmonic impact on the network, the small footprint and, above all, the re-duced energy consumption made ABB’s solution the winner. The high 97-percent efficiency of the ABB motors and the use of variable speed drives enable the

customer to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating costs. At the same time, CO2 emissions are cut by several tonnes.

Never without clean drinking water on Australia’s Gold Coast

Variable-speed drives and motors supplied by ABB are used in the first large-scale desalination plant on Australia’s east coast, reducing energy consumption and CO

2 emissions.

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Photo caption: Desalination systems prepare drinking water for 400,000 people.


Robots run at breakneck speed

Manufacturing a go-cart not only requires considerable precision, but also enor-mous flexibility. For example, a new go-cart must be manufactured within hours if the chassis was destroyed in an acci-dent and the driver does not want to miss a racing weekend. Swiss Hutless International AG, one of the world’s lead-ing go-cart manufacturers, therefore started up its third ABB welding robot in late 2007.

Simplified productionThe new robot’s straightforward opera-tion is impressive, and it performs so well that it may soon replace the two existing robots and save precious space. It handles

product changes perfectly and with the help of a few manipulations can switch from one highly complex frame design to another. This simplifies the manufactur-ing process in all areas.

Drivers push their go-carts to the limit on the race track. But the race against time already starts with manufacturing.

Producing more electricity and district heating thanks to drives

Variable-speed drives improve the efficiency of Sweden’s Mälarenergi electric power and district heating plant.

Mälarenergi AB supplies the homes of the Swedish city Västerås and the sur-rounding area with electricity and district heating. When the company constructed its first station in the 1960s, energy con-sumption and environmental pollution were not yet a major concern. But with the new environmental awareness, Mälarenergi modernized some of its old plants to achieve higher efficiencies.

Advantages plain to seeABB installed four ACS 1000 variable-speed drive systems to replace the elec-

trical resistors and the old motors that had until that time controlled the district heating pumps. The results convinced the customer. The waste heat from the pumps was considerably reduced and the amount of electricity generated increased by about 35 GWh annually. The improved plant efficiency also led to lower CO2 emissions. Other favorable results are the improved stability in the district heating network and lower main-tenance costs.

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ABB robots weld go-cart frame.

District heating thanks to variable-speed drives.


Transportation technology

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ABB technologies help ensure that transportation systems can be operated safely and reliably, both on board high-speed trains and mountain railways and by efficiently delivering power from catenary lines.


A fast, mini power station on wheels

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ABB will supply 344 traction transform-ers for 172 new regional trains to rolling stock manufacturer Bombardier Trans-portation over the course of the next few years. The French national railways SNCF will use these for commuter trains around Paris in the congested Île-de-France region. The transformers, which are manufactured in Geneva, supply power to the motors and have a con-tinuous rating of 2 MVA. Because there is very little space available in the new coaches, they are mounted on the ve-hicle roof and are especially compact and light.

World record for a transformerThe transformers supplied by ABB for the latest generation of the French high-speed AGV train are world-class tech-nology. They enable multisystem opera-tion throughout Europe despite different supply voltages and are also small and ultra light – enabling them to be installed underneath the floor.

With the help of an ABB transformer installed in the central car, Alstom’s new TGV achieved a world speed record for trains when it reached a speed of 574.7 km/h.

ABB transformers for Parisian commuter trains

Transformers for the new saloon coaches and high-speed trains must be as small and light as possible – recordbreaking, in fact.

The Gornergratbahn fleet in Zermatt has had four additional vehicles since the end of January 2007 (see photo on left). The narrow gauge carriages have a lower floor than older wagons, which makes getting in and out of the train easier, especially for winter sports fans. The vehicles, which travel from the valley to the mountain summit, were supplied by Stadler Bussnang. ABB’s power elec-

tronics business in Turgi, together with the semiconductors unit in Lenzburg, developed a special under floor rectifier for the trains.

To the summit fasterTwo such converters are installed in each vehicle. They supply power to four drive motors that have a total rating of 1,000 kW. The uphill speed of the train

has risen from 15–20 km/h to 30 km/h. Not only has the capacity of the Gorner-gratbahn been considerably expanded, the time between trains is also shorter. Another advantage is that the rectifiers return the entire braking energy from the motors back to the supply system when the trains are valley bound, making them a sort of mini power station on wheels.

