ABB, a Switzerland-based global technology leader, has been chosen by Frost & Sullivan for the 2021 GCC Electrification of Desalination Plants Company of the Year Award.
The company augments productivity, improves asset performance, and reduces operational costs of desalination plants.
It drives optimal utilization of water resources and improves the desalination process's energy efficiency and operational effectiveness, which maximizes cost savings, said the Frost & Sullivan analysis of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) electrification of desalination plants industry.
The company strives to address the sector's energy efficiency and asset optimization needs by constantly developing and deploying highly efficient products. The company's industry experts work closely and continuously with engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies to design efficient, safe, and reliable desalination projects.
It also offers accurate energy audit services and supports customers with relevant process modifications to reduce their overall energy footprint. Some of ABB's market-leading solutions for electrifying desalination plants include:
• State-of-the-art power distribution solutions used to distribute electricity safely and effectively ensuring a constant, reliable availability of power. Digital switchgear which has low energy losses, lesser footprint and smart capability enables 30% energy savings, 15% reduction in space and weight and 40% reduction in operating cost.
• Ultra-low harmonic (ULH) drives that reduce harmonic content by 97% compared to conventional drives, which exceed low harmonic standard requirements. The ULH drives prevent losses in the mains supply, improve the mains quality, and mitigate the risk of equipment disturbance. The universally certified and highly efficient VSD motor packages enable process efficiencies and reduce mechanical and electrical stress on pumps and aeration equipment, significantly reducing O&M costs.
• Innovative high-speed bus transfers solutions that eliminate losses associated with critical load disturbances. These improve the efficiency and reliability of desalination plants.
Nideshna Varatharajan, Frost & Sullivan industry analyst, stated: "ABB is at the forefront of facilitating the ongoing digitalization revolution in the GCC's desalination market. Its targeted digital solutions collect and analyze data from desalination plant components to generate actionable insights and facilitate predictive maintenance capabilities to support process optimization and O&M cost reduction."
The ABB Ability Condition Monitoring tool which enables full visibility and complete transparency on critical operational parameters for assets, such as circuit breakers, contactors, relays, drives, motors and mounted bearings. The solution collects data from smart sensors and meters and stores it in premise or in the cloud to track the condition and status of the equipment. ABB's market-leading solutions also enable:
• Seamless communication and interoperability between all intelligent electrical equipment in a desalination plant, ensuring completed integrated operations;
• A monitoring portal to offer a unified, real-time view of the individual desalination plant assets' operational parameters;
• Detailed dashboards that provide easy and ready access to the collected data and corresponding insights, empowering designated staff to conduct predictive maintenance activities;
• Plant operators to reduce equipment downtime, extend asset lifetime, improve plant safety, lower costs, and increase process profitability;
• Impressive customer outcomes, such as 20% to 30% savings on energy bills, 30% to 40% reduction in O&M costs, and 10% enhancement in asset life; and
• Exceptional price/performance value across all products and services through reduced operating costs, up to 70% to 80% of the total cost of ownership.
ABB collects customer feedback to accurately capture changing customer needs and evolving market demands. It offers technical advice on dimensioning and purchasing equipment, such as medium and low voltage switchgear, UPS, motors, VSDs, and bearings.
It also provides commissioning, installation, operation, and maintenance support, including preventive maintenance programs tailored to particular project needs to consistently deliver exceptional customer value.
Varatharajan said: "ABB leverages its diverse portfolio of digitally-enabled and differentiated offerings, strong regional presence, and extensive market expertise to address the specific needs of its GCC desalination customers."
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year award to the organization that demonstrates excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies, and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
