ABB Launches Energy Management Solution For Water And Wastewater To Optimize Efficiency And Sustainability Of Plants

• ABB Ability Energy Management for Water and Wastewater – OPTIMAX to help operators reduce energy use
• Continuous, real-time monitoring increases visibility on site, contextualizes data and reduces reporting time
• Digital optimization tool also has the potential to reduce energy costs by identifying unnecessary energy losses on site

The ABB Ability Energy Management for Water and Wastewater – OPTIMAX solution has been launched to the industry to identify unnecessary energy losses within plants. Through coordinated control and visibility of multiple assets, the digital optimization tool can help reduce both energy use and energy costs.

With wastewater treatment consuming up to three percent of the world’s total energy output¹ and contributing over 1.5 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions globally², OPTIMAX for water and wastewater has been developed to enable plant operators to cut energy consumption and reduce emissions as a result. The step-wise optimization process also reduces chemical usage to improve the quality and sustainability of operations.

OPTIMAX applies continuous, real-time control and monitoring to orchestrate the different energy types available at every stage of the treatment process to achieve optimal conditions. Operators can analyze energy flows to identify areas of improvement and pinpoint energy saving potential and flexibilities across all assets within their facility.

At a net zero wastewater treatment plant pilot project in Schwarzenbruck, Germany, ABB’s technology enabled existing energy generation and storage options to be networked, controlled and optimized. The facility was able to produce as much electricity per year as it consumed by utilizing digester gas power generation, PV solar panels and a hydroelectric power plant. This helped reduce the CO₂ emissions by an estimated 300 tons per year³.

Three-step predictive optimization incorporates intra-day and day-ahead schedules for the controllable assets, which are generated based on forecasts, loads and prices and updated throughout the day. Operators can therefore plan ahead to trade competitively with the grid, developing a circular energy system based on availability of renewable energy against demand, to minimize energy.

The monitoring and reporting functionality helps contextualize the data and reduces reporting time by up to half, while also helping to comply with legal requirements like ISO50001.

“With sustainable operations of wastewater treatment plants increasingly under the spotlight, visibility of your overall energy consumption and emissions is critical,” said Sleman Saliba, Global Product Manager Energy Management of ABB Energy Industries. “When treated effectively, wastewater has huge potential to help solve our global water shortage but we must ensure that in doing so we maintain the highest efficiency and environmental standards possible.”

ABB’s Energy Transition Equation report⁴ analyzed how better use of wastewater could relieve pressure on water supplies through greater integration of automation and digital technologies, and demonstrated how wastewater sites could reduce carbon emissions by up to 2,000 tons per annum. To find out more about making water and wastewater plants more sustainable: OPTIMAX – ABB Energy Industries.

About ABB’s Process Automation
ABB’s Process Automation business automates, electrifies and digitalizes industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs – from supplying energy, water and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. With its ~20,000 employees, leading technology and service expertise, ABB Process Automation helps customers in process, hybrid and maritime industries improve performance and safety of operations, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. For more information, visit go.abb/processautomation

About ABB
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 over 140 years of excellence, ABB’s more than 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. For more information, visit www.abb.com

¹ https://iwa-network.org/learn/circular-economy-tapping-the-power-of-wastewater/
² https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-018-0187-9
³ https://www.kzv-schwarzachgruppe.de/klaeranlagenerweiterung-erneuerung.html
⁴ https://new.abb.com/process-automation/energy-industries/energy-transition/wastewater