issue 1 / 2009 an abb group publication intouchfile/abb+intouch+1_2009.pdf6 abb intouch 1/2009 abb...
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LongmeadowA shining example of environmental best practice
When a great plan comes togetherGetting to know ABB South Africa’s new legal counsel, Bobby Barua
Youth in energyAn exciting programme at underprivileged schools in the Eastern Cape
Ultra-high voltageABB commissions switchgear rated at more than one million volts
Issue 1 / 2009An ABB Group publication
inTouch
Cities that consume 30% less energy?
Certainly.
As a leading producer of energy-efficient solutions, ABB helps deliver
major power savings, without compromising performance. Our lighting
control systems can deliver power savings of up to 50 percent, and our
building automation up to 60 percent. While everyone else is talking
about energy prices, power shortages and climate change, ABB is doing
something about it, right here, right now. www.abb.com/energyefficiency
�ABB InTouch 1/2009
4 Editorial
6 ABB South Africa reports strong growth
Record power and automation business
achieved in 2008.
7 ABB helps Eskom boost power transmission capacity
FACTS technology will boost capacity and
enhance grid efficiency.
7 Technology Top 100 recognition
8 Solid operational results in a demanding market
The ABB Group achieved record revenues,
EBIT and cash from operations in 2008.
8 Robust solutions for mining project in Mozambique
Electrification and automation to maximise
efficiency of coal handling plant.
9 Ultra-high voltage � ABB commissions switchgear rated at
more than one million volts.
10 When a great plan comes together
� ABB South Africa’s new legal counsel,
Bobby Barua.
12 Longmeadow: environmental best practice in action
The company’s new headquarters is
a shining example of a green building
incorporating the latest environmental
concepts and technology.
14 An exciting journey of advancement
ABB South Africa’s Information Systems is
undergoing a radical makeover.
15 IT: culprit or catalyst? Are IT departments missing
an opportunity?
16 Medium voltage is buzzing Boosting the capacity of the medium
voltage business unit.
17 Youth in energy ABB South Africa and the WWF are partners
in an exciting programme at underprivileged
schools in the Eastern Cape.
In this issue 1 / 2009
Managing Editor:Chesney�[email protected]
Assistant Editor:Eubulus�[email protected]
Editor – Power Technologies:Shivani�[email protected]
Editor – Automation Technologies:Nicoline�[email protected]
inTouch
Technology Solutions is published on behalf of ABB South Africa by:
Syzygy�MediaTelephone: +27 82 552 �1�[email protected]
This publication was designed, compiled and produced on behalf of ABB South Africa by Syzygy Media. Whilst the compilation and production of ABB inTouch is done with great care and attention and every effort is made to prevent mistakes, neither ABB in Southern Africa nor its principals or subsidiaries, nor Syzygy Media, accept any responsibility for any errors or the consequences thereof.
ABB South Africawww.abb.com/[email protected]
Telephone: +27 (0) 860 ABB 12� / 0860 222 12�
Address: 2 Lake Road, Longmeadow Business Park, ModderfonteinPostal: Private Bag X10004, Edenvale, 1610
In this issue
Contents
9
12
4 ABB InTouch 1/2009
ABB South Africa’s concerted focus on providing
its customers with leading-edge power and auto-
mation technologies, world-class engineering and
superb customer service has contributed to our
company performing exceedingly well in recent
years. Last year, for example, was a record year
(there’s more about the results inside this issue).
We started 2009 on a strong footing by winning
large orders in both our power and automation
businesses. One order worth R380-million
($53-million) was from Eskom, to strengthen
the transmission network in the Western Cape
region. Another order, worth R230-million
($32-million), was from Vale in Mozambique for
complete electrification and automation solutions
at a new coal mine.
Since starting operations in this country in 1992,
ABB has continued to grow and expand its local
manufacturing and engineering operations. We
manufacture AC machines, medium voltage
switchgear, low voltage switchgear, power
electronics systems, rectifiers and high voltage
systems in Johannesburg, as well as enclosures at
our factory at Botshabelo in the Free State.
We have continued to expand and build
engineering capabilities in our power and
automation businesses. Our local engineering
capabilities in the power business for utilities and
industry include substations, HVDC, FACTS,
power station plant instrumentation and control,
and MV switchgear. In our automation business,
engineering capabilities include integrated
solutions for control, motors, drives, power
electronics, plant optimisation and industry-
specific application knowledge. We serve
many industries, including oil and gas, mining,
metals and minerals, electricity, chemicals
and pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, marine
and turbocharging.
This year is an exciting one for ABB in South
Africa. We will further strengthen our local
organisation when we move into our new head
office, manufacturing and logistics centre at
Longmeadow, Johannesburg. These state-of-the-
art facilities will offer our customers even greater
quality in manufacturing and engineering services
under one roof, and a centralised logistics
operation – making ordering easier and faster.
The new ABB building will showcase our
building automation technologies, demonstrating
ABB’s capabilities in this growing area. Building
automation technologies enable companies to
save energy in their buildings, offices and
industrial premises by controlling lighting and
HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning)
systems. We have, however, gone further by
ensuring that our building incorporates the most
up-to-date green building technologies, processes
and systems in the country. (An article in this
issue of InTouch highlights our green building
philosophy and technologies.)
Investment in our operations and people in
South Africa demonstrates our commitment to
our customers throughout the country in utilities
and industry. Through our global technology and
local expertise we are committed both to
supporting public sector initiatives to develop
and build electricity infrastructure and to
providing products and systems that help
increase industrial customers’ competitiveness
and energy efficiency.
It is tremendously important for ABB South
Africa and its employees to keep focus on the
needs and requirements of our customers in
power generation, transmission, distribution and
industry. As we have done in previous years,
building our business in South Africa into the
leadership position it holds today, we will
continue to focus on serving our customers with
leading global technology and engineering skills
that provide the best solutions for our customers
in this country.
Carlos Poñe
CEO and Country Manager
for ABB South Africa
Carlos Poñe.
