Ai‑powered automation transforms green hydrogen and complex industries.

Schneider Electric is deepening its collaboration with Microsoft to help make it easier for industrial companies to modernise their operations, break free from proprietary legacy systems and deploy Ai-powered automation at scale.

 

At the heart of this collaboration is a conviction that industrial automation is overdue for the same open, software-driven transformation that reshaped enterprise IT. Today, most factories and energy plants still run on hardware-locked control systems that are expensive to update, slow to adapt and difficult to extend with Industrial Ai. Schneider Electric is building the technology that showcases a better alternative exists.

 

In collaboration with h2e POWER, an Indian green hydrogen pioneer, the two companies have deployed India’s first fully autonomous solid oxide electrolyser system, empowering operators to shift their focus from routine monitoring to more strategic, high-impact work. The system has surpassed 6,000 hours of stable operation in part- and full-load conditions and has demonstrated just-in-time predictive maintenance and promise in cutting electricity consumption by up to 10%, in a process where electricity accounts for more than 70% of total hydrogen production cost.

 

A Collaboration Built to End Legacy Drag

The Schneider Electric collaboration with Microsoft combines Schneider Electric’s role as a global energy technology partner and pioneer of open, software‑defined automation with Microsoft Azure cloud, Ai, and edge infrastructure. The goal is a practical, vendor-neutral path for industrial companies to modernise without scrapping existing investments or halting production.

 

Central to this is the Industrial Copilot, which extends intelligence to the edge using Microsoft Azure’s cloud and Ai services approach for local inference and reinforcement. It automates the engineering tasks that slow modernisation most: writing control logic, configuring systems, and navigating documentation. Engineering teams using it report up to 50% time savings, with production line changes that once took weeks now completed in hours.

 

Underlying everything is Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert, the world’s first open, software-defined automation platform. By separating software from hardware, it lets customers run and reuse their automation applications across different equipment, vendors, and generations of infrastructure. Microsoft Azure provides the secure cloud and edge backbone that connects it all, from individual sensors to enterprise dashboards.

 

Together, the two companies are offering something the industrial world has lacked: a migration path that meets organisations where they are, not where they “should be.”

 

Proving It in the Field: Green Hydrogen with h2e POWER

Green hydrogen is central to global decarbonisation plans; however, producing it cheaply and reliably at scale remains a challenge. Solid oxide electrolysers (SOECs) offer the highest efficiency of any hydrogen production technology, but their operating conditions are so demanding that it has been difficult to maintain equitable net energy consumption and operate them autonomously.

 

h2e POWER, an India-originated green tech company based in Pune with operations in India, Germany and the USA, had exactly this challenge. Its SOEC system is technically superior, but limited real-time visibility and the absence of open, scalable automation were pushing operating costs well above design targets.

 

Working with Schneider Electric, they deployed a new Ai-powered control solution on h2e POWER’s 20 kW SOEC system. The solution continuously monitors and adjusts the electrolyser in real time, managing thermal balance, hydrogen flow, energy inputs, and safety and equipment health, remotely.

 

The results speak to both the technology and the collaborative approach. Energy efficiency improved, stack wear was significantly reduced, and the levelised cost of hydrogen, the industry’s key economic metric, fell by up to 10%, equivalent to around €500,000 per year for a typical 10 MW plant. The system has now run for more than 6,000 hours, making it one of the most durable autonomous electrolyser demonstrations in India, and probably anywhere in the world.

 

“SOECs have always offered unmatched efficiency, but true commercial scale depends on sustainable operations, optimised energy consumption, durability, predictive maintenance and remote, autonomous control. With Schneider Electric’s open, software‑defined automation and Microsoft’s AI capabilities powered by Azure, our systems are becoming smarter, more responsive, safer, and dramatically more scalable. This open architecture also means we can redeploy intelligence across our entire installed base across multiple locations, without the lock‑in that has constrained industrial innovation for decades,” said Mr. Siddharth Mayur, Founder & Managing Director, h2e POWER.

 

“What we’re seeing at h2e POWER shows the future of industrial automation," said Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President, Manufacturing and Mobility, Microsoft. "The system is powerful and built to scale. Enterprise dashboards unify data across every site, machine learning improves with every hour of operation, and open standards make the control logic fully portable.”

“Every CIO and plant leader asks the same question: can software‑defined automation truly perform under real‑world industrial conditions? At h2e POWER, the answer is clear,” said Gwenaelle Huet, Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric. “Industrial leaders don’t need another vision; they need a migration path. Our collaboration with Microsoft and the Industrial Copilot delivers exactly that, proving even the most complex energy systems can run as intelligent, autonomous assets.” 

---

@SchneiderElec @h2epower  #PAuto #Power #India

Automation in advanced carbon capture project.

Louisiana project will convert forestry waste into reliable, carbon-negative electricity.

Strategic Biofuels’ have chosen Emerson to automate the $2-billion landmark Louisiana Green Fuels (LGF) power facility in Caldwell Parish. The project consists of a wood-fired power plant fully integrated with commercial-scale carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), delivering carbon-neutral electricity to Louisiana’s grid.

