With the rapid development of China's energy industry, how to build a new energy system, seize the new opportunities of "electrification of everything", accelerate the implementation of digital value, and promote the transition of energy to a net-zero emission future has become an era proposition in today's electrical field.

Recently, the 2024 ABB Electrical Innovation Week with the theme of "Energy Future, Innovation Driven" was held in Xiamen. The event focused on the opportunities and challenges of the future of energy through opening forums, keynote speeches, product launches and exhibitions, and industry forums, and focused on hot topics such as green energy, green buildings, green industry, and green data centers, fully demonstrating ABB's key role in energy transformation.

At the same time, Morten Wierod, global president of ABB Group Electrical, announced during the event that ABB Electrical will continue to invest $100 million in China in the next three years for low-carbon technology research and development, smart manufacturing upgrades and low-carbon empowerment of the industrial chain to support China's energy transformation.

Multi-angle layout of ESG, "Second Financial Report" has outstanding results

ESG (environment, society and corporate governance) is becoming a new language for communication between enterprises. As green, low-carbon and sustainable development become a consensus among people, ESG performance has become an important indicator for investors to evaluate corporate operations, and is even regarded as the "second financial report" of enterprises.

In this regard, Ma Teng said that for ABB, ESG has always been an area of long-term attention, long-term planning and multi-angle layout. ABB focuses on sustainable development, carbon neutrality and helping customers reduce carbon emissions. ABB had a very clear plan for this as early as 2019, and announced a technology-based net zero target at the Capital Market Day in 2023. He pointed out that ABB's goal is not only to reduce its own carbon emissions, but also to help customers reduce carbon emissions through the company's products.
On the other hand, Ma Teng revealed that ABB has also made detailed divisions in the field of ESG, and each department has specific actions. Taking ABB's Xiamen factory as an example, the roof of the factory is equipped with solar photovoltaic panels, and energy efficiency is emphasized in internal design and planning. At the same time, corporate social responsibility is also the core of ABB's attention. For example, by 2030, it plans to make 25% of the company's management team composed of women, in order to enhance the status and role of women in the enterprise. Ma Teng emphasized that ABB's ESG is not only an economic indicator, but also values the long-term value that the concept of sustainable development brings to the company.

ABB's outstanding performance in all aspects of ESG has also been highly recognized by the international authoritative index agency MSCI, which raised ABB's ESG rating to the highest AAA level, fully affirming ABB's continued efforts.

Innovative DC distribution technology empowers energy transformation

Under the current background of "dual carbon" goals, distributed energy is developing on a large scale. Distribution networks are facing the dual challenges of efficient consumption of new energy and reliable supply of loads, and the distribution network needs to be upgraded.

Ma Teng believes that although DC distribution is not the only choice for future power systems, its application is becoming more and more extensive, and it is becoming more and more important for the future distribution network. Compared with AC distribution systems, DC distribution systems have fewer conversion links, high energy utilization, and good power quality. They are one of the important technical means to transform power supply modes, improve power efficiency, and promote energy transformation.

Based on this, ABB focused on setting up "Welcome to the World of DC" - Smart DC low-voltage DC distribution solutions at this Innovation Week event, focusing on displaying ABB's series of innovative achievements in DC distribution, including customized Gerapid DC circuit breakers, Emax DC air circuit breakers, DC disconnectors OT/OS, DC miniature circuit breakers S200 series, KNX DC smart lighting solutions, etc. These products have been widely used in many fields such as energy storage, photovoltaics, UPS batteries, electric-driven ships, rail transit, and construction.
In addition, ABB released more than 20 innovative electrical products and solutions at the event, including the world's first SACE Infinitus solid-state circuit breaker that complies with the IEC 60947-2 standard. ABB Electric China President Zhao Yongzhan described this as a revolutionary product that has given similar products a "new definition".

Zhao Yongzhan said that the establishment of new power systems and new energy systems requires the transformation and implementation of more innovative achievements. ABB is a pioneer in power systems and an industry leader, inventing and creating many products and technologies, and the revolutionary solid-state technology concept is one of them.

Solid-state circuit breakers connect and disconnect power supply circuits through semiconductor power electronic devices. Compared with traditional circuit breakers, SACE Infinitus solid-state circuit breakers detect and respond to short-circuit faults 100 times faster and have a 100 times longer service life. In addition, no energy is released during the disconnection process, and the chance of dangerous arcs is almost reduced to zero, fully protecting the safety of personnel and equipment, and providing customers with safe and energy-saving DC power systems.

Provide reliable options for the implementation of digital applications in the industry

There is no doubt that China has shown strong determination and action in energy transformation and low-carbon development, which has brought huge development opportunities to the industry, but at the same time, it also requires higher energy efficiency, more renewable energy and more resilient power grids, and the realization of all this is inseparable from the promotion of digital and intelligent technologies.

Zhao Yongzhan said that the future distribution system will be more flexible and needs to become more resilient, sensitive and efficient. From the initial power equipment to the later power system, ABB has been providing technology and solutions for China's energy transformation. Now, with its deep technical accumulation and industry experience in the electrical field, ABB helps industry customers improve quality, efficiency and low-carbon development through replicable and scalable digital solutions.

As Ma Teng emphasized, ABB is willing to be part of China's digital journey. As one of the specific measures, at this event, ABB and Huawei jointly released the ABB Ability EM energy efficiency optimization solution based on the Huawei cloud platform, bringing more reliable options for the digital transformation of Chinese users.
Zhao Yongzhan introduced that this solution is ABB's combination of its proprietary technology and leading industry solutions with Huawei Cloud's platform services, infrastructure services and other powerful capabilities to promote the implementation of data value and accelerate the integration and innovation of energy flow and information flow.

With the official launch of the product, this solution will soon be applied to more industries and scenarios on a larger scale. In the future, ABB will further integrate digital technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence to meet the digital transformation needs of various industries and scenarios and promote energy transformation.



In 1907, ABB provided a steam boiler to China; in 1992, ABB invested in and established its first joint venture in Xiamen, starting its development in China. As a technology leader in the field of electrical and automation, ABB has been deeply involved in the Chinese market for more than 30 years. It can be said that ABB has witnessed the tremendous changes in China's economy and society, and is also a participant and contributor to China's rapid economic development.

Today, China is ABB's second largest market in the world, and it is also the origin of a series of innovative products and technologies. ABB has achieved localization of the entire value chain of R&D, production, sales, engineering and services in the Chinese market.

Ma Teng revealed that currently, more than 90% of ABB Electrical China's products are manufactured in China, constantly meeting the needs of the Chinese and even global markets. He said that ABB's market response and deployment speed in China are second to none in the global market. With such speed advantages and production capacity advantages, ABB can seize many energy transformation opportunities that are not limited to China.

Although the global macro-economy still shows uncertainty, Ma Teng remains optimistic about the long-term trend of the Chinese market, and ABB continues to be optimistic about China's future development and will further increase investment to maintain ABB's strong competitiveness in the Chinese market. To this end, Ma Teng announced that in the next three years, the Electrical Division will continue to invest US$100 million in China to enhance technology research and development to support energy transformation.

Specifically, ABB will further expand local R&D resources through measures such as investment in laboratory facilities and testing equipment, develop new technologies and products for the future, and more effectively help customers and partners improve energy efficiency; at the same time, through upgrading intelligent manufacturing, provide higher quality products and solutions to the Chinese market and even overseas markets.