It is making efforts to tap hidden business opportunities in making power consumption more efficient, sub-stations more compact and inherently weak renewable energy a bit stronger.
Swiss power and automation major ABB is swearing by its old strength – innovation – to cope with increasing competition from low-cost Chinese suppliers and delays in creation of new power generation capacities by state-owned and private power companies in India.
It is making efforts to tap hidden business opportunities in making power consumption more efficient, sub-stations more compact and inherently weak renewable energy a bit stronger.
This strategy, ABB hopes, will also help in neutralising the setbacks inflicted by Chinese suppliers which have been bagging Power Grid Corp’s orders for key products like transformers of late.
Bazmi Husain, MD of ABB, said the company’ ability to innovate and provide new solutions for new problems would help it stand apart from Chinese and Korean competitors.
He said proliferation of appliances like air-conditioners in urban areas has led to higher use of electricity. But increased load continues to be handled by the same sub-station due to paucity of city land which restricts expansion of sub-stations.
“So we are coming out with solutions how to increase the capacity of a sub-station without having to increase its size,” said Husain.
Other challenges that ABB is keen to address relate to making power plants consume less power (than 10%, and nearer the global benchmark of 5%, of output) while generating electricity, and linking up solar energy generators with the power grid despite fluctuating output.
Husain said improving efficiency in power consumption is offering new business opportunities for ABB in renewables, industries and power infrastructure.
“It is not enough just to focus on more generation of power. There is also a need to consume it more efficiently. We really have to do both of these. Half of our business looks at how to produce and transport electricity and the other half looks at how to efficiently consume electricity,” Husain said.
He said ABB’s philosophy of innovation will hold the company in good stead. “Every competitive situation is an opportunity.
Competition is not just from China but Korea and manufacturers in India as well. Many of the things that you see today, be it the three-phase transmission or the high-voltage DC transmissions, were invented by ABB. We believe that we can innovate faster than others. Competition always drives innovation.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}