ABB's Porvoo factory achieves carbon-neutral operations

ABB's manufacturing facility in Porvoo, Finland, has attained carbon-neutral status by utilising 100% renewable energy sources. 

The site, which produces wiring accessories and installation materials for the smart building market in the Nordics, implemented a range of energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable technologies to decarbonise its operations.

The facility integrated solutions such as a geothermal system, energy recycling, solar technologies, electric vehicle (EV) charging, ABB i-bus KNX building automation, and the ABB BE Sustainable with Active Energy technology. As a result, total energy efficiency increased by 21%, and CO2 emissions were reduced by 636 metric tons.

A key aspect of the project was the use of a renewable energy contract from the site's energy supplier, along with an OPEX-financing business model offered by ABB's local real estate organisation. The Porvoo factory is now almost fully electric and no longer uses fossil fuels, making it the first ABB site to recycle energy from its production processes.

Energy recovery systems were employed to achieve 93% energy recovery, utilising waste heat from air compressors and heat recovery from cooling networks serving plastic machinery. A rotary screw compressor was installed to extract heat that previously dissipated into the atmosphere.

The shift towards electrification included installing a geothermal system that stores ground heat during the summer for use in the winter. This reduced the use of district heating by 844 MWh thermal per year and cut CO2 emissions by an additional six metric tons annually.

To offset the increased electricity consumption from the heat pump system, a 375 kW ground-based photovoltaic system was installed, generating 238 MWh per year and reducing emissions by 59 metric tons of CO2 annually. On-site EV charging stations for employees and visitors are also powered by renewable energy.

Digital solutions played a significant role in the facility's transformation. The ABB BE Sustainable with Active Energy system monitors energy flows and consumption in real-time across power, heat, and water. It provides facility managers with data to analyse trends and make informed decisions to enhance energy efficiency.

ABB's Mission to Zero programme, aimed at achieving carbon neutrality at its own sites while assisting customers to do the same, was a key driver for the project.