The capacity of the mountain railways in Zermatt must be increased to accommodate the rising number of passengers. But energy efficiency is also a consideration.

France’s new Bombardier regional trains are equipped with ABB transformers.


SBB’s frequency conversion station in Seebach near Zurich is a pivotal installation:

in 1979, BBC installed the largest con-verters in the world at that time at the location. The machines have now been refurbished and equipped with new converters and control systems. The converters are the first in Switzerland – and in the world – to be equipped with the new “Active Neutral-Point-Clamped” (ANPC) technology. This converter tech-nology from ABB enables the rectifier’s power density to be increased by a remar-kable 50 percent, making the equipment much smaller. Two additional switching elements with IGCT power-switching modules make it possible.

Trust and financial considerationsThe two impressive converter lineups in Seebach link the national 220 kV/50 Hz three-phase power network with the 132 kV/16.7 Hz single-phase rail network and enable power to be exchanged in both directions. They feed the entire commuter rail system between Zurich and eastern Switzerland. SBB’s decision in favor of the new ABB technology is based on a long-standing relationship built on trust, as well as financial considerations. If SBB had had to tear everything down and start from scratch, the project cost would have been considerably higher.

Much more power in considerably less space for SBB

SBB’s frequency conversion station in Seebach near Zurich is being refurbished and will be the first to be equipped with a new technology.

Central Glattal is becoming a preferred residential and business center thanks to the attractive link provided by the Glattal-bahn to the city of Zurich. The modern

commuter rail link is about 12 kilometers long and will in future serve a catchment area with 150,000 residents and 120,000 workers.

ABB supplies rectifier substationsA reliable power supply is essential to reliable operation. ABB assumed the role of general contractor in alliance with Im-plenia Bau AG and took responsibility for the design and construction of the entire power supply system. By 2010, the project will have eight rectifier substations to sup-ply the 600-volt-DC and catenary lines. The low-voltage distribution systems for the stops are also included in the scope.

Point of delivery monitoringThe various supply points from the public grid are monitored around the clock via a fiber optic connection to the main con-trol center. Any out-of-tolerance opera-tion can immediately be detected via the redundant communication system, enabling action to be taken – if neces-sary by remote control right from the control center. This guarantees that the systems always operate optimally and use the available power efficiently.

ABB supplies eight rectifier substations and a communication system for the Glattalbahn’s entire power distribution network.

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Thanks to ABB, the Glattalbahn performs like clockwork

ABB supplies power to the Glattalbahn stops.

The new converter technology increases power density by 50 percent.


The second Durchmesserlinie (east-west rail link) for commuter train S-Bahn traffic around Zurich is beginning to take shape. Construction of the new Löwenstrasse rail station under Zurich’s main train sta-tion is progressing, as is the tunneling of the five-kilometer Weinberg tunnel. An old transformer station had to be replaced to ensure that enough power would be available. ABB Switzerland is delivering the required medium- and low-voltage switchgear, as well as all transformers.

Safety is a top priorityABB supplied air-insulated medium-volt-age switchgear and four transformers,

similar to what was installed for the first Durchmesserlinie from Thalwil to Zurich.

The losses of the new gear are consider-ably lower than those of the previous one. In addition, the room was com-pletely clad in metal plates to shield it from electromagnetic interference. The low-voltage switchgear consists of four lineups, each 14 meters long, which distribute power to Shopville, the lighting at the platforms and the future ventilation system for the Durchmesser-linie. The ArTu K switchgear selected en-ables additional feeders to be retrofitted at any time without deenergizing the

equipment. This will be required for example for the stores in the new Löwen-strasse railway station.

More power for Zurich’s main railway station

ABB Switzerland supplies power to Shopville, the shopping mall at Zurich’s main train station, and a new railway line.

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ABB systems fulfill Shopville Zurich’s power requirements.