Editorial
Focusing on customers
ABB InTouch 1/2009
The skills shortage has challenged corporate
South Africa to contribute to fast tracking
projects that can support industry. At the same
time, the economic downturn is placing a sharp
focus on the necessity for corporate social
investment projects that contribute meaningfully
towards economic growth and social develop-
ment in the long term.
A sphere of industry where skills need to be
urgently increased, and where programmes
continue to appeal to corporate investment, is in
electrical and mechanical engineering at college
level – to support the country’s massive electricity
infrastructure capacity strengthening project.
ABB South Africa recognised this challenge in its
early stages and had discussions with various
industry organisations before beginning to work
closely with the Swiss-South African Co-operation
Initiative (SSACI). Last year, ABB South Africa
invested R1.5-million in a SSACI project to
support technical skills development at
disadvantaged technical colleges.
This working relationship has developed into a
fruitful partnership, producing considerable gains
for the longer term.
To backtrack briefly, between 2002 and 2007, the
Department of Education undertook a major
overhaul of secondary-level technical colleges,
the mainstay of pre-service technical skills training
for many decades. More than 150 small colleges
were rationalised into 50 multi-campus institutions
– called Further Education & Training (FET)
colleges that were then massively recapitalised.
The curriculum was revised and rebuilt around a
new National Certificate (Vocational), a three-
year programme prioritising skills in growth
sectors of the economy. The first intake of NCV
learners was in January 2007. They are due to
graduate in December 2009.
Although the NCV was praised for its strong
academic underpinnings, the programme needed
a strong practical link with industry. The SSACI
project assists colleges struggling to implement
the NCV effectively because their staff are under-
qualified in both technical and teaching skills
and lacking in recent industry experience.
ABB is involved in the programme to help
bridge the academic learning by providing
learners with workplace-based experience and
lecturers with industry relevant training.
SSACI believes FET colleges, with their high
student enrolments and easy accessibility, will
be the main pipeline for intermediate-level
technical and vocational skills in future. The
NCV has the potential to be an excellent
foundation upon which a wide range of
vocational and occupation-specific training
programmes can be placed. It equips learners
for employment in a modern economy with
rapidly developing technology and ever-
changing skills needs.
The FET sponsorship was in line with ABB South
Africa’s commitment to the goals of the govern-
ment’s growth and skills programmes with an
emphasis on fast-track engineering skills devel-
opment. It acknowledges that South Africa faces
huge challenges in the area of technical skills.
We look forward to the programme promoting
college-industry partnerships and helping to
develop participating colleges as centres
of excellence.
A large number of learners enrolled for the new
engineering curriculum at FET colleges are set to
benefit from the project as SSACI involves other
companies with Swiss links.
Important to ABB was the involvement of all key
stakeholders. SSACI is running the project in
collaboration with the national Department of
Education, the provincial departments of
education and an initial group of four FET
colleges in three provinces – the Western Cape,
KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The colleges are the South West Gauteng College
in Johannesburg; Umfolozi College (Richtek
Campus) in Richards Bay; Umgungundlovu
College in Pietermaritzbug, and the College of
Cape Town.
ABB was one of the first companies to embrace
the project. Other Swiss companies that have
shown interest are Buhler, Schindler, Holcim and
Nestlé. Local companies are also canvassed to
provide internships.
As a large player in the power and automation
business and a supplier to utilities and industry,
ABB South Africa believes this programme has
the potential to make a significant contribution to
more effective skills training in public colleges.
Nthabiseng Dube
Group Marketing & Communications Director,
ABB South Africa
Special message
5
Nurturing skills at technical colleges
Nthabiseng Dube.
6 ABB InTouch 1/2009
ABB South Africa, a subsidiary of the global
power and automation technologies group,
reported a 45% increase in revenue to
R3.3-billion, and power and automation orders
of R4.4-billion – up more than 50% – for 2008.
Carlos Poñe, CEO of ABB South Africa, said
rapid infrastructure development in power
generation and transmission to support demand
in mining, oil and gas and other sectors drove
growth in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
“It has been an excellent year for ABB in South
Africa,” he said. “Our broad portfolio of products
and services in our power and automation
divisions continue to sustain our growth.”
To accommodate its expansion, ABB South Africa
and its developer have invested R400-million in
new Gauteng premises at Longmeadow, Johan-
nesburg. The modern manufacturing centre will
be a green building incorporating solar heating,
grey water and an automated building system to
control all energy consuming equipment.
ABB South Africa has a strong local manufactur-
ing capability with four sites around the country
and employs more than 1 500 permanent staff.
Longmeadow will hold about 1 000 employees.
In 2008, ABB South Africa secured substantial
power and transmission orders. It won a
R149-million order for series capacitor banks at
Serumula on the Beta-Delphi 400kV transmission
line, and at Iziko on the Hydra-Poseidon 400kV
transmission line. The company also won a
R640-million contract from Matla power station to
upgrade control systems and instrumentation, as
well as an order worth R520-million to strengthen
the transmission network in the Western Cape
region. ABB also completed the Apollo converter
station upgrade worth R440-million.
ABB’s automation business performed
exceptionally well with more than R400-million
in mining contracts and large orders for drive
systems at Arcelor Mittal and Sappi. Other large
orders included a R110-million contract from
Sulzer for boiler feed pumps and a R40-million
rectifier plant order from Anglo Platinum.
Expansion in the business led to the company
employing more than 170 additional staff in
2008, training 28 engineering artisans and
investing in industry skills with the Swiss-
South African Co-operation Initiative (SSACI)
to support technical skills development at
FET (Further Education and Training)
technical colleges.
“In South Africa the demand for power
generation, transmission and distribution
products as well as energy-efficient equipment
remained solid throughout 2008,” said Poñe.
“Demand in industries such as oil, gas, metals
and minerals also remained positive, although
some smaller customers in the mining industry
began to delay investments in the face of the
current market uncertainty.”
Looking at the prospects for 2009, the CEO said
demand in the electricity market remains high
because of the renovation of South Africa’s
national power infrastructure.