At full operation, LGF will convert 1.3 million tons of forestry residuals each year – material that would otherwise be left to decompose or be burned – into renewable baseload power, while capturing and permanently storing 1.1 million metric tons of CO₂ annually in secure geologic formations nearly a mile underground. The project will generate 100 megawatts of clean, dispatchable electricity, positioning Louisiana as a leader in carbon-neutral energy production.

“This project represents a significant milestone in Caldwell Parish and for energy independence to support Louisiana’s future,” said Paul Schubert, Ph.D., Strategic Biofuels CEO. “Emerson is the industry leader in process automation and their extensive experience and expertise in biomass power plants and carbon capture makes them the right partner for our project. We know they will be crucial to this project being completed on schedule.”

To optimise the plant’s integrated operations, Emerson will deploy its DeltaV™ Automation Platform, along with a full suite of advanced automation, measurement and reliability technologies. Emerson’s portfolio – including Rosemount™ smart sensing, control valves, isolation valves, pressure protection devices, Micro Motion™ and Flexim™ flow and gas analysis solutions, and AspenTech® data management software – will provide the high-fidelity visibility and dynamic optimisation tools required for a first-of-its-kind carbon-neutral power system.

“Strategic Biofuels is charting a new course for clean, resilient energy by turning waste biomass into reliable power while permanently removing carbon from the atmosphere,” said Mike Train, Emerson's chief sustainability officer. “Emerson is proud to support this breakthrough project with the automation technologies and CCS expertise needed to ensure safe, efficient and continuous operation of next-generation clean energy facilities.”

With its end-to-end automation capabilities and decades of experience supporting energy transition infrastructure, Emerson will help LGF maximise efficiency, reduce operational risk, and deliver on its mission of creating a replicable, commercially deployable pathway to carbon-neutral energy.

---

@EMR_Automation @StrategicBFuels @EmersonExchange @AspenTech @Rosemount_News @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Power #USA 

Control of transportation and storage of captured carbon dioxide.

ABB has been selected by integrated global energy company Eni as the main automation contractor for HyNet, one of Britain’s first industrial decarbonisation clusters that forms part of the British Government’s Track-1 carbon capture and storage (CCS) commitment.

ABB’s Ability™ System 800xA® Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) will be deployed to manage the automation, telecoms and cyber security project scope for the transportation and storage of the captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted by heavy industrial plants in the North West of England and North Wales, to four depleted gas fields in the Irish Sea off the coast of Liverpool.

The project aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 10 million tons a year by 2030, the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road and a quarter of the carbon dioxide currently emitted across the region.

“CCS has an important role to play within the current energy transition but navigating the complexities of operating an industrial cluster is highly technical and challenging,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. “We are proud to support Eni on the exciting HyNet project by applying our integrated automation technology to accelerate decarbonization in the UK and enable industries to outrun, leaner and cleaner.”

“The HyNet project is clear evidence of how business and government can combine to implement pragmatic and effective industrial policies to accelerate the energy transition,” said Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni who is leading the multi-partner consortium. “ABB’s automation expertise will be invaluable in providing an integrated and end-to-end common control solution spanning all main EPC providers involved in HyNet.”

The British Government has announced almost $29 billion of funding over the next 25 years for two industrial cluster projects, which set out to decarbonise industry and make them a competitive global market for CCS and support 50,000 long term jobs.

---

@ABBgroupnews @ABB_Energy @ABBelec @abb_automation @HyNetNW #PAuto #Sustainability 

Sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Supporting the decarbonization of Europe’s built environment through advanced electrification and automation technologies

A new collaboration with the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) European Regional Network (ERN), aimed at advancing sustainable, energy-efficient building practices across Europe has been announced by ABB's Smart Buildings Division.

The group has joined WorldGBC’s European Regional Network as a Regional Knowledge Partner to drive progress in low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings that align with Europe’s sustainability goals. Leveraging its expertise in electrical and automation technologies, ABB also aims to collaborate with industry leaders to advance innovative customer solutions. This partnership will provide ABB with access to a robust network of experts and member organisations, fostering valuable insights and feedback. Together, they will contribute to meeting key sustainability frameworks, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), while supporting a cohesive approach to shaping building policy across Europe.

The World Green Building Council is dedicated to accelerating sustainability in the built environment, working with governments, businesses, and organisations to drive systemic change around the world. Through its European Regional Network of over 20 Green Building Councils and nearly 5,000 members, WorldGBC is a catalyst for positive change which aims to reduce the environmental footprint of buildings across their entire lifecycle. Recent initiatives spearheaded by the network include the #BuildingLife project to develop an EU Roadmap, with a full set of recomdations to address Whole Life Carbon (WLC) in buildings across Europe, as well as 12 National Decarbonisation Roadmaps initiated to address national level needs.

“With buildings responsible for approximately 30% of final energy consumption and for 26% of global GHG emissions, the opportunity for impact is enormous,” said Mike Mustapha, President of ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings Division. “Our collaboration with the World Green Building Council’s European network will support ABB’s efforts to share expertise and partner with organizations that maintain similar values and ambitions toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. Together, we have the potential to advance smarter, more energy-efficient buildings across Europe that foster resilient, inclusive communities.”