Once again, ABB has taken the lead in the development of turbochargers. The new A100 generation offers very high pressure ratios of up to 5.8 with alumi-num compressor wheels for medium- and high-speed diesel and gas engines, as well as pressure ratios of up to 4.7 for low-speed diesel engines.

Reduce nitrous oxide emissionsThese features support efforts to comply with ever stricter emissions regulations by reducing nitrous oxide emissions and/or allow an increase in the power density of the engine.

Most advanced turbocharger This advanced turbocharger technology, combining highest ever compressor pressure ratios with very high efficien-cies, establishes a milestone in the de-velopment of single stage high-pressure turbocharging. The A100 turbocharger is predestined for use on future genera-tions of diesel and gas engines.

A100 – a new benchmark for turbochargers

ABB Turbo Systems presents the new A100 generation of turbochargers - a milestone in the development of single-stage high-pressure turbocharging.

The new turbochargers allow very high compression ratios.


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Building technology

An uninterruptible power distribution system is essential to making everything run smoothly in public buildings. Intelligent building systems technology makes it possible to maximize comfort while minimizing power consumption.


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No soccer match without ABB

Even though the quality of the electric networks in Europe is very high, occa-sional problems such as voltage dips, switching transients or lightning strikes are unavoidable. They can cause immense damage or even put human lives at risk. An uninterruptible and high-quality power supply system is therefore be-coming increasingly important. A power outage would also have consequences for the Swiss provider Swisscom; for example, the telecommunications con-nections in an entire region would imme-diately be affected.

Environmentally friendlyUnder the direction of ABB in alliance with Belgium’s Euro-Diesel SA, Swisscom

therefore had a dynamic diesel system installed to serve as its uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The No-Break KS® system is one of the most reliable UPS systems currently available on the market. It features ease of maintenance and protects the environment. In contrast to static UPS systems, no electrochemical batteries are required to store the energy. Furthermore, high-power No-Breaks are considerably more efficient than static UPS systems.

“No break” for Swisscom

No. 1 in the Swiss telecommunications market chooses modern dynamic diesel uninterruptible power supply systems and selects ABB to be its partner.

When a goal is scored at Basel’s Joggeli stadium, Bern’s Stade de Suisse, the AFG Arena in St. Gallen or the Letzi grund stadium, ABB is always right there. Because when tension is high on the field and in the stands at Euro 08, low-voltage power will be required in the background to make sure everything runs smoothly.

System for Letzigrund stadiumABB is responsible for the entire low-voltage distribution system at the new Letzigrund track-and-field stadium in Zurich (see photo on the left), where

soccer is also played. To ensure that the boxes, scoreboards and floodlights – by far the biggest power hogs in the stadium – receive an uninterrupted sup-ply of electricity, the switchgear is rated for 4,000 kilovolt-amperes. Despite the rating, the compact design of the system gives it a very small footprint.

Shopping center at the AFG ArenaThe same applies to the primary low-voltage distribution system at the shop-ping center in the AFG Arena. The system, which feeds about 50 stores on the first level of the new home stadium of

Football Club St. Gallen, has a rating of about 7,000 kilovolt-amperes. The circuit breakers for the secondary dis tribution to the individual stores and the KNX controls devices for the air conditioning and heating, etc. are also supplied by ABB.

ABB is responsible for the primary low-voltage distribution in almost all Swiss stadiums, so there will be adequate power for Euro 08.

The reliable No-Break UPS system.


Live from parliament – ABB is always standing by

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Live interviews with a federal MP by Stephan Klapproth, moderator of the 10-vor-10 news program, or excerpts from the debates in parliament are beamed to our living rooms from the new media center in Bern. This office of Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse comprises several TV and radio produc-tion studios, video editing facilities and 30 feeds around the federal parliament building.

Main distribution for the buildingABB technology is always standing by, ready for the daily transmissions. An MNS low-voltage motor control center is

used for the main distribution of electric-ity in the 10-story building, feeding power to the many networked systems. About 600 meters of cables and 350 KNX con-trol devices ensure that the flood of infor-mation arrives at the correct location in a timely manner.