“However, with the current market conditions, it
is difficult to make near-term forecasts about
growth and investments in the industrial sector,”
he noted.
Carlos Poñe, CEO of ABB South Africa, presents a strong set of results to journalists at the annual media briefing at the site of the company’s new premises in Longmeadow, Johannesburg.
Local news
ABB South Africa
ABB South Africa reports strong growthRecord power and automation business achieved in 2008 reflects balanced portfolio. By Chesney Bradshaw.
Journalists toured the head office, manufacturing and logistics centre under construction at Longmeadow.
7ABB InTouch 1/2009
ABB South Africa
Local news
ABB won an order worth R380-million
($53-million) earlier this year from Eskom to
strengthen the transmission network in the
Western Cape region.
ABB will design, manufacture, install and
commission six 765-kilovolt capacitor banks at
Alpha, Beta, Mercury and Perseus substations.
The installations, which form part of an
initiative to increase power capacity in Cape
Town and surrounding areas, will allow Eskom
more flexibility and reduce its reliance on the
existing Koeberg power station.
The compensators used in the project are part of
a family of technologies known as flexible
alternating current transmission systems (FACTS).
The order was booked in the fourth quarter of
2008 and is expected to be completed by 2010.
“ABB’s FACTS technologies allow more power
to be delivered more efficiently using existing
infrastructure,” said Peter Leupp, head of
ABB’s Power Systems division. “This reduces
the need to build additional transmission
lines, lowering environmental impact and
minimising cost.”
The project includes ABB’s Mach2 technology,
which is an advanced control and protection
system, and the most widely applied platform
for HVDC (high voltage direct current) and
FACTS solutions. It brings the benefit of
fast, flexible, real-time control. Fuseless
capacitor units and high-speed bypass switches
will further increase system reliability.
“This project offers ABB the scope to yet again
partner with Eskom to achieve its priority on
the delivery of efficient power,” said Carlos
Poñe, CEO of ABB in South Africa.
ABB is a pioneer in FACTS technologies, with the
largest installed base in the world. Eskom has
awarded ABB a number of contracts in recent
years, including a $90-million order to upgrade
control systems and instrumentation at the Matla
power plant in north-eastern South Africa.
For help with any technical terms in this article,
please go to: www.abb.com/glossary
Helping Eskom boost power transmission capacityFACTS technology will deliver more power and enhance grid efficiency. By Shivani Chetram.
ABB South Africa was a qualifier in the
prestigious Technology Top 100 (TT100)
awards held in Johannesburg in February.
The 2009 ceremony acknowledged 71 South
African companies out of the approximately
500 that entered.
The TT100 awards, an initiative by the
Department of Science and Technology, aims to
reward companies that have achieved success
using technology, innovation and people.
Companies were required to detail their
innovation in defined areas and prove their
business could meet the challenges of the
market through new technologies.
The Minister of Science and Technology,
Mosibudi Mangena, applauded the
winners and qualifiers. “We call on the
people of our nation to look with pride
on those who have made the technology
that can add value to the business
activities of investors, and benefit the
South African economy,” he said.
ABB submitted a detailed entry and attended
a three-hour adjudication process. Chesney
Bradshaw, Corporate Communications and
Sustainability Manager for ABB South Africa,
said it was important that ABB subject itself
to such local awards to assess its technology
standing in the marketplace.
Technology Top 100 recognition ABB South Africa was a qualifier in the recent prestigious awards.
ABB South Africa was one of 71 companies that qualified from the 500-odd that entered the technology awards.
8 ABB InTouch 1/2009
ABB International
Global news
The ABB group achieved record revenues, EBIT and cash from operations in 2008.
For the full year ending December 2008,
ABB’s orders rose 11% (local currencies: 7%)
to $38.3-billion and were up in all divisions
except Power Systems.
Revenues were supported in the fourth quarter
by the strong order backlog, which ended the
year at $23.8-billion, up 5% (local currencies:
14%) compared to the end of 2007.
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and
net income in the fourth quarter were reduced
by previously announced provisions, but full-
year EBIT nevertheless reached a record
$4.6-billion.
Cash flow from operations was $1.4-billion
in the fourth quarter and reached a record
$4-billion for the full year, while free cash flow
for the full year amounted to $2.9-billion.
“Our solid revenue growth and cash flow in the
quarter show the underlying operational
strength of the company,” said Joe Hogan,
ABB’s Chief Executive Officer. “Orders were
down as customers delayed projects or cut
capital expenditures. But the long-term drivers
of our business – to increase energy efficiency,
secure reliable power and improve industrial
productivity – have not changed.
“The outlook for 2009 remains uncertain,”
Hogan said. “We are taking steps now to ensure
that we remain competitive, no matter how the
market develops. With our leading market
positions and technology, combined with a
flexible global production base, we aim to come
out of this downturn in a stronger competitive
position and we confirm our 2011 targets.”
Management’s priority for 2009 will be to
ensure that the company has the flexibility to
respond quickly to changing market conditions,
taking advantage of its global footprint, strong
balance sheet and leading technologies to
improve its cost competitiveness while simulta-
neously tapping further opportunities for
profitable growth.
Joe Hogan, ABB’s Chief Executive Officer.
ABB has won a R230-million ($32-million)
order from Vale in Mozambique for complete
electrification and automation solutions to
maximise productivity, monitor energy use
and minimise energy consumption at a new
coal mine.
The new mine is one of Vale’s major invest-
ments in Africa and will be built at Moatize,
in Tete province. When completed, it will
have a nominal capacity of 11 million tons
per year: 8.5 million tons of metallurgical
coal and 2.5 million of thermal coal.
“ABB’s vast industry experience, combined
with our comprehensive automation and
power offerings, provide our customers with
the robust solutions they need for these large
scope projects,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala,
head of ABB’s Process Automation division.
“Our ability to provide a complete scope of
supply, global expertise and excellent local
resources helped us to win this order.”
