The latest episode of ABB’s technology-focused podcast ABB Decoded discusses technologies for greener shipping, this year’s theme of the World Maritime Day on September 29. The theme provides an opportunity to focus on the importance of a sustainable maritime sector and engage in a global dialogue on the topic.

With more than 80 percent of all goods worldwide being transported via ships, and the number expected to significantly increase over the next few years, the imperative of the maritime transport sector to support global sustainability is clear. The marine industry has set ambitious sustainability and carbon neutrality targets in response to the global climate challenge. A key part of ABB’s 2030 sustainability strategy is to support customers and suppliers to reduce their emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in ABB’s own operations by 2030.

In the podcast Eero Lehtovaara, Head of Regulatory and Public Affairs, Marine & Ports at ABB, talks about increasing engine efficiency, the use of alternative energy sources like hydrogen or electricity, and how digital technologies can help create autonomous solutions to support greener shipping. In addition, he discusses the importance of evolving technologies in line with changing marine regulations.

Lehtovaara is in a unique position within ABB Marine & Ports as the internal and external focal point between maritime technology and regulation, bringing understanding between stakeholders in both areas. He is also ABB’s representative to a number of EU and global maritime agencies and NGOs.

“The marine industry is aiming for higher efficiency, reliability, predictability, and utilizing more information gained from digital technologies,” explains Lehtovaara. He expects a broad variety of solutions will play a role in reaching these ambitions. For instance, new technologies that are able to increase energy efficiency of ships, as well as the production and uptake of low-carbon marine fuels and the technologies to produce such fuels, are important for greener shipping.

As reliable and accessible alternative fuels are being developed, existing technologies are already available to increase the energy efficiency along with electrifying the maritime industry. Lehtovaara explains how digitalization brings forward the possibility to use data and information to further enhance the capabilities of the technologies that are already available. For example, digitalization enhancements to reduce turn-around times in ports can also contribute to the greening of shipping, by promoting and enabling optimization of resource and energy use.

Speaking about the current state of the marine sector, in the podcast Lehtovaara shares, “It’s an extremely interesting phase that we’re living in the maritime industry at the moment. I would say that really using information to the benefit of all the stakeholders is one of the biggest things that is still to come. The overall management of the big picture is really reliant on data. How we manage that data, how we process that data, and how the shipping companies are using that in their systems is something that’s very much going on at the moment and is very much dependent on the regulatory framework.”

The podcast concludes with Lehtovaara summarizing the critical importance of the relationship between the industry and the regulators and the need for open dialogue between the two. “We need to have a common understanding as an industry as a whole, including the regulators, on what technologies can do, what technologies are coming and where do we find the gaps in the regulatory setup that we need to work together with.”

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ABB has granted the third ever ABB Research Award in Honor of former ABB chairman Hubertus von Grünberg to Dr. Utsav Banerjee to continue his research on innovative integrated circuits and systems for increased security on the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices.

His research, which ABB is going to support with a grant of $300,000 over three years, will address critical security and privacy issues in the IoT. It aims to bridge the gap between complex theoretical concepts and practical implementation techniques to enable efficient hardware solutions for secure edge computing. This field becomes increasingly critical to many companies as more and more components are connected to the internet and exchange data across companies’ sites. Every one of these connections has to be secure as only secure systems can provide reliable data.

Dr. Banerjee, who received his Ph.D. in 2021 in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, was recognized in a ceremony at ABB’s Research Center in Baden, Switzerland. He will lead the project in the Secure Intelligent and Efficient Systems group at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in Bengaluru, India, where he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering.

“With the ABB Research Award in Honor of Hubertus von Grünberg we recognize outstanding work while facilitating and encouraging advanced research. With Dr Banerjee the jury selected a great candidate out of the global field of all applicants. His research will help to make the foundation of our modern world, the internet, more secure,” said ABB CEO Björn Rosengren.

“With this year’s ABB Research Award we recognize Dr Banerjee as an outstanding researcher who has worked and will continue to work on innovative integrated circuits and systems for increased security of the Internet of Things. That for me is a cornerstone of the progressing digitalization in industry, but also in everyone’s life,” said Hubertus von Grünberg, former ABB Chairman.

The ABB Research Award, which is presented every three years, honors the best Ph.D. dissertation leading to an excellent research proposal in the fields of electrical, mechanical or software engineering, electronics, robotics, artificial intelligence, process automation, and any related technical discipline, as applied in utilities, industries, and transport and infrastructure. The jury’s special attention was paid to specific real-world applications and potential for innovation beside the benefit of the research to society and the environment.

The ABB Research Award is dedicated in honor of the achievements of Hubertus von Grünberg, who served as ABB Chairman from 2007 to April 2015. Von Grünberg, a theoretical physicist who wrote his doctoral dissertation in 1970 on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, was instrumental in setting ABB on a path to sustainable growth. It is his legacy that supporting research, both at universities and within the company, has become a strategic imperative for ABB. Investing some $7 billion in research and development between 2016 and 2021, ABB is one of most innovative companies worldwide driving the digital transformation of industries.

