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ABB Advocates Adoption of High-efficiency Motors To Combat Climate Change

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  • Global electricity consumption to be reduced by 10%

In a new whitepaper published recently, ABB has revealed potential for significant energy efficiency improvements in industry and infrastructure enabled by the latest and most high-efficiency motors and variable speed drives.

ABB has called on governments and industries to accelerate adoption of the technology to help combat climate change.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), industry accounts for 37% of global energy use and about 30% of global energy is consumed in buildings.

While mostly hidden from public view, electric motors – and the variable speed drives which optimize their operations – are embedded in almost every built environment. They power a vast range of applications fundamental to our modern way of life, from industrial pumps, fans and conveyors for manufacturing and propulsion systems for transportation to compressors for electrical appliances and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in buildings.

Motor and drive technologies have seen exceptionally rapid advancement in the past decade, with today’s innovative designs delivering remarkable energy efficiencies. However, a significant number of industrial electric motor-driven systems in operation today – in the region of 300 million globally – are inefficient or consume much more power than required, resulting in monumental energy wastage.

 Independent research estimates that if these systems were replaced with optimized, high-efficiency equipment, the gains to be realized could reduce global electricity consumption by up to 10%. In turn, this would account for more than 40% of the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions needed to meet the 2040 climate goals established by the Paris Agreement.

“Industrial energy efficiency, more than any other challenge, has the single greatest capacity for combating the climate emergency.  It is essentially the world’s invisible climate solution,” said Morten Wierod, President ABB Motion.

“For ABB, sustainability is a key part of our company’s purpose and value that we create for all of our stakeholders. By far, the biggest impact we can have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is through our leading technologies, which reduce energy use in industry, buildings and transport”, he said.

Considerable steps have already been taken to support the uptake of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources. ABB believes it is time to do the same for an industrial technology that will deliver even greater benefits for the environment and the global economy.

“The importance of transitioning industries and infrastructure to these highly energy efficient drives and motors to play their part in a more sustainable society, cannot be overstated,” said Morten Wierod. “With 45% of the world’s electricity used to power electric motors in buildings and industrial applications, investment in upgrading them will yield outsized rewards in terms of efficiency.”

ABB frequently assesses the net impact of its own installed high efficiency motors and drives on global energy efficiency. In 2020, it enabled 198 terawatt-hours of electricity savings – more than half of the UK’s annual consumption. By 2023, it is estimated that ABB motors and drives will enable customers globally to save an additional 78 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, almost as much as the annual consumption of Belgium, Finland or the Philippines and more than the total annual consumption of Chile.

Regulatory policies are among the main drivers of industrial investment in energy efficiency around the globe. While the European Union will be implementing its Ecodesign Regulation (EU 2019/1781) this year, which sets out stringent new requirements for an expanding range of energy efficient motors, many countries have yet to take action.

To take advantage of the tremendous opportunities afforded by energy efficient drives and motors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ABB says all stakeholders have a critical role to play. For instance, public decision makers and government regulators need to incentivize their rapid adoption; businesses, cities and countries need to be aware of both the cost savings and environmental advantages and be willing to make the investment; also, investors need to reallocate capital towards companies better prepared to address the climate risk.

“While our role at ABB is to always provide the most efficient technologies, products and services to our customers, and continue to innovate for ever greater efficiency, that in itself is not enough. All stakeholders need to work together to bring about a holistic transformation in how we use energy. By acting and innovating together, we can keep critical services up and running while saving energy and combatting climate change”, concludes Morten Wierod.

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Green IT

NASENI and REA To Deploy Renewable Technologies for Rural Areas in Nigeria 

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The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu and the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad have agreed to work together to deploy NASENI Solar resources and other renewable energy technologies, to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas.

This commitment was the outcome of discussions between the two chief executives in Abuja recently when the EVC/CEO of NASENI visited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) office as part of his efforts to engage with stakeholders to promote the adoption of NASENI’s technologies.  

