ABB – ABB investing $35 million in new U.K. earthing and lightning protection factory
- Greenfield manufacturing and R&D facility in Nottingham, U.K. to open in early 2025
- Technologically advanced factory will increase production of Furse® earthing and lightning protection solutions, used in more than 20 countries
- Expands ABB’s manufacturing capabilities in Europe to help meet demand for electrical protection systems that safeguard buildings, wind turbines, data centers and critical infrastructure
Lightning strikes and electrical surges disrupt critical operations and cause billions of dollars in damage to structures and equipment each year. With growing reliance on electronics and data centers, ABB is investing more than $35 million (£27 million), in a greenfield facility in Nottingham, United Kingdom, to meet increased demand for Furse® earthing and lightning protection solutions. The new state-of-the-art site is expected to open in early 2025 and will integrate advanced technology, flexible automation, R&D and testing, and digital processes to boost production capacity and enhance efficiency and sustainability.
More than 100 employees will relocate to the new 9,500 m2 facility from the existing 6,300 m2 ABB Installation Products Nottingham foundry, which has continually operated for over a century in the area where Furse originated in 1893. In addition to an expanded footprint, the site will be constructed in line with the BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainable building standards and include efficient equipment and technology, photovoltaic rooftop cells, electric vehicle charging stations, and processes centered on reducing waste and energy. The space will be designed to support collaboration and training, accelerate R&D, and drive automation to serve European customers and increase available inventory globally.
Worldwide, an estimated 1.4 billion lightning flashes occur annually, equal to over 42 strikes each second. Even indirect lightning strikes up to a kilometer away can create transient overvoltages and have devastating consequences such as fire, shock hazards, equipment damage and costly outages, resulting in downtime and financial losses. Furse solutions from ABB Installation Products are engineered to provide reliable earthing, lightning risk, and electronic systems and surge protection, helping safeguard structures and the electrical systems within. The products are used in more than 20 countries across a broad range of applications and environments, from data centers and medical facilities to essential infrastructure, utilities and renewable energy.
“This important investment builds on 130 years of Furse technology, enabling us to remain at the forefront of earthing and lightning protection and deliver solutions that improve safety and reliability for our customers. As part of our global growth strategy, we continue to expand our capabilities and capacity, further strengthening ABB’s manufacturing footprint and supply chain and regionalizing production of high-demand electrical solutions customers, installers and distribution partners need,” said Khalid Mandri President, ABB Installation Products Division. “Building this site in Nottinghamshire further reinforces our commitment to the industries we serve and to the community where we have operated for more than a century and want to continue to be a leading employer.”
The UK investment adds to more than $165 million in ABB Installation Products global expansions and improvements since 2020 to increase manufacturing capacity, drive innovation and sustainability, and bring needed products closer to customers. ABB Installation Products currently has six locations in Europe in Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland and the UK where it employs more than 100 associates in Nottingham who develop, test and produce a broad range of Furse solutions. The new campus will occupy nearly five acres in Fairham Business Park, within close proximity of ABB’s existing Wilford Road site and is accessible for employees, customers, suppliers and distribution partners.
“We are continually advancing solutions across electrification, and the earthing and lightning protection lifecycle. Our new facility is a leap forward in design and technology, positioning us for the future while enabling us to preserve resources and reduce energy and water consumption aligned with circularity and sustainability priorities across ABB’s operations,” stated Andrea Castella, Europe Region Leader, ABB Installation Products.
Building on its long history of pioneering in electrification, ABB Installation Products creates solutions to safely connect and protect electrical systems that power businesses, cities, homes and transportation. With more than 200,000 products under 38 premium brand names, ABB Installation Products, formerly Thomas & Betts, solutions are found wherever electricity is used around the world and in space.
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EMR Analysis
More information on ABB: See full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Björn Rosengren (Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Group Executive Committee, ABB until July 31, 2024 + Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and to the Executive Committee, ABB until December 31, 2024): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on ABB Electrification: See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Morten Wierod (President, Electrification and Member of the Executive Committee, ABB + Member of the Board of Directors, ABB E-mobility Holding AG + Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Group Executive Committee, ABB as from August 1, 2024): See full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Furse® by ABB: https://new.abb.com/low-voltage/products/earthing-lightning-protection/furse + Total Solution For Earthing & Lightning Protection
More information on ABB Installation Products Division (formerly Thomas & Betts) by ABB Electrification: https://electrification.us.abb.com/products/installation-products + ABB Installation Products Division, formerly Thomas & Betts, has a long legacy of innovation and quality products. From connectors that support electrical wiring on Earth to cable ties that help put machines in space, we work every day to design and produce solutions for a safer, smarter and more reliable flow of electricity. Wherever electricity is used, our products connect and protect from source to socket.
With more than 200,000 products under our trusted brand names, these solutions can be found wherever electricity is used.
More information on Khalid Mandri (President, ABB Installation Products Division, ABB Electrification, ABB): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on Andrea Castella (Europe Region Leader, ABB Installation Products Division, ABB Electrification, ABB): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services
More information on BREAAM Sustainability Standards: https://www.breeam.com + BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, infrastructure and buildings. It recognises and reflects the value in higher performing assets across the built environment lifecycle, from new construction to in-useand refurbishment.
BREEAM does this through third party certification of the assessment of an asset’s environmental, social and economic sustainability performance, using standards developed by BRE. This means BREEAM rated developments are more sustainable environments that enhance the well-being of the people who live and work in them, help protect natural resources and make for more attractive property investments.
EMR Additional Notes:
- Greenfield and Brownfield Manufacturing:
- A greenfield factory is a new manufacturing facility built with minimal or no existing infrastructure in order to increase production capacity and/or better serve a new market.
- A brownfield site is defined as any land that has previously been built on. Think disused factories, outmoded office buildings, or any location that was once a work site.
- Surge, Transient, Earth and Lightning Protection / Arresters Devices:
- Surge:
- Sudden increase in voltage that lasts for three nanoseconds or more is called a voltage surge.
- Surge protector are also known as Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor (TVSS), Surge Protection Devices (SPD) or Surge Suppression Equipment (SSE). These are equipments designed to protect electrical and electronic equipment from power surges and voltage spikes.
- A surge protector limits the voltage supplied to the electrical devices to a certain threshold, by short-circuiting current to ground or absorbing the spike when a transient occurs, thus avoiding damage to the devices connected to it.
- A surge protector does not interrupt the flow of power. It simply diverts it until the voltage returns to normal. While surge arresters also do this, they often come equipped with a crowbar circuit that acts as a failsafe. If there is a malfunction, the crowbar will interrupt the current.
- Sudden increase in voltage that lasts for three nanoseconds or more is called a voltage surge.
- Transient:
- Temporary unwanted voltage in an electrical circuit that range from a few volts to several thousand volts and last micro seconds up to a few milliseconds.
- => Surge vs. Transient:
- Surges are generally of longer duration but have lower peak voltage and/or current amplitude, while transients are of shorter duration and, usually, higher peak amplitude.
- Earthing and Lighting:
- Earthing ensures that any electrical faults are safely directed to the ground, minimizing the risk of damage or injury usually done by driving ground rods or a horizontal grid of near surface bare conductors under the ground.
- Lightning protection is a system of devices and components designed to protect a building and its occupants from the damaging effects of lightning strikes.
- Surge:
