ABB passes the 5000 mark for System 800xA

According to a press release from ABB's Laura Patrick this morning, the less-than-five-year-old ABB DCS has passed the 5K mark, with the majority of systems being new or competitive system replacements.

ABB’s flagship System 800xA sales exceed 5,000
Extended automation system has delivered significant productivity, energy
efficiency improvements across all industries

Houston, TX, June 11, 2009—Since its introduction five years ago, ABB’s
groundbreaking IndustrialIT Extended Automation System 800xA has been sold
to more than 5,000 new and existing ABB customers in a diverse range of
industries. This figure includes new system installations, as well as
existing ABB system evolutions to 800xA.

ABB’s flagship automation system has improved industrial productivity,
safety, and operational profitability for customers in virtually every
industry and every region, from process industries such as oil and gas,
petrochemicals, pulp and paper, cement, and mining to traditional electric
and water utilities to alternative energy production such as solar,
waste-to-energy and bioethanol.

System 800xA serves as the foundation for a number of unique
industry-specific automation applications. Designed from the beginning to
act as an extended automation integration capability, it has proven to be
well-suited for major composite plant systems and integrated process and
electrical power systems.

“With its ability to integrate process and power systems on one unified
platform, System 800xA provides our customers with key competitive
advantages such as improved energy efficiency, process reliability as well
as overall productivity,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process
Automation division. “The widespread market acceptance of System 800xA over
the last five years demonstrates how this innovative approach to automation
has filled a real productivity need across virtually all industry sectors.”

By integrating power and process systems on the common 800xA platform,
customers optimize the design and performance of their electrical and
automation systems and see additional benefits in reduced maintenance,
engineering and overall lifecycle costs. Typical savings can result in a
20% reduction in CAPEX (capital expenditures) and OPEX (operating
expenditures).

Several recent System 800xA projects include a fully integrated automation
and electrical power system for PTT Chemical’s Electrical Power and Steam
combined cycle power plant near Bangkok, Thailand, power plant control for
eSolar’s Sierra commercial demonstration facility in California, and
integrated process and electrical systems for E.ON Benelux N.V.’s new
high-efficiency power plant in the Netherlands. System 800xA will also help
to double production at Boliden’s Aitik copper mine in northern Sweden, and
help Vale maximize productivity at its new coal mine in Mozambique.

ABB recently announced that it won $223 million contract from Sonatrach,
the Algerian oil and gas company, for three gas plants in Algeria; the
scope of supply includes integrated control systems based on System 800xA
for the new and existing facilities.

Patrick said that 70% of the systems have been either new or retrofit/upgrade from competitive systems, and 30% have been retrofits/migrations (what she called "evolution projects") from ABB legacy systems such as Bailey, Fisher+Porter, and others.