ABB's Rakovski plant shows the way to zero-emission manufacturing

If you can't measure it, you can't do anything about it. With this in mind, the technical team at ABB's factory in Rakovski began work on the energy transformation of the facility in 2021. The team already knows that to achieve its energy efficiency goals, it cannot simply replace light bulbs with energy-efficient ones or renovate the buildings.

A radical change is needed at all levels – from light bulbs to the vehicle fleet to all systems and equipment operating in the factory.

And looking at the data at the moment, it seems that this strategy has been successful.

During a special event organized jointly with the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, ABB Bulgaria presented its new "intelligent" building management system, ABB Cylon®, to its partners, as well as the company's results on its path to net zero.

Fans of science fiction, and more specifically the Battlestar Galactica series, cannot help but think of the Cylons – the synthetic race that tried to completely destroy humanity. But even in the series, the thinking machines ultimately decided to live in peace with humanity. However, I do not believe that ABB's system will create similar problems, even temporarily. It skips the aggression phase and goes straight to helping businesses become more sustainable, more efficient, and, of course, save money.

ABB Cylon® at the Rakovski facility

The new ABB Cylon® energy management system now controls heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, energy flows, and more at the company's production facilities in Rakovski. The project, part of the Swedish-Swiss company's global Mission to Zero™ program, is turning the plant into a benchmark for smart and sustainable industrial transformation.

Over the past few years, ABB Bulgaria has been gradually implementing a complete set of digital energy management solutions at its plant in Rakovski, one of the company's largest production facilities in the region, employing over 1,800 people. The new holistic ABB Cylon® solution is actually the final step in the overall strategy to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions at the site.

However, intelligent control not only enables precise real-time adjustment, but also consumption forecasting, automation of operating modes, and integration of renewable energy sources. The data is processed by another company platform, ASPECT®, which provides monitoring, alarms, and reporting.

How ABB Cylon® works

ABB Cylon® is fully automated, monitoring and optimizing the operation of all major energy installations in a building – heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, energy flows, etc. It does this through multiple sensors. And the best part, as explained by Lyubomir Ivanov, a technical specialist at the company, is that not all hardware components need to be from ABB.

The system can be built on systems from other manufacturers and, if necessary, upgraded to work with ABB Cylon®," said Mr. Ivanov during his presentation.

The system is designed to provide:

• Centralized control over all major energy consumers;
• Remote access for real-time monitoring and management;
• Integration of renewable energy sources;
• Analysis and forecasting of energy needs.

The software collects data in real time through connected sensors and controllers and monitors multiple parameters such as temperature, pressure, energy consumption, and equipment status.

The software collects data in real time through connected sensors and controllers and monitors multiple parameters such as temperature, pressure, energy consumption, and equipment status.

Based on predefined algorithms and conditions (e.g., temperature above 25°C or low system load), ABB Cylon® activates, reduces, or shuts down equipment such as heat pumps or cooling systems.

It regulates the operation of the equipment in an "intelligent" way according to external conditions, production load, and the availability of renewable energy. For example, on cooler nights, it can switch off some cooling systems and transfer the load to more efficient units.

Using the ASPECT® platform, the system records all data, detects anomalies (such as excessive pump load) and alerts operators by e-mail or SMS before faults occur.

Thanks to the accumulated data, ABB Cylon® can predict future energy consumption and recommend optimization strategies.

Hardware components:

Engineer Lyubomir Ivanov provided more technical details about the implementation itself and the components used in the successful implementation of the system at the production facility in Rakovski.

The following controllers and devices are used at the plant:

• FBXi-X256: flexible controller for managing different zones;
• CBXi-8R8-H: powerful network controller for complex HVAC systems;
• FLX-4R4-H, FLX-8R8-H, and FLX-16DI: input/output point expansion modules that allow the system to be scaled as needed.

Main installations controlled by the system:

• Heat pumps: 3 water-water and 6 water-air;
• Dry coolers: 2 units;
• Circulation pumps: 36 units;
• HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems for production and office areas;
• Compressed air system;
• Air extraction systems for production processes;
• Energy management of charging stations for electric vehicles.

What is unique about ABB's solution in Rakovski?

ABB's technical team has completely replaced the gas heating systems with heat pumps, which reduces the carbon footprint.
Combined control of lighting, cooling, heating, industrial machines, and electric vehicle charging stations has been implemented in a single building management system (BMS), which facilitates analysis and control and enables efficiency improvements.
The system at the Rakovski facility is designed to easily add new lines, offices, production areas, or energy sources without the need for major modifications. This further increases efficiency and saves money.

Another huge benefit of implementing ABB Cylon® in Rakovski is the high energy efficiency guaranteed by ISO 50001 certification.

Real results

By 2024 (compared to 2019), the Rakovski plant will achieve:

• 43% improvement in energy intensity;
• 22% less energy consumption;
• 1,250 tons less CO₂ emissions (compared to 2019);
• ISO 50001 certification for energy management systems.

A solution with potential for ABB customers

The ABB Cylon® system and ABB Ability platform are not just an internal solution – they are now also available to ABB's industrial customers. They provide:

• scalability according to site requirements;
• integration of production lines, lighting, HVAC, charging stations and security;
• predictive maintenance and cost optimization;
• compliance with European and international energy efficiency standards.

ABB plans to use the success at its Rakovski production facilities as a reference project for other company locations in the country.

This article was prepared with the assistance of ABB Bulgaria.

Translated with DeepL.