Swiss robotics, automation and electrical equipment company ABB has officially opened its new plant for energy storage systems for mobility applications in Baden, Switzerland. The energy storage systems will be used in railways, as well as electric buses and trucks.

ABB said the facility represents an important investment in Switzerland as a production location and provides added value for applications at home and abroad. It said the company has already received orders for energy storage systems from several vehicle manufacturers from different countries. Among other applications, they will be used in new trolleybuses in the Swiss cities of Zürich, Lausanne and Fribourg.

Energy storage systems are a key technology for the future of sustainable mobility and play an important role in the field of electrification and efforts to reduce carbon emissions of road and rail transport. Efficient energy stores are essential for the operation of electric buses and e-trucks and allow, for example, the braking energy generated by recuperation to be stored. Moreover, the energy storage systems increase the flexibility of trolleybuses as they can drive long distances without overhead lines thanks to this technology.

(from left to right): Ernst Roth, Local Business Line Manager Drives (Motion), ABB Switzerland;
Stephan Attiger, State Councilor of Canton Aargau; Robert Itschner, Chief Executive Officer ABB Switzerland;
Markus Schneider, Mayor of Baden

Unlike Switzerland, many other European countries still have a number of non-electrified railway lines. Integration of energy storage systems makes it possible to convert diesel trainsets into diesel hybrid vehicles, thus cutting carbon emissions by 30 percent and the possibility of achieving significant energy savings through recuperation. Energy storage systems offer transport operators many options to retrofit their vehicle fleets for a more sustainable mobility.

"Our production facility for energy storage systems here in Baden only reinforces our technology and market leadership in the field of sustainable mobility. We have been making advances here with our solutions for over 100 years. This enables us to supply the entire power train including energy storage solutions for rail, e-bus, trolleybus and e-truck applications from a single source," said Robert Itschner, Chief Executive Officer of ABB Switzerland and Local Business Manager of the Motion business.

Battery cells are assembled into standardized battery modules in production. These are combined into energy storage systems and configured according to the specific application. The products utilize the latest lithium-ion technology and are characterized by their high energy and power density as well as their long service life even under high loads. They are designed to be safe and highly energy-efficient.

Two ABB robots are used in the production process to ensure that high safety and quality requirements are met: One places the battery cells in the module housing and the other joins them by means of a highly precise laser welding process. All data in the production process is recorded digitally on a continuous basis.