The awardee decision was made by a renowned international jury consisting of Dr. Hubertus von Grünberg, Prof. Nina Thornhill, Imperial College London, Prof. Roland Siegwart, ETH Zurich, Prof. Manfred Morari, University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Ambuj Varshney, National University of Singapore, and Dr. Bernhard Eschermann, CTO of ABB Process Automation.

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ABB today released the 4/2022 edition of ABB Review, the company’s technical journal. The lead topic for this quarter is “connections,” examining multiple solutions in typical industrial contexts like the food & beverage area and more unusual settings, such as maritime transport, as well as highlighting solutions for improved sustainability. For example, an all-in-one certified solution that provides new protection perspectives for direct current grids today and in the future is explained. With power electronics, mechanics, cooling, control, sensing, and communication packed into one building block, ABB paves the way for easier integration of renewables into the grid. The industry’s first solid-state circuit breaker is at the heart of the solution dubbed SACE Infinitus, which relies on microsecond-fast power semiconductor devices to enable ultrafast and safe current interruption.

Continuous temperature monitoring with ABB’s new CM-TCN relays help protect critical assets from costly failures. The relay sets a new benchmark in ease of use, efficient setup, and connectivity. With an embedded communication interface the relay can be easily integrated into the digital solution ABB Ability Energy and Asset Manager, which optimizes the energy consumption of industrial facilities. By keeping an eye on temperatures – either from the cloud, in a control room, or locally – operators can help minimize cost and risk while maximizing performance and safety.

“As well as ensuring continuity of supply in power delivery, protection algorithms safeguard people and equipment and optimize energy efficiency,” writes ABB CEO Björn Rosengren in the issue’s opening pages. “Increasingly, they are being applied across the value chain from manufacturing and operations to recycling.”

Additionally, a special section looks at how hydrogen is set to play a central role in enabling a decarbonized energy system. Hydrogen can store energy, provide flexibility, and be used to transport high volumes of energy over long distances via pipelines and ships. The production of hydrogen using green electricity holds the potential to deeply reshape the transportation, power, gas, chemicals, steel, and fuel markets. But as the smallest and most elusive molecule in the periodic table, hydrogen presents a number of challenges in terms of production, transportation, storage, and end-use. ABB offers a range of instrumentation and analyzer solutions to master these challenges.

ABB Review has been in continuous publication since 1914, 899 issues have been published to date which makes it one of the longest-running corporate journals of any kind. A perennial source of technical inspiration and education, ABB Review presents some of the company’s most cutting-edge innovations across scientific and technological domains in a raft of commercial and industrial contexts, setting out the unique point of view of ABB researchers, engineers and technicians on key technology trends and topics. To continue to develop the journal and better meet the expectations of its readers, a readership survey was conducted in the Spring of 2022; the results are presented in the latest issue.

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The private placement includes participation from the long-term equity strategy fund of Interogo Holding, a foundation-owned international investment group based in Switzerland. moyreal holding ag (“moyreal”), a Swiss single-family office with a long-standing history in the automotive industry and advised by Helvetic Trust AG, and ABB E-mobility Chairman, Michael Halbherr, are also participating in the private placement. Interogo Holding and moyreal believe that ABB E-mobility will play an important role in the transformation towards a more sustainable society. ABB remains a committed partner to ABB E-mobility with a shareholding of approximately 92 percent, providing continued access to funding and supporting its future growth journey.

ABB CEO Björn Rosengren said: “We remain committed to our strategy to separately list our E-mobility business subject to constructive market conditions. Meanwhile, having Interogo Holding, moyreal and Michael Halbherr as new co-shareholders in ABB E-mobility is a recognition of the company’s leading customer offering and market position. The private placement underpins our joint commitment to ensure ABB E-mobility’s fast growth in order to remain best positioned to lead the sector in EV charging solutions.”

“We have followed the EV charging space for long time and are impressed by what the ABB E-mobility team has achieved. ABB E-mobility is well-positioned to support the transformation towards a more sustainable future. We look forward to working with the team and co-shareholders,” says Richard Silén, MD of IH Long-term Equity Advisors AB, the long-term equity arm of Interogo Holding AG.

Board of Directors fully appointed

Following the appointment of Chairman Michael Halbherr, as well as three representatives from ABB, namely Morten Wierod (President of Electrification business area), Carolina Granat (Chief Human Resources Officer), and Andreas Wenzel (Head of Strategy and M&A), three additional independent Board members for ABB E-mobility have been named: Håkan Samuelsson, Annette Köhler and Peter Molengraaf. In addition, Richard Silén, Managing Director of IH Long-Term Equity Advisors AB, has been appointed to the Board.