Laura Pallares, Head of the Europe Regional Network (ERN), WorldGBC said, “We couldn’t be more delighted that ABB has joined us as a regional member. The journey to net zero relies on partnerships and collaboration with like-minded organisations. Through our mutual vision for electrifying the built environment and commitment to sustainability, the opportunities for progress are endless.”

Aligned with its sustainability goals, ABB’s participation also reflects its dedication to addressing trends like the shift to electrified, urbanised environments. ABB’s innovative automation and energy management technologies are designed to optimise energy use, integrate renewable sources, and enhance building intelligence, enabling customers to meet these emerging challenges effectively, while enjoying a more comfortable, personalised living and working experience.

This collaboration marks another step in ABB’s sustainability journey to provide products and solutions that support our customers sustainability needs while also reflecting its commitment to advancing a sustainable built environment across Europe.

---

@ABBgroupnews @ABB_Energy @ABBelec @abb_automation @admiralpr #Energy #Sustainability

Removing greenwashing from carbon capture.

Vaisala has launched a new measurement product, MGP241, that measures CO₂ and humidity and is specifically designed to bring transparency to CCUS projects. Both governments and private companies need CCUS to reduce and offset carbon emissions if they are to meet their reported decarbonization targets. However, with current technology still not ready for widespread use, constant, and accurate measurement of captured carbon is vital to ensure its continued development.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage, or CCUS, is a field that has sparked a lot of public debate – and investments. Knowing exactly how much and what quality carbon has been captured is essential if CCUS is to become a viable addition to the toolset against climate change. Vaisala’s new MGP241 multigas probe offers always-on data at a third of the cost compared to measurement solutions most used in CCUS processes today.

“No one knows yet if CCUS will indeed grow to be a significant solution in our fight against climate change. The technology is still in its early stages. What we can solve now is how to make measuring these projects as transparent and efficient as possible to leave no room for guesswork or sugarcoating the results – our numbers don’t lie,” says Julia Salovaara, Strategy and Business Development Manager at Vaisala.

Critical industries depend on CCUS.
CCUS has already seen some major investments. According to BloombergNEF, a record $6.4 billion was invested into CCUS technology in 2022, more than doubling from the year before and with the U.S. leading the way with 45% of the total investments. Yet, many projects are behind schedule or not producing their promised results.

The success of CCUS technology is especially critical for hard-to-abate industries like materials manufacturing, energy production, and the chemical industry. With high emissions and few other significant solutions beyond improving their energy efficiency, these industries experience increased pressures from regulators and the public to decarbonize their operations.

One especially crucial industry is the cement industry that alone emits 7% of global CO₂. Additionally, the global demand for cement is expected to increase 12–23% by 2050. One of the early success stories, Carbonaide, helps the cement industry utilize captured carbon dioxide in concrete manufacturing.

Through the carbonization process, Carbonaide’s technology reduces the amount of cement needed in concrete production. While the reduction of cement needed is remarkable, 20–100%, the process also creates a permanent storage for the carbon captured from an emission source.

Carbonaide partnered with Vaisala from the start to make sure they know exactly what is happening in each step of the process and, eventually, how much carbon is stored.

“Globally, Carbonaide's technology has the potential to store 500 megatons of CO₂ annually by 2050 in precast concrete products – roughly the same annual emissions of France and the UK combined. The investment case we offer our customers is entirely based on accurate measurements and transparency. With Vaisala, we can trust that the numbers we share with our partners are correct,” says Jonne Hirvonen, Chief Operating Officer at Carbonaide.

Transparent measuring at a significantly lower cost.
MPG241 measures carbon dioxide and humidity in point source and direct air carbon capture processes, and in different carbon utilization and storage projects.

Julia Salovaara

Unlike traditional gas analyzers, Vaisala’s MGP241 requires no expensive calibration gases, needs dramatically less maintenance, and promises a 10+ year lifespan in heavy-duty use. The compact size and in-situ design of the instrument has allowed for competitive pricing – around a third of the price of most common solutions in the market.

“Our new probe measures directly in the gas flow and shows test results in real time. This level of transparency and proof is essential for process optimization, building trust with stakeholders, and demonstrating genuine commitment to sustainability,” added Julia Salovaara.

The MGP241 is be available now. 

---

@VaisalaGroup @VantageDC @Carbonaide @_Enviro_News #Environment #PAuto #CCUS

Measuring CO2 emissions and Carbon capture.

Counting the cost of carbon emissions

Newly released software from Ex-i Flow Measurement Ltd enables their SFC3000 flow computer to calculate CO₂ emissions from gas fuelled industrial processes and power stations and also record carbon subsequently captured for storage facilities rather than being released into the atmosphere. 

The Ex~i SFC3000 is a highly capable flow computer capable of accurately measuring a wide range of fluids and gases. The flexibility of the design allows additional functionality to support customer’s specific requirements to be realised quickly.

A major oil and gas company recently approached EX~I to find a way to effectively calculate the CO₂ being expelled into the atmosphere when their gas was being burned. This was required for both environmental reasons and because of the taxable levies applied to such activities.