ABB control system for camerasABB’s control system manages impor-tant commands for loudspeakers, moni-tors, control desks and cameras. Thanks to KNX technology, producers can turn remote-controlled cameras in the distant hall on and off individually during the recording of the national assembly

debates. Furthermore, lighting and blinds are also controlled by the building auto-mation system, thereby enabling energy to be managed intelligently.

The daily report from the Swiss capital is beamed out from the new media center located directly beside the federal parliament building – thanks partly to ABB technology.

KNX controls ease the workload in television studios.


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Reliable electric power supplies at the new cantonal hospital in Zug

The cantonal hospital in Zug will be opened in Baar in summer of 2008. The hospital features an entirely new design. It has a total area of 17,500 square meters, in which there will be 184 beds in 106 rooms, five operating theaters, eight recovery and seven intensive care rooms, 12 emergency stations and 10 beds for walk-ins.

Everything from a single sourceMarcel Hufschmid AG in Zug received an order to install the entire electrical supply system. The Burkhalter Group company decided that ABB Normelec should offer suitable products for the

electrical installation and systems inte-gration: products that meet the strict specifications, but are also impressive from a design perspective and offer an attractive price-performance ratio. To meet these requirements, ABB Normelec supplied elegant Levy series switches and sockets for the new hospital build-ing, room thermostats and sensors, as well as intelligent KNX bus systems. An additional advantage for operators is that maintenance will be easier later on, since all of the electrical supply prod-ucts came from the same manufacturer.

ABB electrical installation and systems integration products fully comply with strict hospital specifications.

The Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva, located on the banks of Lake Geneva, overlooks the Jet d’eau and features a view of Mont Blanc. It was recently reno-vated. The 423 rooms and 44 suites, among them the luxurious, two-story Geneva Suite, leave nothing to be desired. The latest ABB technology provides pleasant ambient conditions in the Suite. The KNX system can be used to either manually or automatically control room lighting and blind functions. Ap propriate sensors are used to detect weather conditions and ensure that the large panoramic windows are ideally shaded in the summer and penetrated by light in the winter.

Optimized controlKNX building systems technology also provides optimized control of the general lighting, and thereby improved energy efficiency, at the new Radisson SAS Airport Hotel, which will be opened this year. It is situated right beside the Zurich airport. And ABB’s low-voltage main dis-tribution system ensures that adequate power is available in the approximately 350 hotel rooms, dining rooms and meeting rooms.

Five-star building systems

ABB building systems ensure ideal room conditions at the famous Kempinski Hotel in Geneva and the Radisson SAS in Zurich.

The new hospital has 106 rooms.

ABB controls ensure pleasant ambient conditions in the hotel rooms.


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Waste incineration

Power and automation systems help optimize the operating processes of waste incineration systems, minimize the required energy and reduce CO2 emissions.


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Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) is re spon-sible for supplying electricity and water to the city of Basel, as well as managing the waste incineration and district heating facility. As part of a project to merge and standardize the operating control systems, IWB was looking for a common operating platform for all areas. They decided on ABB’s 800xA system to satisfy this requirement. It not only ensures supply reliability, but also minimizes energy consumption and enables more efficient and more cost-effective use of human resources thanks to its predictive optimization solutions.

Flexible and fastOperators of the Limmattal waste inciner-ation plant, which produces 19,000 MWh of district heating annually, recently com-pletely revamped its control system and installed ABB’s 800xA system. Improved visualization on monitors helps staff local-ize disruptions faster and deal with the prob lems appropriately. The processes can not only be monitored from the control room, but they can also be accessed from the anywhere in the building. This method guarantees that a maximum of dis trict heating can be delivered as process heat to the surrounding industry with the mini-mum amount of energy consumption.

District heating thanks to an optimized control system

Modern process control systems from ABB enable waste incineration plants to be operated more intelligently and efficiently.

The complete waste incineration system in Thüringen was built in partnership with Martin GmbH, Munich (project management), and Integral GmbH, Vienna. As a leading vendor of power technology solutions, ABB supplied the entire automation technology, all of the power systems, plus the technical building equipment.

Challenging plant processesModern waste incineration plants are technically challenging. Key criteria lead-ing to successful planning and imple-mentation were solid knowledge of the

plant processes plus their impact on the design and operation of the systems.

