ABB Switching to Recycled Copper to Reduce Carbon Footprint
ABB is working with Boliden, a Swedish mining and smelting company, to build a strategic cooperation to use low carbon footprint copper in its electromagnetic stirring (EMS) equipment and high-efficiency electric motors. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while driving the transition to a more circular economy.
The partnership with Boliden forms an integral part of ABB's strategic ambition to reduce the environmental impact of raw materials used in its products by replacing them with lower carbon alternatives.
Apart from using recycled copper, ABB has committed to increase the use of recycled electric steel (e-steel) and recycled aluminum. The move is also an important step in closing the circularity loop that has already seen ABB designing its motors to be up to 98 percent recyclable, with the remaining two percent of materials available to be incinerated for heat recovery.
Recycling copper, aluminum and steel offers energy savings of between 75 and 95 percent compared to virgin production.
"As a part of ABB's 2030 sustainability strategy, our target is for 80 percent of our products and solutions to be covered by a circularity approach. The work with Boliden is an important step towards this goal," said Ola Norén, Head of Metallurgy Products, Process Industries, ABB. "By taking stock of the delivery by the end of this year we'll ensure that all our metallurgy products use recycled hollow copper conductors from 2023."
The cooperation includes ABB placing the first order for Boliden's certified recycled copper through Finnish metals manufacturing specialist Luvata. Hollow conductor wire made from the material will be used in ABB's EMS products for both steel and aluminum manufacturing.
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