Mr. Halilu, who assumed office two weeks ago as NASENI’s chief executive, said, “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfil its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.” 

According to him, “The strategy, going forward, for NASENI includes knocking on the doors of potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, making off-take of our Research & Development (R&D) easy, while also bringing the direct impact of our work to bear on the Nigerian economy.”

The two chief executives pledged to work together to bring down the cost of solar power installation in rural areas, through efforts such as increased local production of solar panels by NASENI. The overall goal, according to the REA MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to facilitate the Federal Government’s ambition to achieve the electrification of Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.

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Schneider Electric Seeks Adoption of Electric Vehicles In Nigeria as a Solution to Fuel Challenges

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As the demand for sustainable transportation solutions rises, Schneider Electric has emphasized the need for adoption of electric vehicles (EV) solutions to alleviate future fuel challenges.

The country president, Schneider Electric, Ajibola Akindele disclosed this while showcasing the global energy management and automation giant’s cutting-edge range of Electrical Vehicle (EV) chargers at the West African Automotive Show, Landmark, Lagos, Nigeria.

Stating that there is growing interest for electric vehicles, Akindele, highlighted Schneider Electric’s commitment towards providing a reliable and sustainable solution for Nigeria’s transportation sector, “Fuel scarcity remains a significant concern in Nigeria and the cost is now an added challenge.

“Schneider Electric recognizes electric vehicles as a sustainable and efficient solution to address these issues, now and in the future. By shifting towards electric vehicles, Nigeria can reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions. Schneider Electric is committed to supporting this transition by providing reliable and scalable EV charging solutions.”

Speaking on the exhibition success and visitor’s reactions, marketing communications manager, Omobolanle Omotayo, said “The exhibition witnessed enlightening engagements with electric vehicle enthusiasts and industry professionals, which provided valuable insights on the growing EV market in West Africa and the need for a robust charging infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles effectively.”

Schneider Electric commended the efforts of the Lagos State Government in promoting the importation of automotive electrical vehicles(buses) into Nigeria. This forward-thinking initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to cleaner mobility and paves the way for a greener transportation ecosystem.

The EV charger product manager, Grace Olorunsola highlighted Schneider Electric’s diverse portfolio of EV charging solutions, “EV Charging solutions caters to the needs of both residential (EVlink Home) and commercial requirements (EVlink Pro AC). The charging solutions offer convenience and flexibility of use, ensuring electric vehicle owners can charge their vehicles efficiently without hassle.

“By implementing Schneider Electric’s EV charging solutions, Nigeria can seamlessly transition to electric vehicles and provide a sustainable and reliable transportation system for its citizens,” she added.  

Schneider Electric drives digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, endpoint to cloud connecting products, controls, software, and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centres, infrastructure, and industries.

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Why WATT Renewable Is Investing $100m for solar-powered telecoms towers in Nigeria

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WATT Renewable, a private independent clean energy producer is to raise as much as $100 million by the end of 2024 to expand its business of providing solar power, mainly to telecommunications towers in Nigeria.

Sherisse Alexander, chief investment officer of WATT Renewable stated that the company has installed 12 megawatts of generation capacity at about 160 sites and has a pipeline of projects 10 times that size.

According to Alexander, the Canadian company would prefer a major investor to take a stake but will finance projects individually if need be.

“What we are looking at is a corporate raise. WATT is talking to companies that are already involved in the energy industry that have an understanding of renewable energy and specifically the African market,” she said.

WATT is one of a number of energy startups trying to provide power solutions in Africa, where about 600 million people, or half the population, have no access to electricity. Businesses across the continent are offering services ranging from mini-grids to small hydro plants to reach areas that aren’t connected to national grids.

One of its main customers is Pan African Towers Ltd., a Nigerian provider of masts. In addition to telecommunications, WATT has also focused on financial institutions and some commercial and industrial companies.

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