At Enlit 2025, ABB showcased some of its innovative solutions that support energy efficiency in industrial applications.
The use of sensor technology to reduce the operational and standby power losses of traditional current and voltage transformers means that, over the lifetime of a typical switchboard. in the African environment, that is about 30 years, the energy saving equates to 181 MWh. This is according to Egon Worthmann, Business Manager - Commercial and Operations in the Distribution Solutions Business at ABB.
Sensor and digital technologies used with ABB’s switchgear assist customers in running their operations more efficiently and thus reducing their carbon footprint. This enables customers, particularly in Africa, to become less reliant on coal-fired power stations.
“ABB has long championed energy efficiency and sustainable operations. We have invested substantially in research and development in this regard,” Worthmann says.
At Enlit 2025, ABB presented its digital substation architectures with CPC/VPAC (SSC600) which enables centralised protection and control. Using this solution, local substation operators benefit by having the flexibility to meet the growing and changing demands on the modern distributed power network. The system also enables condition monitoring of assets which over time assists in reducing lifecycle costs.
“We also used the Enlit platform as an opportunity to showcase our medium voltage (MV) secondary switchgear, which is SF₆ free to assist our customers to achieve their sustainability goals,” Worthmann adds. ABB’s SafePlus Air 24 kV switchgear is an innovative, eco-efficient medium voltage gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) that eliminates the use of sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), a potent greenhouse gas. Instead, it uses dry air as the insulation medium, offering a sustainable alternative for secondary distribution networks.
By replacing SF₆ with dry air, SafePlus Air significantly reduces environmental impact. Dry air has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of zero, compared to the GWP of 25 200 for SF₆. The switchgear complies with IEC standards and the EU F-gas regulation (EU) 2024/573, aligning with global efforts to phase out SF₆ in electrical equipment.
ABB’s SafePlus Air switchgear has been implemented successfully in pilot programmes aimed at reducing carbon emissions. For example, Northern Powergrid in the UK adopted SafePlus Air for substations in County Durham, contributing to its goal of decarbonising its network by 2040. The switchgear’s compatibility with existing systems allowed for seamless integration and a significant reduction in SF₆ emissions.
At Enlit Africa, ABB also showcased some of its low voltage (LV) solutions with the same focus on energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. This highlights the company’s holistic approach to reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency across the power distribution value chain.
It presented its advanced LV offering, the Tmax XT moulded case circuit breaker (MCCB), designed to complement MV innovations like SafePlus Air in supporting customers’ broader sustainability goals. The Tmax XT MCCBs feature a range of integrated technologies that contribute to energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Among these features is the Ekip Power Controller, which facilitates dynamic load management and peak shaving. This capability can reduce energy consumption by up to 20%, helping users avoid penalties for surpassing contracted limits and managing peak demand more cost-effectively. The Tmax XT also delivers high-precision metering with 1% energy measurement accuracy, enabling detailed monitoring and optimisation of energy use.
With ABB Ability™ connectivity, the MCCBs allow for real-time data analysis and remote energy management via the cloud. The Ekip Touch trip units support comprehensive power quality assessments, covering voltage, energy, power and harmonics, providing for more proactive maintenance and system optimisation.
The Tmax XT supports compliance with environmental certification standards, such as Green Mark Platinum, due to its precise energy monitoring and reporting capabilities. Its modular and upgradeable design ensures that customers can enhance system functionality without complete hardware replacement, reducing electronic waste and lowering lifecycle environmental impact.
In addition, safety and reliability features include arc fault protection and adaptive protections, which reduce the risk of system failures and maintenance interventions, further contributing to operational sustainability.
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