The EX~ Flow in-house hardware and software development teams were able to work through the complex calculations required, produce the additional software to support this new functionality and test and release it to the customer in a short space of time.

This means that by using one SFC3000 flow computer, end users can now accurately quantify the amount of CO₂ being emitted when a product is burnt, and in multi-stream mode, or with an additional SFC3000, also record the amount of CO₂ being subsequently captured.

It is is a highly versatile liquid hydrocarbon and gas flow measuring device capable of operating in a stand-alone single stream flow measurement system or as part of a highly complex multi-stream system and offers a great deal more than a dedicated flow computer. It can operate on a number of levels from a supervisory machine to a standalone flow computer or as a system component. The computer may be configured to provide a multi-stream measurement solution for gas flow. Using a SFC3000 to make multiple sample point measurements can offer cost savings by allowing a single emissions analyser to make sequential measurements from many different sample points.

With its touch screen VGA display and extensive processing capabilities, combined with simple to use controls and unique operating software, the SFC3000 it can function as a complete station supervisor integrated into a flow computer housing.

Designed specifically to meet the needs of the worldwide liquid hydrocarbon and gas measurement markets, the SFC3000 is intended to positively contribute to both management and conservation of the world’s dwindling energy resources by providing both versatile and accurate measurement and incorporating state of the art designs and components.

SFC3000 flow computer key features:

• Measurement conforming to AGA, ISO, API standards of: dry and wet natural gas, hydrocarbon liquids, other gases e.g. nitrogen, other liquids e.g. water.
• NMi Certificates to: WELMEC 7.2 and 8.8, OIML R117, MID 2014/32/EU
• Standard Features: standalone flow computing function, flow computing combined with supervisory function, up to 2 G-byte additional memory for Alarm, Audit and Data Logging, optional SD card required.
• Meter types: pulse generating flow meters, most common ultrasonic flow meters, dp transmitters with orifice or venturi measurements.
• Configurable Display: system diagrams, Trending and graphical displays, Language options, Interfaces to most types of metering equipment and all popular GC’s, Easy Installation and interfacing
• Supervisory Features, Alarm/Event/Data Logging and Recording, Printer Report Generation, System Diagram Display, Network Communication, Station Controller Functions, Valve Control and Remote Operation.
• Maintenance Functions: stream summation, pid/sampler functions, flow computer specification.

The SFC3000 flow computer should be considered the “brains” of a flow measurement system and requires a number of peripheral components to take measurements. Packaged in an industry Standard Half Width 3U High 19” rack construction suitable for panel or chassis mount. It can accommodate up to 6 user plug-in cards and up to five measurement streams in the same chassis.

The future of gas and liquid measurement and flow control continuously evolves. As a leading manufacturer of flow computers, Ex-i Flow Measurement specialises in researching, developing and manufacturing products for the gas and liquid measurement industry, with a focus on continuous project development and enhancement. EX-i offer customers market leading performance, quality, reliability, cost and response.

---

@ExiFlow @proactivefleet #PAuto

Improving life cycle and efficiency of existing power generation source.

Helping reduce carbon footprint and supporting Singapore’s 2050 energy transition goals

One of the turbine control systems at the 1,300 MW Keppel Merlimau Cogen (KMC) combined cycle gas turbine on Jurong Island in Singapore is to be upgraded to improve efficiency and reliability. ABB has been commissioned to complete this project. The scope includes replacing the existing Egatrol 8 turbine control system with Egatrol X, which is based on the ABB Ability™ System 800xA^® flagship distributed control system (DCS) and modern AC800M portfolio.

“As a global leader in the DCS market, ABB has both the expertise and technology to deliver flexible, customized upgrade installations in the fastest and safest way available,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Turbines sit at the heart of a power plant and our gas turbine control systems have been helping utilities to provide electricity to households across the world in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.”

Transferring full functionality from the existing application to the updated solution allows the customer to avoid downtime and install the control system in the shortest possible time. The project involves upgrading DCS components while keeping the overall structure as far as possible. Instead of having to rebuild the entire system in one go, ABB will provide a flexible, customized approach whereby older components are replaced as and when needed. This prevents unnecessary downtime, avoids the costs associated with loss of operation, and ensures a stable, reliable energy supply with high availability.

All control settings are adopted through an in-house software code conversion process, eliminating time-consuming adjustments of system parameters. The user interface, based on System 800xA, only requires minor adjustments, which eliminates operator retraining. The hardware design, featuring ABB’s latest I/O evolution kit, significantly reduces commissioning time and eliminates the risk of re-wiring errors.

As part of Singapore’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, the government is driving business transformation through grants for energy efficiency and emissions reduction. It is also investing in low carbon technologies to progress the energy transition . With power generation currently accounting for 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, the country plans to diversify its energy supply with a focus in four areas: solar, regional power grids, emerging low-carbon alternatives including hydrogen, and natural gas.

