ABB Report: Marginal Motor Efficiency Gains Could Save Industry Billions Over Asset Lifetime

## ABB Report Highlights Billion-Dollar Case for Higher Motor Efficiency Standards A new report from ABB has revealed that a seemingly marginal gain in electric motor efficiency — as little as 0.2 percent — could translate into savings of up to $12 billion across global industrial operations over a 25-year asset lifetime, with significant implications for energy-intensive maritime and offshore sectors. The report, based on more than a decade of operational data covering over 1,000 large motors and generators delivered globally by ABB's Västerås facility in Sweden, examines the performance gap between standard motor specifications and the company's Top Industrial Efficiency (TIE) option. According to ABB, the specification gap between these two tiers — though narrow in percentage terms — compounds substantially over the operational life of large rotating machinery. For an industry that relies heavily on high-power motors for propulsion, pumping, compression, and cargo handling, the findings carry direct relevance. ### Maritime Relevance Electric motors are central to modern vessel operations, from main propulsion drives in LNG carriers and cruise ships to auxiliary systems aboard offshore platforms and port terminals. As the maritime sector faces mounting pressure to reduce fuel consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with IMO decarbonisation targets, incremental efficiency improvements in rotating machinery represent a practical and cost-effective lever. The ABB findings suggest that operators who specify standard-efficiency motors over premium alternatives may be leaving significant value on the table — not only in energy costs, but in reduced maintenance requirements and extended equipment life. ### Industry Context The report arrives at a time when shipowners and operators are scrutinising every aspect of vessel energy performance, driven by the EU Emissions Trading System, the IMO's Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) ratings, and rising bunker costs. Equipment procurement decisions made today will lock in operational performance profiles for decades. ABB, a leading supplier of electric propulsion and power management systems to the maritime sector, positions the report as a call to action for procurement and engineering teams to reassess motor specifications at the design and newbuild stage. The full report is available through ABB's industrial division and draws on data from the company's Västerås manufacturing facility, one of its primary global centres for large motor and generator production. *Source: PR Newswire / ABB*