David Hawley writes on the ABB website about the importance of deploying appropriate efficient technology to ensure a sustainable water future.
Innovation that flows: How efficient motors can power a sustainable water future
Every year, World Water Day reminds us that water underpins everything we take for granted – morning showers, clean drinking water, safe sanitation, and thriving communities. But this year’s observance arrives as the global water sector is entering a transformational period, driven by stringent environmental regulations and water scarcity.
The global water and wastewater market is facing a number of compounding challenges: ageing infrastructure, extreme weather placing stress on equipment, increasing operational costs, and regulatory pressures. Innovative solutions have never been more needed, and for operators seeking a way forward, that starts with efficient motor technology.
Why energy efficiency is non-negotiable
Clean water is a resource we have the luxury of trusting completely, rarely doubting for a second that it will be there when we need it most – but it doesn’t just pump itself. Water and wastewater services are some of the most energy-intensive operations, with pumps, blowers, fans, and aerators running around the clock. In fact, the International Energy Agency expects the amount of energy used in the water industry to more than double over the period to 2040, reaching almost 1500TWh. That’s the same as the carbon emissions generated by 156 coal-fired plants for one year. Shifting toward smarter, more energy-efficient infrastructure is essential for the industry’s survival.
At ABB, our mission is simple: to engineer solutions that outrun today’s expectations. Two breakthrough motor technologies – the LV Titanium variable speed motor (VSM) and the IE6 Hyper-Efficiency Synchronous Reluctance motor (SynRM) – are proving that operators don’t have to choose between cost savings, environmental progress, and competitive advantage. Instead, they can have all three.
LV Titanium: Plug-and-play efficiency for every pump station
Matching motor speed to actual demand using a variable speed drive (VSD) can cut electricity consumption by around 25%, yet fewer than a quarter of industrial motors worldwide are fitted with one.
ABB’s LV Titanium Variable Speed Motor (VSM) combines an IE5 Ultra-Premium efficiency permanent magnet (PM) motor with a built-in drive in a single plug-and-play unit, turning speed control from optional to standard. Up to three frame sizes smaller than conventional induction models, it fits where larger motors can’t, offering an easy installation process with little to no disruption.
But the benefits go beyond practicality. For a typical 15 kW centrifugal pump application – a workhorse in water treatment – upgrading from a standard IE3 direct-on-line motor to LV Titanium can save €8,122 in electricity costs annually. Over a 15-year service life, that’s €121,830 in savings from a single motor, while also eliminating 11,600kg of CO₂ emissions each year. These savings redefine the outlook on efficiency.
IE6 SynRM: Hyper efficiency for continuous-duty applications
For larger installations where motors power critical pumping, aeration, and treatment processes, ABB’s IE6 SynRM motors deliver a different kind of efficiency. They achieve IE6 Hyper‑Efficiency levels without rare-earth magnets and with less wasted energy inside the motor itself.
In a 110 kW motor application running 8,760 hours per year – typical for wastewater aeration blowers or large transfer pumps – upgrading an existing IE4 motor-drive package to ABB’s IE6 SynRM solution delivers annual savings of approximately €2,560 and reduces CO₂ emissions by 4,610 kg. The incremental cost versus IE4 typically pays back in around eight months.
Evides Waterbedrijf in the Netherlands has already proven what this looks like in practice. The drinking water pumping station has achieved around 20% energy savings with the use of ABB SynRM technology, compared to the old induction motors, as they run significantly cooler and quietly. Because SynRM packages are especially efficient at partial load – exactly where most pumps and fans in water treatment actually operate – those savings are delivered across the full range of day‑to‑day flows, not just at nameplate conditions.
With LV Titanium VSM and IE6 SynRM technology, water operators can turn motors – the invisible backbone of their plants – into a strategy for delivering more resilient, lower-carbon water services to the communities they serve.
Scaling efficiency across the water network
This World Water Day, one thing is certain: treating water will always require energy, but it doesn’t have to waste it. As the water sector navigates infrastructure constraints and the need to cut energy use while maintaining reliable service, ABB’s LV Titanium VSM and IE6 SynRM represent a rare win-win: proven real-life installation, rapid payback, and decades of impact, all while lowering the energy footprint of every liter they treat. Motor efficiency is the foundation of sustainable water services and a critical enabler of the smart systems the industry is rapidly adopting.
The water we rely on every day deserves infrastructure that is ‘Engineered to Outrun’ today’s challenges and tomorrow’s demands.
The technology is ready. The business case is evident. The time is now.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 