ABB, a pioneering technology leader, has inaugurated an innovative microgrid solution at its Vadodora manufacturing facility in Gujarat, India.

This is the company’s largest facility in India, with over 3,000 employees and among ABB’s biggest manufacturing hubs in the world, said a statement.

The microgrid is the first of its kind to be installed at a manufacturing campus in India, and will harness the area’s abundant solar energy supply to help the expanding factory meet its growing electricity needs, while lowering its carbon footprint, it said.

The microgrid’s rooftop photovoltaic field and its innovative battery-energy storage system will support the factory’s productivity and enable green power supplies in the evening hours or during cloudy periods during the day, it added.

A sophisticated ABB Ability control and automation system, serves as the brain of the microgrid, ensuring the maximizing the use of renewable energy. The use of renewables will lower the facility’s carbon footprint by approximately 1,400 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Microgrids with integrated battery energy storage offer industrial and business establishments a viable solution to mitigate planned and unplanned power outages that negatively affect their operations.

When connected to renewable energy sources they also provide clean energy, often replacing fossil fuels. Furthermore, they provide more control to the business on how and when to deploy the stored power. A key benefit is the reduction in overall operational costs and reduced spend on electricity bills.

With India expected to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030, and with its rapid adoption of the latest digital technology, the country is looking for smart and sustainable technology solutions to meet its growing energy demands while minimizing environmental impact.

To further support the company’s leadership in digital technology, a state-of-the-art ABB PowerTEC institute was also inaugurated today. This centre will be among India’s leading power technology and knowledge centres with a team of experts providing hands-on training on advanced high-voltage equipment, with the latest digital technologies.

Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Grids Division, said: “Growth demands power and access to clean, reliable electricity sits at the heart of India’s economic development.”

“The ABB PowerTEC institute will enable customers to benefit from ABB’s domain expertise and enable them to leverage our latest technologies. The solar energy driven ABB Ability microgrid at our Vadodara campus reinforces our commitment to clean energy as we lead by example to enable a stronger, smarter and greener grid,” he added.

The government’s complementary initiatives of Power for All, Make in India and Skill India have established a framework for sustainable growth. By training, or “skilling up” 500 million in India by 2022, and making it easier to conduct business in India, the government is creating a pathway for the manufacturing sector to contribute to 25 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2022.

At the Vadodara facility, ABB manufactures critical power equipment like transformers, high voltage products, distribution relays, motors, generators and turbochargers for a variety of national projects and beyond. A cloud-based remote service system will be deployed for the operations and maintenance of the microgrid, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service