While natural gas continues to play an important role, as the country expands its energy portfolio, the KMC project showcases how ABB enables customers to enhance energy and carbon efficiency in gas power generation. This initiative not only safeguards current energy security but also supports the integration of renewable energy into the grid, driving forward shared energy transition goals.

“As a global leader in the DCS market, ABB has both the expertise and technology to deliver flexible, customized upgrade installations in the fastest and safest way available,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Turbines sit at the heart of a power plant and our gas turbine control systems have been helping utilities to provide electricity to households across the world in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.”

“We are pleased to renew the longstanding partnership between Keppel and ABB with the latest turbine upgrade project. Leveraging ABB’s strong domain knowledge, we are confident that KMC will experience a smooth and seamless migration to the updated system, which is critical to our productivity and ability to provide reliable power supply to the grid,” said Miguel Benito, Assistant Managing Director, Technical and Operations, Power & Renewables, Infrastructure, Keppel.

This is part of KMC’s ongoing initiatives to adopt automation solutions to boost system reliability and responsiveness, to achieve enhanced efficiency, lower fuel costs, and a reduced environmental impact.

---

@ABB_Energy @abb_automation @ABBgroupnews @admiralpr #PAuto #Power #Singapore

Automating solar energy production.

IEA says solar PV manufacturing capacity is expected to double during 2024 to reach almost 1,000 GW, supporting net zero goals.

The Al Dhafra PV2 Solar project in Abu Dhabi – for which ABB supplies automation and optimization power generation solutions – is now exporting 100 percent of its designed capacity onto the grid. Covering an area of 20 square km in the Al Dhafra region, located around 30 km south of Abu Dhabi City, the 2 GW plant uses four million solar modules to generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes across the UAE per year. It will also help reduce Abu Dhabi’s annual CO₂ emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tons, the equivalent of removing approximately 470,000 combustion cars from the roads.

“The UAE’s ambition is to reach 14 GW of clean energy by 2030, and projects such as Al Dhafra PV2 will be a major contributing factor in meeting this target,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “ABB enables safe, smart and sustainable investment in a low carbon future through automation, electrification and digitalization solutions. We are proud to support the UAE in its transition toward a cleaner energy future.”

ABB was appointed by China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor for the facility – the world’s largest single-site photovoltaic project1. The plant is pivotal to the UAE Energy Strategy which aims to triple the share of renewables by 2030 as part of a goal to increase clean energy and reduce carbon emissions from power generation to achieve net zero by 20502.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar PV is reshaping global electricity supply and continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Manufacturing capacity is expected to double during 2024, reaching almost 1,000 GW, which is sufficient to meet the annual IEA Net Zero by 2050 demand of almost 650 GW in 20303.

Leveraging ABB Ability™ Symphony Plus, a distributed control system designed to maximize plant efficiency and reliability through automation, ABB is integrating inputs into a single user-friendly overview. As a result, operators can utilize data insights from all areas of the plant, delivered in real time, to drive efficiency, reduce risk and ensure production optimization. Operational excellence is further enhanced through the supply of ABB digital, electrical and telecom solutions including metering and solar process modelling.

“Not only does ABB share our vision for a clean energy future for the UAE, but their early engagement and collaboration facilitated the development of an integrated system architecture that met our expectation,” said Ali Albeshr, Executive Managing Director of Al Dhafra Solar PV. “We are confident that ABB’s technology will be instrumental in sustaining Al Dhafra operations for the future.”

Al Dhafra PV2 marks ABB’s first solar project in the UAE and reflects ABB’s continued drive to increase its automation and digital footprint in the region’s expanding renewable energy market.

---

@abb_automation @ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement @IEA @admiralpr #PAuto #CMEC #UAE

Product carbon reduction certified.

TÜV Rheinland has launched a new sustainability certification, Product Carbon Reduction, for electronic products. Therefore, the certification company evaluates the greenhouse gas emissions of two generations of an electronic product over its entire life cycle - from "cradle to grave" - from manufacturing and transport to use and disposal. The certification is based on internationally recognized standards. Samsung is to be the first electronics company to obtain "Product Carbon Reduction" certificate for several TVs.

Product carbon reduction certification.
As the world grapples with the challenge of global warming, reducing or even neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions has become a critical task. Electronic and electrical products, throughout their life cycle – from production, manufacture, use, to recycling – generate CO₂ emissions.

"With the "Product carbon reduction' mark from TÜV Rheinland, manufacturers such as Samsung can provide consumers with clear and transparent sustainability guidance," says Frank Holzmann, Global Vice President of TÜV Rheinland Business Field Electrical. "Certified Companies are proactively demonstrating that they meet the increasing requirements for sustainable products, from production to operation, reuse and disposal."

The scope of product carbon reduction includes product similarity analysis, carbon reduction amount or percentage, reduction measure effectiveness analysis and reduction measure sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, TÜV Rheinland analyzes the following categories: raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, recycling. The idea is to recognize the efforts made by enterprises in the field of product reduction through a more transparent way on the basis of internationally recognized ISO 14067, ISO 14064-3 and TÜV Rheinland standard 2 PfG Q2880/09.23. In the case of Samsung, TÜV Rheinland has audited and evaluated the greenhouse gas emissions of two generations of eight series of TV products throughout their entire life cycle. Consumers can find more detailed information about the tests on Certipedia, TÜV Rheinland's public certificate database.

