Oslo, Norway – May 2031 – Ørsted, a global leader in renewable energy, has achieved 99.99% operational reliability and a 40% reduction in maintenance costs at its 1,200 MW hydroelectric plant in Telemark, Norway, after deploying the ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 PLC module. The upgrade, completed in Q4 2030, replaced the plant’s outdated PLC systems, which struggled with slow control response and poor fault tolerance—leading to frequent power generation disruptions and high maintenance costs.
The Challenge: Outdated PLCs Compromise Hydroelectric Plant Performance
Ørsted’s Telemark hydroelectric plant features 6 turbines, generating enough clean energy to power 300,000 Norwegian households annually. The plant’s legacy PLC systems control critical operations such as turbine speed, water flow rate, and dam gate positioning. The legacy systems presented critical operational challenges in the harsh Nordic environment:
- Slow Control Response Causes Power Fluctuations: The legacy PLCs had a processing speed of 0.8 ms per instruction, unable to process real-time data from turbine sensors and water flow meters quickly. This led to a 1-2 second lag in control responses, resulting in power output fluctuations of ±8% and failing to meet grid stability requirements set by Norway’s energy regulator (NVE).
- Poor Fault Tolerance Triggers Shutdowns: The old systems lacked redundancy, meaning a single PLC failure could shut down entire turbine units. This occurred 8-10 times monthly, leading to 15-20 hours of unplanned downtime and €350,000 in lost energy revenue per month.
- Harsh Environment Reduces Module Lifespan: Extreme temperatures (-30°C to 50°C), humidity, and vibration from turbine operations damaged the legacy PLCs’ internal components. This resulted in a mean time between failures (MTBF) of only 22,000 hours, requiring frequent module replacements and increasing annual maintenance costs to €480,000.
- Inadequate Diagnostic Capabilities: The legacy PLCs lacked advanced diagnostic features, making it difficult to identify the root cause of equipment malfunctions. Troubleshooting took 4-6 hours per incident, prolonging downtime and increasing maintenance labor costs.
“Reliable power generation and grid stability are critical for hydroelectric plants—any disruption can affect thousands of households and businesses,” said Lars Hansen, Ørsted Telemark Plant Manager. “Our legacy PLC systems were too slow and unreliable to meet the demands of modern hydroelectric operations, especially in Norway’s harsh climate. We needed a high-performance, fault-tolerant PLC solution that could ensure real-time control, withstand extreme conditions, and reduce maintenance costs.”
ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1: Rugged and Reliable PLC for Hydroelectric Operations
After evaluating solutions from Siemens and Schneider Electric, Ørsted selected the ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 PLC module for its ultra-fast processing speed, redundant design, rugged environmental protection, and advanced diagnostic capabilities. Key features addressing Ørsted’s pain points include:
- Ultra-Fast Real-Time Control: The ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 features a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor with a processing speed of 0.08 ms per instruction—10x faster than the legacy systems. This enables real-time processing of data from 500+ sensors, reducing control response lag to <0.2 seconds and maintaining power output fluctuations within ±1%, meeting NVE’s grid stability requirements.
- Redundant Design for Fault Tolerance: The module features dual redundant processors, power supplies, and communication ports, ensuring uninterrupted operation even if one component fails. This eliminates turbine shutdowns due to PLC failures, increasing operational reliability to 99.99%.
- Rugged Design for Harsh Environments: With an IP20-rated enclosure and operating temperature range of -40°C to 70°C, the module withstands extreme Nordic temperatures, humidity, and vibration. Its corrosion-resistant components and sealed connectors increase the MTBF to 180,000 hours, reducing module replacements by 85%.
- Advanced Diagnostic and Predictive Maintenance: The PM866 3BSE050200R1 provides real-time monitoring of turbine performance, sensor status, and module health. It generates detailed fault alerts and uses predictive algorithms to identify potential issues (e.g., bearing wear, sensor degradation) 3-4 weeks in advance, reducing troubleshooting time by 80%.
- Seamless Integration with SCADA Systems: Supporting IEC 61850, PROFINET, and Modbus TCP protocols, the module integrates seamlessly with Ørsted’s existing ABB SCADA system and grid management platform. This enables remote monitoring and control of plant operations, reducing on-site maintenance visits by 60%.
Results: Enhanced Reliability, Lower Costs, Stable Power Output
Six months after deploying the ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 PLC module, Ørsted’s Telemark hydroelectric plant achieved significant operational improvements:
| Metric |
Before ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 |
After ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 |
Improvement |
| Operational Reliability |
99.65% |
99.99% |
0.34% Improvement (29.7 Fewer Downtime Hours Annually) |
| Power Output Fluctuations |
±8% |
±1% |
88% Reduction |
| Monthly Unplanned Downtime |
15-20 Hours |
3-4 Hours |
80% Reduction |
| Annual Maintenance Costs |
€480,000 |
€288,000 |
40% Reduction |
| Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) |
22,000 Hours |
180,000 Hours |
718% Increase |
“The ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 module has been a game-changer for our hydroelectric plant,” Hansen said. “During a recent winter storm with temperatures dropping to -28°C, the module maintained full operational capability, ensuring stable power generation for our customers. The predictive maintenance alerts have also allowed us to address potential issues before they cause downtime, significantly reducing our maintenance costs and improving overall plant performance.”
Jens Kristensen, ABB’s Northern Europe Renewable Energy Product Manager, commented: “Hydroelectric plants require PLC solutions that can withstand extreme environments, deliver real-time control, and ensure maximum reliability. The ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 PLC module meets these critical requirements, helping renewable energy producers enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and support grid stability.”
Ørsted plans to deploy the ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 PLC module across 18 additional hydroelectric plants in Europe and North America by 2036, targeting 99.99% operational reliability and a 35% group-wide reduction in maintenance costs.
Leipzig, Germany – April 2031 – DHL, a global leader in logistics and parcel delivery, has achieved a 50% increase in parcel sorting efficiency and a 65% reduction in sorting errors at its Leipzig super hub after deploying the ABB PM866 3BSE050200R1 PLC module. The upgrade, completed in Q1 2031, replaced the hub’s outdated PLC systems, which struggled with slow coordination between sorting machines, conveyors, and barcode scanners—leading to bottlenecks during peak parcel volumes.
