Producing more green hydrogen requires greater manpower, ABB’s Joachim Braun told CEO Middle East, adding that it would lead to more jobs in the UAE.
“When we talk about sustainability, it is not just about decarbonization – it is also about making positive changes in the society, especially as we embrace new technology. This will have a massive impact on the way we are working such because it leads further optimization and digitalization and also offers the opportunity for a younger and a more diverse workforce to be part of the value chain,” Braun, who is the company’s Division President of Process Industries, said.
His comments came along the sidelines of a recently launched global sustainability campaign by ABB, titled ‘Real Progress’.
The Swedish-Swiss multinational corporation global sustainability initiative aims at leveraging technology and expertise to speed up sustainability efforts and improve productivity.
The campaign serves as a call to action for customers, partners, and suppliers in industries like mining, metals, and pulp and paper, urging them to use existing technology solutions for a more significant impact.
Through the initiative, ABB aims to showcase the quantifiable progress it is helping customers across key process industries make towards their emissions reduction goals.
ABB works with customers to provide automation, electrification, and digitalization solutions that can radically reduce energy use and emissions. Examples include optimizing ventilation in mines to cut energy use by over 50 percent, electrifying mine trucks to decrease emissions by 90 percent, and deploying quality control systems in paper mills to increase uptime and production efficiency.
In metals, ABB’s technologies like electromagnetic stirring furnaces and smart melt shops are enabling steelmakers to produce more steel using fewer resources.
The company is also working with startups to develop renewable alternatives to fossil fuels in cement production. ABB says digitalisation will be crucial to monitor and optimise sustainability performance across industries in real time.
“A lot of these industries are, in fact, considered heavy industries, which also means heavy on emissions, and we would like to rally the industries, but also the ecosystem around the industries – from suppliers and regulators, to end users. So, whoever is part of this industry, in a fairly broad sense, it is a call for all of these participants to join forces to accelerate the sustainability transformation in these industries, because we believe that a lot of the necessary technology is already there,” he said, adding that it is “all about partnership.”
Braun also spoke about the UAE’s potential to become a major supplier of green hydrogen, a crucial component in achieving sustainability goals through partnerships.
“This region has now attracted a very capable workforce over these years, and a lot of this workforce will gradually move over to these new economies,” Braun said acknowledging the visionary leadership in UAE as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The ABB executive further underlined the significance of the UAE government’s commitment to a zero-carbon target, making it the first in the Middle East and Africa to do so.
According to Braun, this commitment reflects the region’s understanding of the challenges and a well-thought-out plan for societal transformation.
“The war for talent will be decided by the deployment of such technology. You are achieving several very important goals at once. So, you are addressing some of the environmental concerns, but you’re also addressing concerns for attracting and retaining the kind of workforce you’re looking for,” he said speaking about the economic and employment implications of transitioning to green technologies in the UAE.
Moreover, Braun highlighted the unique advantage the UAE possesses in terms of unused or underutilised space, such as vast desert areas ideal for solar installations.
This advantage, coupled with the forward-thinking approach of the government, positions the UAE as a frontrunner in the race towards sustainability.
“If you think about it,” Braun said, “electrification is key to decarbonization. Electrification means that rather than running processes on hydrocarbons, you run them on electricity.”
He highlighted how ABB, as an electrical engineering company, is well-positioned to contribute to the transition.
As the UAE takes strides towards becoming a global hub for green technologies, Braun emphasized the multifaceted impact of these initiatives.
This comes as the UAE is hosting the UN climate talks in Dubai this month, bringing together over 70,000 people including heads of state, key stakeholders, and major industry players who will convene to address the world’s climate battle.