“It is an honor to be able to expand our portfolio of products certified by an organization such as TÜV Rheinland,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “As the leading TV manufacturer in the world, we aim to create products that not only push the boundaries of technological innovation, but also advance very important sustainability efforts.”

---

@tuvrheinland @TUVRheinlandNA @TuvRheinlandNL @PresseBox #PAuto #Electronics

Carbon Dioxide derived concrete - an answer>

CO₂-Derived Concrete Can Build a Net-Negative Future writes Eve Pope, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx.

In a world with a growing population and a rapidly expanding construction sector to match, how do we prevent building homes from damaging our climate? Concrete is the second most consumed material on Earth, but its key ingredient, cement, is responsible for 7% of global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. The answer could come from thin air - CO₂-derived building materials.

The new IDTechEx report "Carbon Dioxide Utilization 2024-2044: Technologies, Market Forecasts, and Players" explores many ways to valorize captured carbon dioxide to create useful products. Among these, CO₂-derived building materials showed particular promise due to performance improvements and cost-competitiveness, as well as sustainability benefits. IDTechEx forecasts over 170 million tonnes of captured CO₂ will be utilized in building materials by 2044.

Carbon dioxide can be utilized in concrete production in three different ways: injection of CO₂ during curing of precast concrete, injection of CO₂ during mixing of ready-mixed concrete, and formation of carbonate aggregates/additives.

Stages of concrete production with utilization (CO2U) and carbon capture (CC) opportunities labeled

Unlike some other carbon dioxide utilization pathways, such as the conversion to e-fuels, which requires large amounts of energy and green hydrogen (often prohibitively expensive), the basic mineralization chemistry underpinning the uptake of CO₂ during concrete manufacturing is thermodynamically favored and less energy-intensive because stable metal carbonates are formed. These carbonates represent effectively permanent sequestration of CO₂, so CO₂-derived building materials double up as simultaneous carbon dioxide utilization and carbon dioxide storage. The process is compatible with many different sources of CO₂.

Valorizing waste.

In addition to waste CO₂, solid waste streams can also be repurposed into new concrete using CO₂ mineralization chemistry to form carbonates. For example, CO₂-derived concrete players include Swiss company neustark, who uses the reaction of CO₂ with demolished concrete to store carbon dioxide and produce concrete aggregate. Another aggregate producer, O.C.O Technology, instead uses CO₂ and waste materials from industrial thermal processes. Meanwhile, building materials giant Heidelberg Materials has ongoing R&D into recycling concrete using CO₂ to form a cement substitute. Steel slag is being explored by companies including Carbonaide and CarbiCrete as a cement replacement during CO₂-aided curing. Additional revenue can be generated through waste disposal fees, with some CO₂-derived concrete players reporting to having already achieved price parity with incumbents.

Accelerating adoption.

Concrete production is typically low-margin, and willingness to pay a green premium is low. Therefore, widespread deployment of CO₂-derived concrete will rely on CO₂ utilization technology players, creating easy-to-adopt solutions that are minimally disruptive to existing manufacturing processes. In CO₂-aided curing, some players have targeted retrofittable curing chambers. Elsewhere, plug-and-play and mobile unit solutions are also being commercialized.

2023 saw the release of several ASTM standards around CO₂-aided curing, improving confidence in the safety and quality of CO₂-derived precast concrete. While many CO₂-derived building materials have yet to achieve price parity with conventional concrete, some customers are willing to pay a premium due to enhanced performance (such as higher strength and improved aesthetics).

Going beyond net-zero.

The direct uptake of CO₂ into concrete can be a net-zero process if the carbon dioxide is sourced from a fossil point source (such as a coal power station) or a net-negative process if biogenic or direct air-captured CO₂ is used. In 2023, a collaboration between direct air capture (DAC) company Heirloom and CO₂-derived concrete player CarbonCure stored CO₂ captured from the ambient air into concrete for the first time.

But is CO₂-derived concrete still net-negative when considering the CO₂ released during cement production? The formation of metal carbonates during CO₂ mineralization can increase concrete strength and reduce the amount of cement needed. Alternatively, some carbonate additives can act as supplementary cementitious materials and replace cement. Therefore, according to IDTechEx?s analysis of players, several can produce carbon-negative concrete products. The permanent storage of CO₂ into concrete enables players to sell high-value carbon dioxide removal credits on the voluntary carbon market.

Carbon footprint data from 12 CO2-derived concrete players.

The way forward.

Although the production of CO₂-derived concrete is more expensive than conventional concrete, revenue can be generated through waste disposal fees and carbon credit sales, with some players already reporting to achieve price parity. In the future, stronger regulatory support (for example, increased carbon pricing) will accelerate uptake further, with IDTechEx forecasting over 170 million tonnes of captured CO₂ will be utilized in building materials by 2044. With carbon capture solutions for cement kilns continuing to develop, CO₂ could be sourced from cement production, creating a circular solution.