Construction of the entire facility will take an
estimated 36 months, and ABB’s portion of
the work is expected to be completed by the
end of 2010.
“We are thrilled to have won this project as it
demonstrates ABB’s global and local
capabilities combined to benefit our
customers,” said Carlos Poñe, CEO of ABB in
South Africa. “It also shows our specialised
industry-specific knowledge within mining
and energy efficiency solutions.”
Robust solutions for mining project in Mozambique Electrification and automation to maximise efficiency of coal handling plant. By Nicoline Venter.
Solid operational results in a demanding market
9ABB InTouch 1/2009
Global news
ABB International
ABB has commissioned a switchgear rated to
handle more than one million volts (1 100kV),
touching new heights in terms of global
voltage levels.
The ultra-high voltage gas-insulated switch-
gear (GIS) has a switching capability of 6 900
megawatts, which means it can turn power
equivalent to the average electrical consumption
of Switzerland – a country with more than
seven million inhabitants – on or off within
milliseconds.
ABB successfully designed, tested and
commissioned the GIS for a pilot project
launched in 2006 by State Grid Corporation of
China to demonstrate the feasibility of AC power
transmission at ultra-high voltage.
The GIS is a central component of ultra-high
voltage electricity transmission designed to carry
huge amounts of electricity over vast distances
with very low losses. ABB completed the
assignment in just two years with technology
partner Xian Shiky, a leading Chinese switchgear
manufacturer that worked in close co-operation
with ABB throughout the project.
“This is a breakthrough that will serve as a
benchmark for future ultra-high voltage projects
and is another example of ABB’s constant quest
for technological innovation and commitment to
energy efficiency,” says Bernhard Jucker, head of
ABB’s Power Products division.
State Grid has announced plans to invest more
than $14-billion in the next three to four years to
expand its ultra-high voltage (UHV) network.
Ultra-high voltage transmission reduces power
losses and requires a smaller transmission
corridor than conventional technologies. It is
particularly suitable for countries like China,
where energy resources are often far from the
centres of power consumption.
ABB pioneered gas-insulated switchgear 50 years
ago. This application level is the biggest leap in
capacity and efficiency of AC power transmission
in more than two decades.
Ultra-high voltageABB commissions switchgear rated at more than one million volts.
The ABB switchgear installed at Jingmen substation in China.
Ultra-high voltage transmission reduces power losses and requires a smaller transmission corridor than conventional technologies.
Starting his legal career as a research clerk in
the Constitutional Court, Bobby Barua, ABB
South Africa’s recently appointed general
counsel, had the privilege of participating in
some of the most groundbreaking decisions of
South Africa’s new democratic era.
“While clerking for Justice Kate O’Regan in
the year before the 1999 elections, one of the
cases before the court at that time was whether
prisoners should be given the right to vote,”
he recalls.
“A revolutionary socio-economic issue brought
before us was the Grootboom case in which the
court was asked to give effect to the
constitutional right to adequate housing. And a
matter which captivated the country and the
media was that of South African Rugby Football
Union head and business tycoon Louis Luyt,
who wanted then-President Mandela to give
evidence in a civil matter in relation to the
performance of his duties.
“This was an invaluable beginning to my
legal career and it sparked a deep interest in
When a great plan comes togetherJudy Gilmour, freelance journalist, spoke to ABB South Africa’s new legal counsel, Bobby Barua.
Legal and compliance
Profile
Bobby Barua, ABB South Africa’s recently appointed general counsel.
10 ABB InTouch 1/2009
11ABB InTouch 1/2009 11
constitutional law,” says Bobby, who has BA and
LLB degrees from the University of Cape Town.
After 18 months at Constitutional Hill, Bobby
served a six-month pupilage period to become
an advocate, under the guidance of Advocate
Azhar Bham. His focus was mainly on
commercial and labour law, with occasional
criminal work. When he was admitted to the
Johannesburg Bar he found the life of an
advocate very insular. “It is a highly academic
profession and it can be very competitive.
Starting out on one’s own and striving to set up
a client base was very challenging.”
After three years as an advocate, Bobby moved
into the corporate world as AngloGold Ashanti’s
Head of Compliance. With the mining group
having an international presence, he travelled
extensively, throughout Africa, the Far East,
Europe and South America.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for me as it
was a newly created position and I had to set
up the function from grassroots level.”
At the beginning of this year Bobby joined
ABB as General Counsel – South Africa and
Southern Africa, based at head office in
Sunninghill, Johannesburg. As head of ABB
Legal and Compliance, his experience as an
advocate is proving invaluable. “It taught me
how to think independently, it refined my
research skills and instilled a culture of
integrity. All these qualities serve me well in my
present position.”
Although still new in the job, Bobby says he is
impressed by the high quality of the ABB
systems and processes that form part of the
compliance function. “Also inspiring is that
there is commitment from the highest level to
doing the right thing.”
Comparing the corporate world to the more
isolated life of the advocate, Bobby says being
part of a large multinational means far greater
interaction with a diverse range of disciplines,
cultures and nationalities. “It also allows one to
live a more balanced life.”
Part of that balanced lifestyle, for Bobby,
includes much adoration for his Jack Russell
terrier and black Labrador – Chilli and Pepper. It
also means time for family and friends, theatre,
television and reading, with The Economist
always first priority in a busy schedule.
Strong on sustainability issues, he aspires
towards a paperless environment and pushes the
print button only when absolutely essential.
Born with celebral palsy, Bobby makes use of a
motorised wheelchair, and getting his driver’s
licence ten years ago was a defining and freeing
moment. “Public transport, particularly in South
Africa, is not friendly to those with disabilities.”
He serves as the ABB representative on the
working group of the African Employers for
Disability. This infant organisation is supported
by some of South Africa’s top corporates,
including Sasol, Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank,
KPMG, Ernst & Young, SABMiller and
Barloworld to name a few. The organisation
aims to give effect to an overlooked provision of
the Employment Equity Act – to bring more
disabled people into the workforce.
