A bird's-eye view of new ABB's state-of-the-art electrical distribution manufacturing hub in Bac Ninh Province. — Photo courtesy of ABB

ABB debuted its US$6 million state-of-the-art manufacturing hub for electrical distribution solutions in the northern province of Bac Ninh, 25km from Ha Noi, on Wednesday.

Covering 15,700sq.m, ABB's new factory is double the footprint of the 10-year-old facility it is replacing and has significantly enhanced its environmental credentials.

The building blocks are in place for future LEED certification, including roofing material with optimal thermal conductivity and rainwater collection, the highest standards of air quality management, and the scope to install solar panels.

In addition, the ABB Ability Building Management System connects assets across the facility to allow remote monitoring and ensure energy-efficient operations.

The manufacturing hub will produce 2,000 panels of ABB's UniGear Medium Voltage Switchgear and 700 units of plug-and-play modular systems for power distribution per year on production lines designed and set up on the successful lean manufacturing methods used in its European facilities.

Matteo Caiti, division hub manager in Asia for ABB's distribution solutions, said: "Our new high-tech and low-impact facility will bolster Viet Nam's economic growth and lay the foundations for a successful future for ABB in the region. It is purpose-built to provide our employees with the best working conditions and ensure that we reduce our impact on the environment."

"More importantly, it will produce solutions designed to help our customers to reduce their emissions and energy wastage. As Asia-Pacific's industrial growth continues to accelerate, this hub will position Viet Nam as a centre for sustainable power distribution in the region."

Despite restricted travel, customers worldwide will now be able to keep track of the manufacture and assembly of their systems via state-of-the-art remote monitoring technology.

This involves testing engineers wearing a pair of augmented reality Microsoft HoloLens glasses and relaying what they see to the customer, allowing them to be virtually present in the factory and see their products being manufactured and tested without being on-site.

With a current valuation of more than $850 million and a predicted annual growth rate of nearly 15 per cent, Viet Nam is amongst the top 10 emerging data centre markets globally. In 2021, data centre capacity in Southeast Asia grew faster than in Europe.

ABB systems facilitate the reliable supply of power needed to keep these running and distribute them evenly. The facility will also serve several export markets, including Japan and Australia.

Alessandro Palin, division president of Electrification Distribution Solutions at ABB, said Viet Nam was one of Asia's fastest-growing energy markets. The government expects power consumption to grow by 10-12 per cent annually until 2030. At the same time, industrial production in the nation continues to grow every year, rising by 9.4 per cent in April.

This, coupled with a 7 per cent growth in urbanisation, means that smart and efficient power distribution solutions – such as the medium voltage switchgear panels and modular systems manufactured by ABB – will be crucial to ensure that the next phase of the country's economic growth also achieves its sustainability goals.

"As we push the boundaries of technology, we support our customers to preserve resources and enable a low-carbon society. We act with integrity and transparency at the core of our governance, and we promote social progress for our people and communities around the world," he said.

Ambassador of Switzerland to Viet Nam Ivo Sieber said Viet Nam's achievements over the past three decades are truly impressive, especially in its ability to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of 2021, the investment of Swiss businesses in Viet Nam reached $1.8 billion, making Switzerland one of the largest European investors in this country.

The ambassador said that more than 100 Swiss companies are doing business in Viet Nam and have created more than 20,000 jobs in different sectors. — VNS