The Board of Directors, covering expertise across the fields of automotive, energy, finance and digitalization, has been established to govern the division in the spirit of an agile and fast-moving independent company.

ABB E-mobility is a global market leader in building a zero-emission future, with smart, reliable and emission-free EV charging solutions. Since the beginning of the year, the company has significantly scaled up its business, also through a number of acquisitions and investments, including In-Charge, Chargelab and Numocity, as well as the opening of a state-of-the art production facility in Italy and the US footprint expansion.

Lilja, Morgan Stanley, and UBS acted as financial advisors and Lenz & Stähelin acted as external legal advisors to ABB on the private placement.

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.

Important notice about forward-looking information

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements which are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the factors that may affect our future performance, including the economic conditions of the regions and industries that are major markets for ABB. These expectations, estimates and projections are generally identifiable by statements containing words such as “intends”, “expects”, “plans”, or similar expressions. However, there are many risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information and statements made in this press release and which could affect our ability to achieve any or all of our stated targets or anticipated transactions, including but not limited to the proposed IPO. Some important factors that could cause such differences include, among others, business risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the volatile global economic environment and political conditions including the conflict in Ukraine, costs associated with compliance activities, market acceptance of new products and services, changes in governmental regulations and currency exchange rates and such other factors as may be discussed from time to time in ABB Ltd’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Reports on Form 20-F. Although ABB Ltd believes that its expectations reflected in any such forward-looking statement are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will be achieved. The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive and undue reliance should not be placed upon any forward-looking statements, including projections, which speak only as of the date made.

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• In the new episode of ABB Decoded, Northvolt founder and CEO Peter Carlsson tells how Northvolt aims to revolutionize global battery manufacture, from a European base
• Carlsson identifies custom battery and energy-storage solutions as being significant areas of opportunity

• Sustainability and circular economic relationships with customers identified as vital for long-term success

The latest episode of ABB’s technology-focused podcast features Peter Carlsson, founder and CEO of Northvolt, an ambitious European battery manufacturing start-up founded on principles of sustainability and zero-carbon energy storage solutions.

Pre-Northvolt, Carlsson was a key member of the leadership team that oversaw the transition of Tesla from start-up to disruptor of the global automobile industry. He also worked in executive positions for Sony Ericsson.

Both roles, he says, have informed his vision to make Sweden-headquartered Northvolt a challenger to the Asia-dominated battery manufacturing market, while guiding his belief that a large-scale green battery maker is essential to meet the spiralling demands of the global automobile industry, as it transitions to the production of battery-electric vehicles from those powered by internal-combustion engines.

ABB became Northvolt’s first partner in 2017, when Northvolt chose ABB’s Plant Optimization Methodology to help fast-track project execution with integrated electrification, instrumentation, control and digitalization (EICD) solutions to enable efficient start-up and operations.

Tackling the challenge of global warming

Northvolt’s Ett factory is 100 per cent powered by locally sourced renewable energy and by 2030 it aims to have 50 percent of new battery content recycled from used batteries.

Said Carlsson: “What is unique with the company is that we are very clearly aimed to build the world’s greenest battery and to take the carbon footprint of our products as close to zero as possible. The reason why we started the company is we’re really trying to solve a big problem and that is the global problem of global warming, and the increasing amount of carbons in the atmosphere. So really driving products that are as carbon-neutral as possible became a really big mission.”

Customization and customer relationships key to success

Carlsson’s wide industry experience has convinced him that meeting the needs of customers offers a new direction – and presents new opportunities – for battery manufacturing.
“Five years ago, most customers were seeing batteries as kind of a commodity. You would buy standardized formats, so it was pretty much a similar type of product for everyone, and you’d build the electrification upon it. Today, as big car companies are transforming into fully electric manufacturing, you’re starting to see their aspirations on brand and product performance being moved into electrification. The ability to co-develop with our customers so that they could set the optimal chemical systems towards their needs is a big addition to our sustainability focus.”

Opportunities offered by common European vision

In 2017 the European Battery Alliance was launched with the aim of creating a complete domestic battery value chain, to foster a cost-competitive clean energy transition. “One of the challenges in Europe,” said Carlsson, “is that you need to create a core base of competence. There is basic research in Europe around batteries that is really good. But this industry has evolved. It started in Japan, moved to Korea, and then it really scaled in China. So a lot of the competence and skills have been developed there. But there is a strong sense in Europe that we need to do it and a strong commitment to the Paris Treaty. Also a very strong understanding of: ‘Let’s do it, and let’s do it right’.

Experience offers reassurance

“The thing that I felt very strongly during the years of Tesla and that I feel very strongly right now, was, yes, there are a lot of obstacles, but fundamentally what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it is absolutely right. This is the way a battery company, an energy storage company, should be built. And that gives me kind of a strong reassurance that if we just get our execution, and we’re solving our bottlenecks, there is an ocean of opportunities for us to become a leader in this field.”

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