---

For more information on IDTechEx's CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, and storage) market research portfolio, please refer to the IDTechEx "Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Markets 2023-2043" and "Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Markets 2023-2040: Technologies, Players, and Forecasts" reports.

• See also Concrete carbon solution.(19/2/2024) 

@IDTechEx #PAuto #IoT

Concrete carbon solution.

As the climate continues to warm, so does the demand for technologies that can reduce CO² emissions and/or efficiently remove CO² from the atmosphere. Proposed solutions for sequestering CO² are plentiful, but there are serious issues around how to verify the claims made by the promoters of these innovations. Accurately measuring the veracity of claims has become a key issue in the private sector’s Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM)*, which is increasingly emphasising the need to monitor, verify, and report the amount of CO² that is actually captured and stored.

Jonne Hirvonen & Tapio Vehmas

Carbonaide, a Finnish company serving the concrete industry, has a clear answer to this challenge – and it’s market-ready. Their technology utilises CO² to produce a carbonate mineral. With support and cooperation from the measurement technology company Vaisala, Carbonaide’s solution is practical and straightforward, and underpinned by accurate monitoring.

Big challenges call for smart solutions.
Climate changing CO² emissions come from many sources, but the concrete industry alone emits 8% of global CO², mostly in the form of emissions from standard Portland cement manufacturing. As a major global contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, the concrete industry is under enormous pressure to lower its carbon footprint. A single ton of Portland cement creates an astounding 800–900 kilograms of CO² emissions, and with regulations increasingly tightening around concrete production emissions, efficient technologies to reduce the CO² emissions from concrete are in high demand. The challenges are several-fold: How to remove CO²? Where to store it? How to do this affordably? And – just as importantly – how to accurately measure performance?

Simply stated, Carbonaide’s expertise is in the transformation of concrete from a large emission source into a carbon storage sink. The company’s CEO is Tapio Vehmas, an analytical chemist by training with more than 20 years of experience in the concrete sector. He is one of the co-founders of Carbonaide, alongside COO Jonne Hirvonen. As Vehmas puts it, “Our goal is quite focused – to create a more sustainable future with cutting-edge tech that doesn’t just reduce the carbon emissions of concrete, but also stores more CO² than it emits throughout its lifetime.”

Explaining the Carbonaide proposition, Vehmas says, “As experts in both carbon curing and sustainable carbon dioxide value chains, we offer an effective and robust decarbonisation technology for pre-cast concrete manufacturers. With our technology, a concrete manufacturer can reduce cement consumption in daily production and also decrease the carbon footprint of its products by mineralising CO² into concrete.”

Carbonation is traditionally considered as a degradation mechanism of hardened concrete. In Carbonaide technology, carbonation is reversed into beneficial mineral formation during the concrete hardening process. Carbonate mineral formation enables the utilisation of CO² as a supplementary cementitious material and provides permanent storage of gaseous CO².

Carbonaide COO Jonne Hirvonen is eager to talk about the advantages of their production-ready innovation and the ways his team has benefitted from Vaisala’s advanced measurement tools. “Our unique advantage is that we accurately measure and control the carbon-curing process. Just as importantly, we have pushed our product to be as easy as possible to install and start using. The majority of our measurements are CO² levels – and the quality of online measurement data is a top priority for us.”

Hirvonen continues, “Unlike many, our carbonation can be efficiently and accurately verified by process measurements, without the need to constantly sample the concrete products. One early challenge we faced was that CO² is usually measured in either ppm levels or for workplace safety purposes – but our range requirement is very wide. For this reason, we needed new solutions that did not impose risks on the quality of our measurements. At this point it became clear that Vaisala could play an important role in our solution.”

Carbonaide’s initial requirements were quite simple. As they developed their process, they understood that significant measurement needs would arise, so they were eager to go with a partner who really understood this. Hirvonen is also keen to emphasise that partnering with Vaisala was not only useful in the initial development stages. “If your business is expected to grow, you should only work with partners that are able to help at both the early stages, and also later, during implementation on a larger scale.”

---

*Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM)

@CarbonCredits @VaisalaGroup@_Enviro_News #PAuto #Environment #Finnland 

Strategic investment accelerates sustainability in shipping.

Emerson has made a strategic investment in Frugal Technologies, a Danish-based company that offers fuel optimisation technologies that reduce energy use and emissions in shipping fleets. The investment aligns with Emerson’s fuel management and propulsion control and optimisation expertise in its marine systems and solutions business.

“Frugal Technologies’ mission aligns very well with our commitment to drive innovation that supports our customers in their sustainability journey,” said Jon Stokes, group president of Emerson. “Our shipping customers demand the best fuel consumption measurements and data available to make better, more informed decisions, and Frugal, combined with our technologies, provides an unparalleled value proposition for fuel optimisation.”

On average across vessel types, fuel consumption accounts for approximately 60% of operating costs. Frugal’s cloud-based propulsion optimisation software uses AI technology to collect data related to dynamic conditions such as weather, cargo load and propulsion and develop optimal engine models for ships. Frugal estimates its propulsion solutions generate savings of up to 15% in fuel consumption, contributing to a lower carbon footprint.