“We have made great strides in bringing black
and female employees into the workplace and
now need to focus on doing the same for the
disabled,” says Bobby.
Through the forum, companies share best
practice on how to accomplish this aim and how
to most effectively accommodate disabled
people – down to the detail of building
entrances and bathrooms, appropriate
equipment and supplier lists, and working with
recruitment agencies specialising in disabled
workers. “We hope in the near future to
establish a database for disabled workers
containing their details, experience and
qualifications so potential employers can easily
access them,” says Bobby.
In his personal capacity, Bobby is a member of
the Policy and Strategy Committee of The
National Council for Persons with Physical
Disabilities. While this focuses on physical
disabilities, Bobby would like to see more done
for those with mental disabilities. “These are
often hidden in the workplace and those affected
also need to be accommodated and helped.”
Although his parents are from Bangladesh, Bobby
was borne in Serowe, Botswana, and attended
school in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and Rustenburg
in North West Province. He is the only one in the
family to have pursued a career in law. “It is an
empowering profession and has enabled me to
effectively ‘stand up’ for myself and others,
despite this not being physically possible.”
Bobby considers himself to be highly privileged
despite his disability because of the
opportunities he has been given and the people
who have supported him throughout his life and
career. He looks forward to an invigorating
experience at ABB.
Legal and compliance
Profile
“We have made great strides in bringing black and female employees into the workplace and now need to focus on doing the same for the disabled.”
12 ABB InTouch 1/2009
ABB South Africa’s new headquarters, factory and logistics centre on a 96 000m2 site at Longmeadow near Modderfontein, Johannesburg, is a shining example of a green building built with the very latest environmental concepts and technology. Dave McDermott, a former business journalist, investigates.
Longmeadow:Green building
Developments
Lessening environmental impact to slow
down global warming and halt its
devastating effect of polar ice melts and rising
sea levels is an international imperative.
It is a scenario that ABB worldwide takes
serious cognisance of, and here in South Africa
we have a shining example of how we put into
practice what we preach: ABB South Africa’s
new headquarters, factory and logistics centre
on a 96 000 square metre site at Longmeadow
near Modderfontein.
The building symbolises a change of mindset that
is occurring throughout South African commerce
and industry. Longmeadow demonstrates an
impressive depth of research and focus on
design, construction, facilities management,
automation, recycling and ongoing minimal
environmental impact.
From the outset, ABB South Africa took
decisions to implement green elements into the
construction at Longmeadow and became one of
the first companies to put the green ethos into
practice at significant levels.
Chesney Bradshaw, Sustainability Manager for
ABB South Africa, points out that lighting and
air-conditioning account for the lion’s share of
energy use in a building and that a 35% saving
can be achieved through energy efficient
technology and systems.
“The return on the investment can be high and
the payback period relatively short. ABB South
Africa also intends adhering to ABB’s ‘Green
Building Policy’ that includes an internal
verification system for buildings.”
Longmeadow will reduce energy through use of
solar heating, recycling heat from air-conditioning
motors, extensive use of “grey water” and by
implementing building automation systems
developed by ABB.
The man driving the ABB Longmeadow
construction and design is Project Manager Paulo
David, who provided the following detail of the
building’s green elements:
A daily average of 15 cubic metres of “grey
water” from showers and hand basins in the
complex will be collected, cleaned and recycled.
Thereafter it will be piped into the toilet
reticulation system and used to flush toilets.
There is a rainwater collection system. The
22 000 square metre roof area is designed as a
catchment. Should a rainstorm deliver ten
millimetres of rain, 2 220 litres of rainwater will
be diverted from the roof into two attenuation
ponds, and then to tanks from where it can be
used to water gardens and top up water
features. A ball-valve system automatically
distributes this water.
A north-facing solar heating system on the roof
heats water delivered to the showers. This
natural, free energy source replaces electrical
heating and does not produce carbon emissions.
Energy consumption for the building’s heating
system is also reduced with a heat reclaim pump
system that captures hot air from the air-
conditioning system and diverts it to supplement
the building’s boilers.
The building’s H-shaped design contributes to
lower energy demand for lighting by ensuring
that office workstations are located on the
outside edges of the building where they receive
A shining example of environmental best practice
A north-facing solar heating system on the roof heats water delivered to the showers.
ABB InTouch 1/2009
good natural light. Each workstation is fitted
with a photo-sensitive switch that turns on low-
energy lights when people arrive and off when
they depart. All service areas are located in the
middle of the building, with 12V down-lighters
and emergency lighting installed.
In the factory section, low-energy compact
fluorescent lights are fitted. The power
reticulation grid to the lights allows individual
units within the factory to turn lights on and off
as required. When overtime is worked, only the
section involved need be lit.
Building insulation and air-conditioning were
other areas where energy efficiency was top of
mind. The open basement was designed for
effective natural ventilation. Fans are fitted but
have carbon dioxide detection meters that
automatically turn air-conditioning on when
carbon dioxide reaches a pre-determined level.
The fans and air-conditioning plant are driven
by ABB low energy, high efficiency, variable
speed drives that use energy more efficiently
and pick up speed in a slow, controlled
manner that eliminates high power demand
burst at start-up.
Temperatures in the basement in winter can be
as low as five degrees Celsius and therefore the
ground floor’s 200 millimetre-thick concrete
slab is insulated with a Styrofoam layer 100
millimetres deep, as are the walls and roof. The
insulation ensures that the air-conditioning
plant is 20-30% more efficient in maintaining
the right temperature.
Last but not least is the ABB Building Manag-
ment System (BMS), which is programmed to
automate, control and manage all energy
demands within the building – resulting in the
entire operation being as energy efficient as
possible. The BMS provides a wide range of
control functions, including fire control, security,
power monitoring and air-conditioning control.
Variable speed drives, or VSDs, provide infinite
control over the speed of motors driving pumps
and fans, maximising the building’s environment
by matching the temperature and humidity to
the demands of the prevailing weather and the
number of occupants.