Supplying power to the gridThe waste incineration plant is designed to handle 160,000 tonnes of waste per year and meets strict energy-related specifications. In addition to incinerating garbage, the plant feeds power into the local electric grid and serves as an envi-ronmentally friendly district heating facil-ity for private homes and industry.

One of Europe’s most advanced waste incineration systems has been started up in Thüringen. The automation and power technology was supplied by ABB.

Waste incineration plants are technically very complex.

Getting rid of waste using the most advanced technology

Excellent visualization thanks to the 800xA process control system.


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Food and beverage

Automation technologies improve production process productivity and ensure that energy is used efficiently in the food and beverage industry.


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Every Swiss child knows the unmistakable shape of the Toblerone, and the Swiss chocolate is also relished in other coun-tries. ABB robots help in the manufac-turing of individually packaged Toblerone chocolates, which are offered alongside coffee in restaurants.

Exact positioning is keyThe specifications for the new packag-ing system at Kraft Foods Schweiz AG in Bern were strict. Individual chocolates had to be positioned on the conveyor belt so precisely that they would not tip and cause the five wrapping machines to shut down. No problem for the ABB

robot. It grips the container and places it at the separating station. Each bottom tray, which is filled with the individual triangular chocolates, is sent downstream on the conveyor belt.

Two other ABB robots then remove the tray from beneath the chocolates so gently that they are precisely arranged and do not tip when set down on the conveyor belt. From there, they can easily be individually wrapped in foil and pack-aged in boxes. All that remains to be said is: Enjoy!

Migros bets on robots that have a knack

Toblerone – individually packaged triangles

At Kraft Foods in Bern, Toblerone chocolates are individually packaged by ABB robots.

The company moveline AG, based in Kestenholz, Solothurn, installed a central palletizing system for Migros’ JOWA operation located in Gränichen, Aargau. Frozen baked goods such as pastries, mini pizzas, cheese pies and bread are made on various levels throughout the facility. The frozen products are trans-ported on a sophisticated conveying sys-tem to the ground floor, where they are palletized, labeled and readied for trans-portation, before being sent to the freezer prior to shipping.

Excellent performanceABB is playing a key role in the process. The IRB 6650 robot, with its versatile gripper system, does not care which product or which size box arrives, nor does it matter on which line it is being delivered: the robot has a knack for dili-gently palletizing everything it encoun-ters. Since the frozen goods output at Migros is very high, the entire system must be extremely reliable and deliver outstanding performance.

ABB robots help prepare frozen baked goods for delivery.

ABB robots palletize boxes of various sizes.

Chocolates are precisely positioned on a conveyor belt.


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Pharmaceuticals and chemicals

Manufacturing efficiency improvements and a reliable power supply help our customers in the pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries achieve better results.


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Efficient manufacturing thanks to a new process control system

Germany’s Linde Group is a world leader in the supply of a broad range of pressurized and liquid gases and chemicals. Among many other things, the company is focusing on the growing market in medical and therapeutic gases. For example, it manufactures heat exchangers for gas liquefaction, an application that uses vacuum soldering furnaces.

Capacity expansion thanks to 800xALinde converted an existing installation to the 800xA process control system to test it and subsequently ordered the latest generation automation system from ABB to be used with the new sol-dering furnace. ABB is responsible for project management, process visual-ization and interfacing to the existing instrumentation and control equipment.

The process control system was pro-grammed by a team staffed by employees from both Linde and ABB. The data gathered is used for quality assurance and process optimization and contrib-utes to an efficient – and thereby cost- effective – production process.

The international Linde Group supplies pressurized and liquid gases to industry. Its automation processes rely on ABB’s 800 x A process control system.

The Linde Group is a leader in the field of pressurized and liquid gases.


ABBABB Switzerland LtdBrown Boveri Strasse 6CH-5400 BadenPhone +41 58 585 00 00www.abb.ch C

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ABB Switzerland highlights Using energy efficiently€¦ · as we will show you in this brochure: ... improving pro- ductivity or better ... At a very early stage, ABB Switzerland