Veolia’s Hamburg wastewater treatment plant processes 500,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, serving 1.8 million residents and 20,000 local businesses. The plant relies on 300+ PLC-controlled systems to manage aeration, sedimentation, and disinfection processes—critical for meeting EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive standards. The legacy PLC power supplies faced severe challenges in the plant’s harsh environment:
- Corrosion Causes Premature Failures: The legacy power supplies had no specialized corrosion protection, making them vulnerable to humid air, chemical fumes (e.g., chlorine, ammonia), and water splashes. This led to 12-15 power supply failures monthly, each causing 2-3 hours of downtime and disrupting wastewater treatment.
- Voltage Instability Disrupts Treatment Processes: Fluctuations in the local power grid (common during storm events) caused the legacy power supplies to output unstable voltage, triggering PLC shutdowns. During heavy rain seasons, this resulted in 5-6 process disruptions monthly, leading to non-compliant effluent discharge and potential regulatory fines.
- High Energy Consumption Increases Costs: The old power supplies had an energy efficiency rating of only 85%, wasting significant energy and increasing annual electricity costs by €190,000.
- Difficult Maintenance in Confined Spaces: The legacy power supplies were bulky and required frequent on-site inspections, which were challenging in the plant’s confined, humid equipment rooms. Annual maintenance costs exceeded €850,000, with technicians spending 15-20 hours weekly on power supply checks.
“Continuous wastewater treatment is essential for protecting public health and the environment—any downtime can lead to non-compliant effluent and regulatory penalties,” said Markus Weber, Veolia Hamburg Plant Manager. “Our legacy PLC power supplies couldn’t withstand our plant’s harsh environment, leading to costly failures and disrupted processes. We needed a rugged, corrosion-resistant power supply solution that could deliver stable voltage and reduce maintenance needs.”
ABB SAFT183VMC Power Supply: Rugged & Efficient for Wastewater Environments
After evaluating solutions from Siemens and Eaton, Veolia selected the ABB SAFT183VMC power supply for its corrosion-resistant design, voltage stabilization technology, high energy efficiency, and compact form factor. Key features addressing Veolia’s pain points include:
- Corrosion-Resistant Rugged Design: The ABB SAFT183VMC power supply features an IP66-rated enclosure with a special anti-corrosion coating, fully protecting against humidity, chemical fumes, and water splashes. This eliminates corrosion-related failures and extends the power supply’s lifespan in harsh wastewater environments.
- Grid Voltage Stabilization: Equipped with advanced surge protection and voltage regulation technology, the SAFT183VMC maintains stable output voltage (±0.1%) even during grid fluctuations and power surges. This prevents PLC shutdowns and ensures continuous wastewater treatment processes.
- High Energy Efficiency: With an energy efficiency rating of 95%, the SAFT183VMC reduces energy waste significantly compared to legacy systems. Its low-power standby mode further cuts energy consumption during off-peak hours.
- Compact Design & Remote Monitoring: The power supply’s compact form factor saves space in confined equipment rooms. Supporting Modbus RTU and Ethernet/IP protocols, it enables remote monitoring of power status and performance via Veolia’s SCADA system, reducing on-site maintenance time by 70%.
- Wide Operating Temperature Range: The SAFT183VMC operates reliably in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 70°C, withstanding the extreme temperature fluctuations common in wastewater treatment plants—from freezing winters to hot summer months.
Results: Less Downtime, Lower Costs, Compliant Operations
Six months after deploying the ABB SAFT183VMC power supply, Veolia’s Hamburg wastewater treatment plant achieved significant operational improvements:
| Metric |
Before ABB SAFT183VMC Power Supply |
After ABB SAFT183VMC Power Supply |
Improvement |
| Monthly Power Supply Failures |
12-15 |
2-3 |
80% Reduction |
| Annual Unplanned Downtime |
320-360 Hours |
64-72 Hours |
80% Reduction |
| Annual Electricity Costs |
€190,000 |
€123,500 |
35% Reduction |
| Annual Maintenance Costs |
€850,000 |
€255,000 |
70% Reduction |
| Monthly Process Disruptions |
5-6 |
0-1 |
90% Reduction |
“The ABB SAFT183VMC power supply has transformed our wastewater treatment operations,” Weber said. “We’ve drastically reduced downtime and maintenance costs, and the stable power output ensures we consistently meet EU effluent standards—even during storm events. The remote monitoring capability has also freed up our technicians to focus on proactive maintenance rather than reactive repairs.”
Sophie Laurent, ABB’s European Water & Waste Management Automation Manager, commented: “Wastewater treatment plants require power supplies that can withstand harsh, corrosive environments while delivering reliable, efficient power. The ABB SAFT183VMC power supply is designed to meet these unique challenges, helping water management companies improve operational reliability and reduce costs.”
Veolia plans to deploy the ABB SAFT183VMC power supply across 45 additional wastewater treatment plants in Europe and North America by 2038, targeting an 80% group-wide reduction in power-related downtime and a 30% decrease in energy consumption.
Hsinchu, Taiwan – September 2031 – Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s leading semiconductor foundry, has achieved 99.98% production uptime and a 65% reduction in power-related equipment failures at its Hsinchu 3nm fabrication plant after deploying the ABB SAFT183VMC power supply for PLC systems. The upgrade, completed in Q2 2031, replaced the plant’s outdated PLC power supplies, which struggled with unstable voltage output and poor compatibility with high-precision semiconductor manufacturing equipment—leading to costly wafer defects and production disruptions.
