Precision under pressure: how electrification improves control and production in process industries
14/07/2026 ABB OY Drives
By Thilo Trabner, Strategy Manager, ABB Motion High Power Solutions
Across the process industries, manufacturers are under growing pressure to increase throughput without sacrificing quality, while keeping energy and operating costs under control. Energy-intensive industries such as chemicals must deliver high-volume production within tight tolerances at a time when energy prices are volatile and margins are narrow. As renewable energy becomes a greater and cheaper portion of the energy mix, will traditional processes and equipment allow manufacturers to benefit from this shift?
Many production plants still rely on gas or steam turbine-driven systems to power critical equipment such as compressors, pumps, and other large rotating machines. In legacy facilities, this is often the result of fossil-fuel infrastructure and operating models that have changed little over decades. Whilst electric motors and drives have steadily built an equivalent reputation over the last forty years, turbines have been valued for their robustness and reliability far longer.
However, the limitations of conventional turbine-driven systems are becoming increasingly apparent. While turbines can operate across a range of loads, maintaining high efficiency and operational flexibility under variable process conditions can be challenging. In steam turbine applications, flexibility is often constrained by the responsiveness of the steam generation system, which may not be able to adjust output as quickly as process demand changes. Gas turbines offer greater operational flexibility, but their performance can be affected by de-rating at ambient conditions which reduces available output and efficiency. As a result, operators may find it more difficult to optimize energy consumption and performance as conditions change.
Turbine-to-electric conversion is increasingly a practical necessity for rethinking how motion and power are delivered across industrial processes. By replacing mechanical turbine drives with high?power electric motors and variable speed drives, manufacturers can move away from fixed mechanical output and introduce precise, responsive control. Variable speed drive systems (VSDS) continuously regulate voltage and frequency, enabling motors to deliver exactly the speed and torque required at any given moment. This allows operators to align motor output directly with process demand, rather than relying on mechanical control methods to manage variations in throughput and operating conditions.
Aligning energy use with process demand
This shift matters because even in plants designed to operate at steady state, equipment loads are rarely constant. One of the central challenges in chemical manufacturing is managing the mismatch between fixed energy supply and variable production demand. Compressors, pumps, and mixers rarely run at constant load. Throughput changes, feedstock variability, and downstream process conditions all introduce fluctuations, often over short timescales.
Historically, process systems have often accommodated changing operating conditions through flow control methods such as throttling valves, bypass loops and recycling streams. While effective in maintaining production targets, these approaches can introduce additional energy losses, typically as heat, and increase mechanical stress elsewhere in the system. High-power electric motors paired with variable speed drives offer an alternative approach by adjusting speed and torque directly to match real?time process requirements. Rather than controlling output through restrictions imposed elsewhere in the process, variable speed operation allows compressors and pumps to run closer to their required operating point. This can improve overall system efficiency, particularly under partial-load conditions, while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
This approach is already standard practice in several other energy-intensive industries where variable loads are the norm. In metals, electric motors and drives are widely used in hot and cold rolling mills as well as the processing line. In mining, electric motors and drives are used in grinding mills, hoists, and conveyors operating under highly dynamic conditions. In the cement industry, variable speed control is essential for optimizing the energy consumption of kilns, crushers, and large process fans. These same capabilities now translate directly to compressors and pumps in chemical, refining, and gas processing applications, particularly under partial?load operation, where efficiency gains accumulate quickly.
A recent example can be seen at Compania Azucarera Hondureña S.A. (CAHSA). ABB supported the Santa Matilde sugar plant by replacing the five steam turbines driving the cane mill with ACS1000 variable speed drives and induction motors. As a result, steam was redirected exclusively to electricity generation, supplying the entire plant and enabling surplus power to be sold to the grid. The resulting electricity sales generated an additional USD 1 million in revenue each year.
Precision control for consistency and quality
Beyond efficiency, turbine-to-electric conversion also improves control performance. In chemical production, fertilizer processing, and gas handling, maintaining consistent quality at high speeds is a persistent challenge. Compression control, flow stability, and synchronization across multiple driven components frequently require millisecond?level precision.
Here again, proven experience from other industries is directly applicable. In pulp and paper, electrified drive systems underpin some of the most complex continuous processes in industry. Paper machines rely on tightly synchronized drive sections running at high speed, with minimal tolerance for variation. High?efficiency electric motors and drives deliver the accurate torque control and fast dynamic response needed to maintain stable operation.
Modern electric drive systems offer precise torque control, rapid response to disturbances, and features such as encoderless operation that reduce mechanical complexity. Soft starting and controlled acceleration further reduces stress on compressors, pumps, and rotating equipment, extending asset life and lowering maintenance requirements. The result is more stable operation, higher yield and reduced waste, supporting reliable, high-throughput production.
Building flexible, future ready operations
Unlike turbine-based systems, which remain dependent on a dedicated fuel supply, electrified operations can increasingly draw power from a broader mix of sources, including grid electricity, onsite generation, energy storage and growing volumes of renewable energy. As the energy transition accelerates, this flexibility can help operators adapt to evolving energy markets and decarbonization requirements, and maintain cost efficiency.
Realizing these benefits, however, requires more than simply replacing one prime mover with another. Grid connections, power quality requirements and the integration of multiple electrical assets are becoming increasingly important considerations. Electrified systems can therefore be engineered as integrated drive systems, combining motors, drives, transformers and control infrastructure into a coordinated architecture tailored to the application. This integrated approach helps maximize the value of available electrical capacity, while simplifying system design and providing a strong foundation for future expansion and digitalization.
With electrified drive systems, operators gain real?time visibility into energy consumption, equipment condition and system health. This enables manufacturers to make more effective use of available power, optimize energy consumption and identify opportunities for further efficiency improvements. Operational data also supports condition monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities, helping to reduce unplanned downtime. As energy systems continue to evolve, this combination of visibility, control and flexibility will become increasingly important for maintaining competitiveness while improving environmental performance.
From chemicals and fertilizers to oil and gas and other heavy industries, turbine?to?electric conversion provides a proven route to modernizing legacy assets while maintaining operational reliability and performance. By building on proven electrification strategies already deployed in some of the world’s most energy?intensive sectors, manufacturers can unlock greater precision, flexibility, and efficiency, helping to reduce maintenance overheads, improve asset utilization and better adapt to evolving energy systems.
For operators facing ageing infrastructure and increasingly dynamic production demands, electrification is not simply a technical upgrade; it is a strategic enabler for long?term performance, resilience, and operational control.
Print this articleFor more information, please contact:
ABB OY Drives
Valimopolku 4
00380 Helsinki, Finland
Tel: +358 10 22 11
Email: motion-high-power-communications@abb.com
Web: https://www.abb.com
Share article:
Process and Control Today are not responsible for the content of submitted or externally produced articles and images. Click here to email us about any errors or omissions contained within this article.