ABB explores solutions to water crisis

March 22nd every year is World Water Day, aimed at raising public awareness of water conservation and changing the way water is used, consumed, and managed. The shortage of water resources is a global challenge we face, as water resources are in short supply in many parts of the world. The World Water Development Report shows that by 2030. the world may face 40% of water scarcity.

ABB water-saving practice

Protecting natural resources is an important part of ABB Group's 2030 sustainable development strategy. To protect current and future resources, ABB is more systematically integrating the concept of circular economy into the entire industrial value chain.

Water is the cornerstone of all sustainable development goals. Although most of ABB's production processes are not water intensive, we closely monitor water management in various business operations. ABB combined local benchmark water pressure indicators and used water risk mapping tools to assess water pressure in 332 factories and office sites worldwide. This tool also supports analyzing the level of groundwater depletion, flood risk, and the impact of seasonal changes on business water use. These data provide information for ABB to better manage water resources.

ABB has laid the foundation for us to achieve water conservation by adopting closed-loop processes and other measures to recycle and reuse water resources. In 2022. these measures helped ABB save 65% of industrial water and 80% of cooling water in its global factories and offices. Currently, ABB is carrying out 13 projects to improve water resource management, which are expected to save approximately 17000 tons of water annually.

Customer water-saving case

The water and sewage treatment industries consume approximately 3.5% of the world's energy, and we are expected to save resources by significantly improving energy efficiency. As a global technology leader, ABB provides a range of electrical and automation solutions for the entire process from water intake, transmission, purification, storage, distribution, to wastewater treatment, including intelligent power distribution, power quality, motors and generators, frequency converters, measurement and analysis, and automation control. These solutions help users improve energy efficiency, conserve water resources, and create a smart water management system for the future.

Provide technical support for desalination projects in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates

ABB provides a range of digital measurement and analysis products and solutions for monitoring water flow rate, pressure, liquid level, as well as fluoride concentration, turbidity, and pH value in the first dual-mode seawater desalination plant in Singapore - Keppel Bay East seawater desalination plant. These products are used to reduce operating costs and improve efficiency, ensuring stable high-quality water use and public health. The seawater desalination plant can produce 30 million gallons of drinking water per day from seawater and rainwater, supporting Singapore, which lacks freshwater resources, to improve water supply reliability.

In the important reverse osmosis seawater desalination project in the UAE - Abu Dhabi Tawil Water Plant, ABB provided a medium and low voltage electrical solution including 30 UniGear ZS3.2 medium voltage switchgear and 250 MNS Digital low voltage switchgear, as well as a wide range of medium and low voltage motors and frequency converters, to ensure the continuity of power supply and efficient and stable operation of water pumps in the seawater desalination project, improve system operation efficiency and energy efficiency, save energy expenses and maintenance costs, and support the project to meet the water needs of more than 350000 households in the local area.

Utilizing digital technology to alleviate water scarcity in southwestern India

Continuous drought and water scarcity have a huge impact on production and life, so it is crucial to improve water use efficiency and alleviate water resource imbalances through modernization. ABB provides end-to-end SCADA automation control systems and instrumentation solutions including 635 digital flow meters in Kopal County, located in southwestern India. The solutions help local water authorities track, measure, and optimize water usage in the arid Kopal region, and pump treated river water to villagers' homes, using digital water resource management solutions to alleviate water scarcity in Kopal, India.

Leading solutions support China's water conservancy engineering and pipeline construction

The Yellow River to Shanxi Project draws water from the Wanjiazhai Reservoir on the Yellow River and supplies water to Taiyuan, Datong, and Shuozhou respectively. It is one of the major strategic projects to solve the shortage of water resources in Shanxi. ABB has participated in the expansion projects of Wanjiazhai Phase I and Phase II, and provided leading products, services, and solutions such as medium voltage frequency converters LCI, synchronous motors, PLC systems, transformers, switchgear, excitation, and filters for the Phase II expansion project, fully supporting the construction of this national key project. In addition, ABB has also participated in multiple national key livelihood projects, including the South to North Water Diversion Project, the Niulan River Dianchi Lake Water Replenishment Project in Kunming, Yunnan, and the Yellow River Diversion Project in Yan'an, to alleviate regional water resource imbalances.

A large water industry group in North China has adopted a digital solution of ABB measurement and analysis integrated sensing equipment and advanced communication technology in a regional pipeline network renovation project to achieve efficient and intensive water supply network management. The digital solution of ABB electromagnetic water meter equipped with NB IoT narrowband IoT communication technology can significantly increase the efficiency of pipeline data collection and improve service capabilities and levels while ensuring user data security.

ABB robot spraying technology helps manufacturing industry save water and energy

ABB's groundbreaking PixelPaint technology reshapes the spraying process and enhances the sustainability of manufacturing. It does not require the use of shielding materials or additional ventilation during the spraying process, achieving water and energy conservation while reducing harmful emissions. Through ABB RobotStudio programming software, the nozzle works closely along the body of the car, ensuring that the paint is applied 100% to the surface of the car without scattering. Even multi-color spraying can be quickly completed in one go. Not only can it help car manufacturers reduce production time by half, but it can also lower costs by up to 60%.

Assisting sewage treatment in the Yangtze River Delta region, transforming turbid currents into clear streams

The collection and centralized treatment of sewage are crucial for protecting the water environment, effectively preventing water pollution, improving water resource utilization, and providing safety guarantees for daily water use for urban residents, promoting the healthy development of urban ecological environment.

For example, ABB provides NMI series high-voltage modular asynchronous motors with high power density and compact structure, supporting the sustainable, efficient and stable operation of the Zhuyuan sewage treatment plant in the "Suzhou River Environmental Comprehensive Improvement Phase IV Project"; ABB provides medium and low voltage electrical solutions to the second phase renovation project of Shanghai Bailonggang Sewage Treatment Plant, helping it cope with the electricity needs of expansion and new construction projects with ease. While ensuring stable and continuous power supply, it also achieves efficient energy management.