“Our propulsion solution supports two critical pain points in the market: optimising energy use to reduce fuel costs and helping ship owners comply with more stringent emissions targets,” said Peter Hauschildt, co-founder and chief executive officer of Frugal Technologies. “Our fuel optimisation technology complements Emerson’s marine expertise and automation portfolio, and together we are well positioned to help fleet performance leaders better manage their fuel costs and meet their sustainability targets.”

New global environmental regulations have sparked innovation to support shipping companies in their sustainability journey. The International Maritime Organization has stated its goals to reduce the carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2050.

---

@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @IMOHQ @HHC_Lewis #Marine

Call for action to accelerate global sustainability

Real Progress campaign begins with automation, electrification and digitalization in mining, metals and pulp and paper industries

ABB has launched a new global sustainability initiative, showcasing the power of technology and expertise to accelerate sustainability while enhancing productivity has been launched by ABB. Their Real Progress campaign is a rallying call to customers, partners and suppliers, inspiring them to harness technology leadership and the solutions that exist today to amplify their own impact across process industries such as mining, metals and pulp and paper.

For more than 130 years, the technology leader has been embedded in industries where emissions are hard to abate and where alternative solutions are either unavailable or difficult to practically implement. Today, ABB is combatting many changes happening in the world, such as rising emissions, water and energy scarcity and workforce skills challenges. The company is showing that the power of bold ideas and pioneering technologies can overcome these challenges, step by step, together with the wider industrial and societal ecosystem.

The decarbonization challenge unites the mining, metals and pulp and paper industries with leadership teams striving to meet increasing market demand with a more rapid increase in energy and resource efficiency to reach their committed sustainability targets such as more carbon-neutral operations. Across these vital process industries, there is a growing recognition that automation, electrification and digitalization are essential components of their journey towards meeting climate targets set out by businesses, legislation, governments and international agreements over the next 25 years and beyond.

“The journey toward sustainability isn't a gradual progression; it's a bold transformation. The actions and decisions we take today, together with every innovation we embrace, are powerful steps towards a sustainable future, and we're unapologetically leading the charge,” said Joachim Braun, Division President, ABB Process Industries. “Every day, ABB is working side by side with customers in their mines, their mills and their plants, to provide complete technology solutions with automation, electrification and digitalization to radically reduce emissions and energy use. Together with our great network of partners, we are proud of driving real progress in sustainability, but we know that more can and must be done. We’re part of the journey and commit to making real progress always.”

In the metals industries, ABB is committed to enabling customers to use less energy and raw materials when producing steel and aluminum through advanced automation and electrification systems, combined with industry-specific equipment and digitalization, across plants. One solution that brings autonomous plants to life is ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop. It facilitates operational excellence by combining real-time crane and ladle tracking, automatic and optimized crane scheduling and heat loss prediction. Benefits include raising casting speeds by 4-5 percent, 5 degrees Celcius less arcing per heat, reduced delays, less material rejection and increased human safety​.

As steel companies move from traditional blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) to more sustainable electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, technologies such as ABB’s ArcSave® electromagnetic stirrer (EMS) can also be deployed in the melt shop to create equilibrium in the melt, enabling more steel to be made, faster and using fewer resources. In partnership with Tenova, this solution has been deployed on the world’s largest EAF, operated by customer Acciaieria Arvedi in Italy. The results include an 18 degrees Celcius lower tapping temperature, a 3.6 percent reduction in electrical energy consumption and a 38,000-ton annual reduction in CO₂e emissions at the plant. EAF productivity has also increased by 5 percent.

ABB Ability™ Energy Management System is a digital solution that provides monitoring and optimization of energy consumption and CO₂e footprint across the metals enterprise. Benefits of this solution include improved planning of operations and 5 to 15 percent energy cost savings in the entire plant.

Electrification is a key pathway to more sustainable metals manufacturing. Leveraging 100 years of metals process know how, ABB experts work together with customers to tailor drives and motors solutions to perform reliably and precisely according to the demands of each process. From primary steelmaking through rolling and processing, using ABB medium and low voltage drives and motors means more efficient energy use, cutting operating costs.

“Alongside some of the foremost steelmakers and aluminium producers in the world, we’re facing a reality that the industries consume large amounts of energy and are responsible for a large proportion of CO₂e and greenhouse gas emissions today,” said Frederik Esterhuizen, Global Business Line Manager, Metals, ABB Process Industries. “We’re enabling mills to take control of their processes and equipment to improve process efficiency, product quality and yield while maximizing resource and energy efficiency. In this way, we will help to limit climate change and create real progress for future generations.”

“Sustainability isn't an option; it’s an imperative for every business leader in our rapidly evolving world. To thrive and create a better future, we must embrace sustainability at the core of our operations,” said Rohit Sharma, Global HSE and Sustainability Manager, ABB Process Industries. “It’s not only about being responsible but also about staying competitive and resilient in an ever-changing global landscape. Our commitment to sustainability today will define our success and impact generations to come.”

---

@ABBgroupnews @abbindustryserv @abb_automation #Steel #Pauto