Globally, the cement industry uses millions of low voltage electric motors. But many of them are now over 10 years old and fall into lower, outdated energy efficiency classes. Daniel Eberli, Global Business Line Manager, ABB IEC LV Motors, explains how switching up to IE6 Hyper-Efficiency could offer plant operators the potential to cut their annual energy bills by millions of Euros.
The cement industry currently represents about 7% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally and is the third-largest industrial energy consumer, that’s according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This presents a huge opportunity for cement plant operators to make energy savings that will both reduce their operating costs while also avoiding the associated CO2 emissions. A key target area is to boost the energy efficiency of the vast global fleet of low voltage (LV) motors working hard behind the scenes in roles such as conveyors, pumps, and fans.
One of the main challenges in persuading operators to invest in upgrade programs is that their industrial electric motors tend to have a very long service life – often over 20 years, and sometimes even longer. In fact, ABB estimate that more than half the motors deployed in cement plants are over 10 years old, and many fall into lower efficiency classes such as IE1 or IE2. That means operators are missing out on the major advances in motor efficiency that have taken place in recent years. Each increment in IE class represents a significant improvement in energy efficiency, with an associated reduction in operating costs and carbon emissions. The EU’s Ecodesign Directive currently requires IE3 efficiency for motors from 0.12 – 1000 kW, with IE4 required for the 75 – 200 kW range, while IE5 motors have become established as the 'go-to' choice for many industrial applications.
Lower energy usage directly lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a motor. Over its typical 20 year-plus lifetime, the initial purchase cost represents only around 2% of its TCO, maintenance about 1%, while the electricity to run it accounts for roughly 97%. That is why a motor with superior energy efficiency can quickly pay for itself through energy savings, and it then continues to deliver cost and emissions reductions over its lifetime.
It is against this background that ABB is bringing IE6 Hyper-Efficiency SynRM motor technology to a wide range of industrial applications. As part of ABB's 'Engineered to Outrun' philosophy. this allows operators to cut energy costs and emissions even beyond what was previously possible with IE5 motors.
Inside SynRM motor technology
Externally, a SynRM motor looks very similar to a traditional induction motor. Even the stator (the non-moving part) inside is traditional. The innovation lies in the rotor. It is made from laminated iron layers which form a light but solid construction that allows magnetism to flow through it. The shape is precisely designed to guide magnetic reluctance within the rotor. As a result, the rotor will align itself to the magnetic flux produced by the stator coils, essentially 'locking' into position. This enables it to move at exactly the same speed as the magnetic flux – synchronously, hence the name synchronous reluctance motor.
SynRM motors combine the performance of permanent magnet (PM) motors with the simplicity and service-friendliness of induction motors. And because there are no magnetic forces in the rotor, maintenance is as straightforward as with induction motors.
Potential to cut energy bills by 27.5%
To demonstrate the potential for energy savings ABB explored the benefits of switching to IE6 Hyper-Efficiency SynRM motors at a large cement plant producing up to 3 million tpy.
This plant could have more than 1000 LV motors, with most being direct-on-line (DOL) models with an IE2 energy efficiency rating. If this fleet was upgraded to IE5 and IE6 SynRM and variable speed drive (VSD) packages, then ABB's simulations show that the annual energy usage would be slashed from 93.30 to 67.65 gigawatt-hours (GWh).
This 27.5% saving would save the plant more than €2 million in energy costs per year (based on an energy price of €0.084/kWh). If ABB anticipate a lifetime of 20 years, then the savings could be €40 million. Of course, the higher the local energy price then the higher the potential savings. Furthermore, the plant would avoid over 10 000 tpy of CO2, that is the same as the annual emissions produced by around 2500 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. With well over 3000 cement plants of varying production capacities operating worldwide, even modest efficiency improvements across the industry could deliver significant combined energy and emissions reductions.
IE6 SynRM motors offer practical benefits
SynRM motors have up to 30°C lower winding temperatures and up to 15°C lower bearing temperatures than induction motors. This improves reliability, prolongs motor lifetime and reduces the need for maintenance. Lower bearing temperatures are a particularly important factor in reducing life-cycle costs because bearing failures cause about 70% of unplanned motor outages.
High performance, same frame size
In 2024, ABB was the first manufacturer to offer the anticipated IE6 efficiency level in a SynRM design for specialised applications. As a next step ABB have expanded the range to make efficient motor technology available as a standard solution across a wide power range of 110 to 450 kW, in large frame sizes 280 and 315 for safe area applications.
Because the new motors follow traditional kW/frame-size combinations, they can directly replace older, less efficient equipment without changes to the mechanical setup.
Sustainable by design
IE6 SynRM motors are part of ABB's EcoSolutions™ portfolio, which includes third-party-verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to support compliance and reporting. These motors are 98% recyclable by weight, and the copper used in their production is covered through low-carbon and recycled copper sourcing. As a result, embedded emissions are cut by up to 200 kg of CO2 per 75 kW motor.
On top of that, SynRM’s magnet- and rare earth-free design makes the technology a scalable lever for industrial decarbonisation. By avoiding dependence on rare earth supply chains, it helps manufacturers sidestep price volatility and unpredictability with sourcing. High performance without rare earth materials allows customers in the cement industry to reduce electricity use, cut CO2 emissions, and improve productivity without sacrificing performance.
Leading the next efficiency leap
Because cement plants account for such a large share of global electricity use, boosting the efficiency of their vast fleet of industrial LV motors is one of the most immediate and impactful ways to make a significant difference. With the introduction of IE6 Hyper-Efficiency SynRM motors as a standard offering, it is now possible for virtually every motor to play a part in lowering total energy demand, cutting emissions and increasing productivity.
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