The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified energy efficiency as ‘the first fuel’ in the drive to achieving net zero emissions, as it makes the most of existing energy and avoids the need to develop new resources. As heavy industries like power generation, renewables, processing, mining, cement production and more undergo a crucial transition towards low or zero-carbon operations, energy efficiency is the natural solution.
These sectors all face their own unique decarbonization obstacles, requiring tailored solutions for mission-critical equipment like fans, pumps, compressors and others. What they have in common is their reliance on large, megawatt-scale motors, which take up 10 per cent of the world’s total electricity demand. This makes them a key frontier in the push towards industrial energy efficiency.
Energy-efficient measures like speed-controlled motors using variable speed drives (VSDs) have gained significant traction in low voltage applications. However, very large motors have been left behind, and we estimate only 10 to 15 per cent are currently coupled with a drive due to initial costs and complexity barriers.
ABB has tackled this challenge by pioneering a game-changing holistic concept—MV Titanium. This is the world’s first speed-controlled medium voltage (MV) motor in the 1 to 5MW range in a single, easy-to-specify and install package.
Reduced capital expenditure
The MV Titanium concept is a response to the perceived main hurdles to installing a drive with a large motor: not just the upfront cost of a separate drive unit but also the associated electrical house (e-house), transformers, switchgear and cabling. These factors multiply capital costs and ramp up installation complexity, particularly at existing sites with limited space.
Our approach simplifies the installation of a perfectly matched motor and drive, making it cost-effective while enhancing control, monitoring and connectivity. It presents the ideal retrofit solution for existing direct-on-line (DOL) motors as well as new installations.
Energy savings of up to 40 per cent
This combined concept offers energy savings of up to 40 per cent for pumps, compressors, fans and other applications across multiple industries. For operators, the payback period is highly compelling, typically just one to three years when replacing an existing fixed-speed direct-on-line motor. Moreover, the potential global savings on energy expenses and the reduction in CO² emissions are vast. If we retrofitted the entire estimated one million large motors installed worldwide, it would equate to taking just over 1,000 coal-fired power plants offline.
Simple to deploy and operate
Rather than specifying the motor and drive separately, the MV Titanium optimizes the complete electromechanical powertrain as one seamless unit. This goes beyond simply combining existing components—it’s an entirely new approach to converting electrical energy into motion more efficiently. To further simplify deployment, setup and commissioning are fully completed during factory testing prior to delivery, as a single pre-configured solution.
Redefining large motor technologies
Leveraging ABB’s 140-years of domain expertise in motors, and 50 years of innovation in drives, our MV Titanium represents a truly next-generation solution.
It incorporates built-in analytics, monitoring capabilities and system connectivity interfaces. The motor-drive solution can seamlessly integrate with existing industrial environments while providing software libraries for in-depth process optimization.
Beyond its technical innovation, this 2.0 large motor concept signifies a major step-change towards a more sustainable future. It sets industry firmly on the path to transitioning the vast installed base of large, fixed-speed motors to high efficiency and full electrical control.
