Beijing, China, February 18, 2008 - ABB will provide a complete set of electrical equipment for a cold rolling mill project at Yunnan Aluminum Co., Ltd (Yunnan Aluminum). As part of a joint project with SMS DEMAG Co., ABB will provide an advanced automation solution based on System 800xA to help expand operations and increase Yunnan Aluminum’s processing capacity by 80 percent.Yunnan Aluminum is the largest electricity consumer on the Yunnan Power Grid.
In recent years it has invested around RMB3.7 billion Yuan ($514 million) in energy-saving initiatives to bring its consumption down to 13,600 kilowatt hours (kWh) per ton aluminum—more than 1,000 kWh per ton, or seven percent less than the national average for aluminum processing. The company recently installed the world’s most advanced continuous casting and rolling technology for aluminum processing, which uses SMS DEMAG Co. and ABB technologies, to achieve energy savings of 26 percent. “This order strengthens ABB’s position as the leading supplier of electrical and automation systems to the steel and non-ferrous metal industry,” said Tobias Becker, Head of the Process Automation Division of ABB China and North Asia.
“Our tailored solutions offer significant energy savings, reducing cost and environmental impact.”ABB will supply Yunnan Aluminum with a full set of electrical and automation equipment, including the main motors and drives, System 800xA Extended Automation, and engineering and commissioning work for the project. This is the fourth order in China that ABB has won with SMS DEMAG. ABB has also provided power and automation solutions for the largest aluminum processing plant in Europe, run by Hydro Aluminum, helping to increase capacity by 15 percent and energy efficiency by 25 percent.ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact.
The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 112,000 people.