The other major advantage of VSDs is energy
saving – by controlling the speed of the motor,
energy usage is controlled via the BMS and
results in significant cost savings. Lower pump
speeds extend mechanical life and reduce
maintenance costs.
Llewellyn van Wyk, a construction sector expert
at the CSIR, summed up the green building
concept in a recent address to delegates at a
Council for the Built Environment lecture at
Pretoria University. As reported by Engineering
News, he said that if green buildings are to gain
credibility, they must include respect, and even
have reverence for, the multi-dimensional and
evolving potential of the human experience way
beyond the indoor and external environment.
ABB South Africa is confident that Longmeadow
Park will live up to this aspiration.
Green building
Developments
1�
ABB’s new head office and manufacturing centre at Longmeadow, Johannesburg – an impressive depth of research and focus on design, construction, facilities management, automation, recycling and ongoing minimal environmental impact.
14 ABB InTouch 1/2009
Green IT
There is never a dull moment with the
ABB South Africa Information Systems
team, and things have been particularly exciting
over the last 12 months with planning and
implementation of two key business initiatives –
adoption of the SAP enterprise software
solution in line with the OsA initiative (One
Simple ABB) and the planned relocation of ABB
businesses and factories to Longmeadow.
“Both of these initiatives are very closely
aligned,” said ABB CIO Marlon Reddy. “The
objective for the IS team is to ensure that we
have the right infrastructure and IP backbone to
support the business at Longmeadow.”
In implementing SAP the IS department evaluated
the existing IT infrastructure and opted for a new
business-critical architecture based upon blade
server technology and the achievement of high
availability and redundancy. Blade centre servers
are also more energy efficient – in line with the
green building status of Longmeadow – and will
enable ABB to move towards the adoption of
virtualisation, another technology that will further
reduce energy requirements.
“By introducing blade technology and
virtualisation we will be immediately reducing
the number of servers we require for our
operations,” said Reddy. “This allows freedom to
achieve further consolidation by means of
significant reduction in the number of servers
and data storage requirements.”
A detailed study of the IT infrastructure was
conducted, driven by the need to optimise
resources and obtain more efficient distribution
of servers and storage. The outcome was a
recommendation that ABB could significantly
consolidate its IT infrastructure and create an
environment that would allow a move to
virtualisation in well defined steps.
Planned for this year is commencement of the
rationalisation of servers with VMWare
technology. Essentially, virtualisation allows one
server to do the job of multiple servers with the
technology enabling the resources of a single
server to be shared across multiple environments.
Virtual servers and virtual storage allow multiple
operating systems and multiple applications to be
hosted locally and remotely without physical or
geographical limitations.
So virtualisation has a huge impact on costs.
Savings accrue in many ways, including reductions
in space required and the cost of server and
system maintenance drops. Other savings can be
achieved on data centre costs, including air
conditioning and cooling, uninterruptible power
supplies and generator systems.
Achievements of the IS department already
include:
The commissioning of a Telkom VPN (virtual
private network) solution that will increase
capacity and provide high levels of
redundancy and availability essential for the
new applications such as SAP.
The establishment of a new SAP ERP
landscape with high availability and
redundancy and the successful migration of
the SAP HR and Payroll system to the new
ERP landscape. The application is now live.
The “Siza ABantu” project to replace the
existing helpdesk with an upgraded solution
that is expected to bring significant
improvements in service level management.
Implementation of a Microsoft System Centre
Configuration Manager (SCCM). It assesses,
deploys and updates servers, clients and
devices across physical and distributed
environments and will address shortcomings
in IS asset management
and patching.
The overall goal is to significantly enhance and
evolve the IS infrastructure to global operational
standards. “Achieving this will improve end-user
experience and enhance the business value of
our information systems,” said Reddy.
When the move to Longmeadow takes place, the
department will ensure implementation of
An exciting journey of advancementABB South Africa’s Information Systems is undergoing a radical makeover to meet the needs of the rapid growth of the business in the country. From implementing SAP on energy-efficient blade server technology to implementing unified communications at Longmeadow, the IS team is supporting ABB’s competitiveness.
Marlon Reddy, ABB South Africa CIO.
Information systems
Blade servers will increase energy efficiency.
15ABB InTouch 1/2009
Information technology is surprisingly often
ignored in business initiatives that drive
positive changes in respect of CO2 emissions
and energy reduction.
Tim James of SustainableIT, a company special-
ising in implementing green technologies, be-
lieves chief information officers and IT depart-
ments are missing an opportunity. He says IT
should be providing the toolsets that allow
businesses to measure and reduce their emis-
sions and actively drive the process.
IT is largely ignoring its own emissions as well,
he says. In IT intensive organisations, such as
financial institutions, energy consumed by
technology amounts to as much as 40% of the
total energy consumed in the business. Not
enough is done to reduce this energy,
particularly in the PC environment where a
single PC and monitor can consume as much as
1 000 kWh per annum if left on continuously.
“If you are not using it, turn it off, even
at night!”
Technologies exist today that can automate
many of these processes without losing the
control that many IT departments desire.
James is convinced that CIOs need to embrace
the new carbon economy. Taking energy and
carbon out of the business, through a
measurable process, gives IT the opportunity
and ability to report on actual savings and
improvements to the bottom line.
technologies that require less by way of energy
and cooling, and the data centre space required
will be less than the current operations.
“The Longmeadow environment is one that will
allow us to simplify and streamline our IT land-
scape. Our focus now is on implementing key
technologies to drive flexibility and efficiency.
We will have a completely new IT infrastructure
at the new building with an IP-based network
that will allow multiple systems and applica-
tions to run on the same standardised architec-
ture. It will allow us to converge and integrate
all of the related technologies, and with such
compatibility we will be better able to manage
the entire environment.”
Unified communications at Longmeadow will
help to address key environmental concerns.
