ABB opens new €20 million energy-efficient factory in Belgium

ABB has opened a new €20 million injection molding manufacturing site at Evergem, near Ghent in Belgium, to meet the growing demand for safe, smart and sustainable electrification solutions in Europe. The modern plant has been developed to meet the latest energy-efficiency demands through the installation of new injection molding machines, digital technologies, and automation solutions. It replaces an existing facility that joined ABB as part of its acquisition of GE Industrial Solutions in 2018. The site will produce power distribution enclosures which serve as protective housings for electrical distribution components such as circuit breakers, fuses, switches, and meters, ensuring the safe distribution, metering and control of electricity throughout residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

The global electrical enclosure market size is projected to grow from $7.42 billion in 2024 to $13.15 billion by 2032[1] due to increasing demand for new buildings, the modernization of existing buildings with more efficient and reliable electrical systems, and advances in electrical distribution.

The new Evergem site is part of ABB’s Mission to Zero™ initiative towards significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of ABB sites, while supporting customers to reduce their GHG emissions by providing a decarbonization roadmap that they can implement. The initiative is expected to reduce CO2e emissions by more than 6,700 tonnes and energy consumption by more than 9,400 MWh annually compared to 2019 at the previous facility. The measures are anticipated to result in approximately €2.5 million in energy cost reductions annually. Equipped with energy-efficient machinery, it is expected that 10 percent of energy required at the site will be generated by 1,330 on-site rooftop solar panels, with the remaining sourced from certified green energy supplies. LED lighting, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, heat pumps, cooling water circuits and a new air ventilation plant are also contributing to the energy and carbon emissions reduction.

The Evergem site will continuously monitor and optimize energy usage, leveraging ABB's own digital solutions such as ABB Ability™ Building Analyzer which tracks buildings data and utilities in real-time and provides actionable insights to optimize energy efficiency. This, coupled with the use of green energy and heat pumps, also facilitates the reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Additional digital technologies such as a building management system will be introduced in the coming months to further support the energy efficiency achievement.

"The Mission to Zero™ approach at Evergem is a significant example of our aim to enable a lower-carbon society and of our commitment to accelerating the transition to more sustainable manufacturing,” said Mike Mustapha, President of ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings division. “This advanced site is designed to fulfil future demand, not just current needs. Incorporating cutting-edge technologies and innovative processes that can optimize efficiency and productivity now and in years to come will provide a training ground and sustainability roadmap for our people and customers. We will continue to combine digital technologies with measures to reduce energy consumption and increase renewable energy sources at Evergem in 2024 and beyond."

To enable a low-carbon society, ABB is taking a rigorous science-based net-zero targets approach in line with the Net-Zero Standard of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). ABB partners with customers to avoid emissions and ramp up renewables. A scalable program, Mission to Zero™, covers energy generation, energy management and building automation for industrial and commercial operations.

Source: abb.com