ABB to power latest electric motor products in China

ABB Motion, a business unit of the Swiss technology and engineering company ABB Group, plans to introduce more of its latest electric motor products in China to respond to the government's call to pursue green and high-quality development, said its top executive.

With China setting a target to combat climate change by speeding up reductions in emissions to reach carbon neutrality before 2060, measures to improve energy efficiency will play a vital role in helping industry and infrastructure to reduce their emissions, said Morten Wierod, president of ABB Motion.

While mostly hidden from public view, electric motors are embedded in almost every built environment. They power a vast range of applications fundamental to modern life, he said.

China has recognized the importance of efficient electric motors as a matter of policy, with a new national standard requiring motors to have a minimum efficiency level of IE3 coming into effect on June 1, 2021.

"As one of the earliest countries to sign the Paris Agreement, China has made a strong commitment to address climate change," said Morten Wierod, President of ABB Motion. "This latest legislation on electric motor efficiency is an important new step in driving down emissions.

He said the technology needed to help achieve these goals already exists as ABB Motion in China has produced IE3 motors since 2013 and IE5 motors since 2020. The company urges the rapid, widespread adoption of the latest motor technologies to reduce energy consumption as quickly as possible.

According to the Swiss company, around 75 percent of industrial motors are used to run pumps, fans, and compressors, a category of machinery that is highly susceptible to major efficiency improvements. The optimum effect is achieved when a high-efficiency motor is paired with a variable speed drive that adjusts the speed and torque.

"The motor runs only as fast as is called for by the application, leading to significant energy savings," said Qi Luping, president of ABB Motion, China.

From 2010 to the end of 2020, ABB Motion delivered over 10 million drives and high efficiency motors in China. They have helped achieve accumulated energy savings of more than 475 billion kWh, equivalent to all the electricity consumed by Beijing over a four-year period.