New and improved audio-visual, video
conferencing and teleconferencing facilities are
expected to generate significant benefits for ABB
through more effective communications that will
reduce the need for travel, contribute to energy
efficiency and reduce costs. Systems and
infrastructure that are in line with this overall
objective are being installed and aligned with
the ABB building management systems,
including those capable of automatic turnoff
overnight or when not in use.
Reddy added that the IS infrastructure and
capability will better support mobile and remote
work execution. “Unified communications will
also provide improved and more efficient means
for remote collaboration and teleworking.”
IT asset management is a major challenge and
the IS department has embarked on a drive to
ensure there is proper disposal or re-use of IT
equipment. “With SCCM, we will be able to
better manage our IT equipment and software
applications, with improved remote monitoring
and patching, thereby optimising on resources
and time.”
There will be advanced monitoring of the server
rooms at Longmeadow, including fire, smoke
and temperature variance detection, ensuring an
optimal operating environment and proactive
early warnings. The equipment includes
environmentally friendly gas blanketing for fire
suppression and protection.
Whatever has been planned is in line with the
overall group strategy to reduce the complexity
and hence reduce the operating costs of the
environment. “Longmeadow has given us a
unique opportunity to rebuild our IS
infrastructure to address the need for improved
performance, better security and greater energy
efficiency, while at the same time being more
cost effective. Further, with a business-critical
system such as SAP, the new infrastructure must
address the need for greater availability,
flexibility and reliability.
“There are building blocks in place. We have
the right architecture design to better support
the business currently and in the future. This
will enable the IS team to better support the
business in its drive to improve energy and
operational efficiencies,” said Reddy.
Green IT
Information systems
Tim James believes chief information officers and IT departments can play an important role in sustainability.
ABB South Africa has made major strides in Green IT at its Longmeadow premises. In this article Tim James of SustainableIT discusses the vital role that chief information officers and IT departments can play in climate mitigation – and points out some of the shortcomings in some IT departments around the world that have not yet caught on to their important role in this area.
IT: culprit or catalyst?
Information technology is surprisingly often
ignored in business initiatives that drive
positive changes in respect of CO2 emissions
and energy reduction.
Tim James of SustainableIT, a company special-
ising in implementing green technologies, be-
lieves chief information officers and IT depart-
ments are missing an opportunity. He says IT
should be providing the toolsets that allow
businesses to measure and reduce their emis-
sions and actively drive the process.
IT is largely ignoring its own emissions as well,
he says. In IT intensive organisations, such as
financial institutions, energy consumed by
technology amounts to as much as 40% of the
total energy consumed in the business. Not
enough is done to reduce this energy,
particularly in the PC environment where a
single PC and monitor can consume as much as
1 000 kWh per annum if left on continuously.
“If you are not using it, turn it off, even
at night!”
Technologies exist today that can automate
many of these processes without losing the
control that many IT departments desire.
James is convinced that CIOs need to embrace
the new carbon economy. Taking energy and
carbon out of the business, through a
measurable process, gives IT the opportunity
and ability to report on actual savings and
improvements to the bottom line.
ABB South Africa has made major strides in Green IT at its Longmeadow premises. In this article Tim James of SustainableIT discusses the vital role that chief information officers and IT departments can play in climate mitigation – and points out some of the shortcomings in some IT departments around the world that have not yet caught on to their important role in this area.
IT: culprit or catalyst?
16 ABB InTouch 1/2009
Medium voltage technology
Innovative technology
The ABB medium voltage business unit
is abuzz at the prospect of soon moving
to the group’s new home at Longmeadow,
Johannesburg, citing benefits such as increased
capacity and the ability to take a wider range
of high quality, high specification products to
market more quickly and efficiently and at the
right price.
Sha Khayyam, Local Business Unit Manager
Medium Voltage Products, said Longmeadow
Park would provide a much better working
environment with many advantages for his staff.
“We will take up approximately 30% of the total
factory area of the 18 000 square metres at
Longmeadow for our manufacturing operations,
and a further 10% for storage. Of the office
accommodation, we will take up about 20%.”
Product Group Manager for Medium Voltage
Products, Bryan Johnson and Technology
Manager Manie Jooste concur that major
benefits will accrue from materials handling
facilities at the new factory with its state-of-the-
art cranes, pallet jacks and other equipment.
The new accommodation will also eliminate the
need to travel to meetings.
“This is an extremely positive development that
we expect will have a considerable impact on
the cost efficiency of the business unit, which in
turn will have positive knock-on effects into the
market,” said Sha.
The business unit will be better placed to
consistently manufacture to the most stringent
international standards, with products being
the equal of anything made in Europe and
the United States.
Much work has taken place in the background
to standardise the medium voltage product
range and to ensure product quality is on a par
with that achieved in Europe. There is a strong
focus on looking after the needs of local
customers and on achieving economies of scale
without affecting the unit’s capability to meet
individual customers’ specialised needs.
Another focus is on technology, through
which opportunities to extend the range of
switchgear will be realised in the near future.
Through local research, development and
engineering, possibilities exist for introducing
new ranges of MV switchgear and extending
local testing capability to full international IEC
standard certification.
Great strides have been made in upgrading
and developing new products and the division
expects to launch a new range of protection
devices soon. Lighter, more compact sensors
have been developed to monitor wider ranges
of voltage and current in transformer systems.
Standardisation of these products will reduce
the cost to end-users and will make it easier
for customers to specify.
Circuit breakers now feature built-in sensors,
imbedded protection functionality and “plug
and play” technology, allowing them to be
connected to SCADA (supervisory control and
data acquisition) systems without hardwiring.
The division has invested a lot of effort into
adding value for customers. These efforts
enable it to offer customised, unique switchgear
panels tailor-made to the customer’s preference;
one such customer being the City of Cape
Town, which needs switchgear suited to the
coastal environment.
Another recent development is a self-powered
protection relay that eliminates the need for
batteries. Current within the system is converted
to operate the relay, a useful innovation for
remotely located or underground systems that
results in cost savings through efficiency and
reduced maintenance.
Particularly significant from a damage reduction
and safety improvement aspect is the division’s
work on arc eliminator enhancements to
protection devices that reduce fault occurrence
time. The devices are able to detect and clear a
fault within ten milliseconds, significantly
reducing or eliminating fault damage, plant
damage and, more importantly, injury to
personnel. Another benefit is the reduction of
costly downtime.
“This development has taken a lot of costly
research and experimental work by the R&D
section,” said Johnson. “A fault creates a
shockwave, explosion and fire which can result
in a lot of damage to people and equipment.
Our work on improving safety in this area has
given us great satisfaction. Taking care of safety
aspects is always a major challenge and it is one
that we take very seriously.”
Medium voltage is buzzingABB South Africa’s medium voltage business unit is boosting capacity and its ability to take quality products to market more quickly and efficiently.
UniGear 550 series, medium voltage, arc proof, air insulated metalclad switchgear.
When eight primary school girls present
ideas on energy and ways to save it at a
school in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth, they talk
with great passion. It is almost possible to forget
that they live in the harshest of surroundings, in
shacks with no access to electricity, and rely on
biomass for heating and cooking.
Recognising that the youth in South Africa
should be more involved in energy, ABB South
Africa has partnered with the WWF (World
Wide Fund for Nature) and WESSA (Wildlife
and Environment Society of South Africa) to
support a programme in the poverty-stricken
township of Motherwell in the Eastern Cape,
home to about 400 000 people. The programme
covers five schools and reaches 5 000 primary
school children.
As a leading supplier of power and automation
technology products to the electricity industry,
ABB South Africa pledged to support the
programme as long as it included a component
of energy awareness and education for the
young learners. WWF gladly acceded and the
sponsorship began in 2007.
“The programme helps bring environmental and
sustainability education to primary schools and
integrates it with the learner’s curriculum,” says
Chesney Bradshaw, Corporate Communications
and Sustainability Manager of ABB South Africa.
“Environmental education is closely linked to
primary health care in that polluted
environments often have a direct impact on
people’s health.”
Environmental education is seen as important
for the new generation that will face
environmental challenges on an unprecedented
scale. Young people need to be more aware of
energy efficiency, one of the cornerstones of
ABB’s market offering as well as its
sustainability focus. The group’s technologies
help industry and power utilities and
distributors to increase their energy efficiency
throughout the world and ABB wishes to extend
its reach to society at large.
The Eco-Schools Programme has been
developed in partnership with the Department
of Education and is implemented and co-
ordinated by WWF and WESSA. It is an
international programme of the Foundation for
Environmental Education (FEE), with more than
46 countries participating.
“The programme extends learning beyond the
classroom and helps to develop responsible
attitudes and commitment both at home and in
the wider community,” says Hettie Gets,
Manager of WWF-SA Conservation Education
Programme and partner of the WESSA/WWF-SA
Eco-Schools Programme.
Programmes typically look at social issues such
as poverty alleviation, biodiversity loss, water
management and energy efficiency. Educators
show learners how to audit their school for
waste, energy and water use. Some schools
grow food gardens to support their own feeding
schemes.
“We thank ABB for their spirit of willingness to
assist the Motherwell community to address the
key issues,” says Pearl Jonas, Motherwell
Freshwater Node Co-ordinator for WESSA
Eastern Cape. “The programme is being met
with enthusiasm.”
ABB hopes to continue to ignite the interest of
children in discussing energy choices and
exploring ideas on how energy efficiency can
contribute to communities. Young minds
exposed to the Eco-Schools project may also be
encouraged to adopt mathematics and science
as secondary school subjects and go on to
science and engineering careers.
The primary schools and educators face
challenges in implementing the Eco-Schools
Programme in underprivileged areas, but are
committed to helping prepare a new generation
to tackle environmental issues that are critical to
the quality of human life, sustainability and
human survival.
Sustainability
Education partnership
17
Youth in energy ABB South Africa and the WWF are partners in an exciting programme at underprivileged schools in the Eastern Cape.
Learners at a primary school in Motherwell, Eastern Cape, talk about what they have learned about energy in their community.
ABB InTouch 1/2009
Other Eastern Cape school children inform fellow pupils about a water audit they conducted at the school.
18 ABB InTouch 1/2009
Power�ProductsPower Products are the key components to
transmit and distribute electricity. The division
incorporates ABB’s manufacturing network for
transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, cables
and associated equipment. It also offers all the
services needed to ensure products’ performance
and extend their lifespan. The division is
subdivided into three business units.
Power�SystemsPower Systems offers turnkey systems and
services for power transmission and distribution
grids, and for power plants. Substations and
substation automation systems are key areas.
Additional highlights include flexible alternating
current transmission systems (FACTS), high-
voltage direct current (HVDC) systems and
network management systems. In power
generation, Power Systems offers the
instrumentation, control and electrification of
power plants. The division is subdivided into
four business units.
Automation�ProductsThis ABB business serves customers with
energy efficient and reliable products to
improve customers’ productivity, including
drives, motors and generators, low voltage
products, instrumentation and analytical, and
power electronics. More than one million
products are shipped daily to end customers
and channel partners, spanning a wide range of
industry and utility operations, plus commercial
and residential buildings.
Process�AutomationThe main focus of this ABB business is to
provide customers with integrated solutions for
control, plant optimisation, and industry-
specific application knowledge. The industries
served include oil and gas, power, chemicals
and pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, metals
and minerals, marine and turbocharging. Key
customer benefits include improved asset
productivity and energy savings.
RoboticsABB is a leading supplier of industrial robots –
also providing robot software, peripheral
equipment, modular manufacturing cells and
service for tasks such as welding, handling,
assembly, painting and finishing, picking,
packing, palletising and machine tending. Key
markets include automotive, plastics, metal
fabrication, foundry, electronics, machine tools,
pharmaceutical and food and beverage
industries. A strong solutions focus helps
manufacturers improve productivity, product
quality and worker safety. ABB has installed
more than 160 000 robots worldwide.
Our businesses ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs more than 120 000 people.
Technology
Fast facts