ABB for BESS. More than a couple of acronyms

ABB is moving aggressively on the BESS front. This is illustrated by the acquisition of a minority stake in HESStec and the BESS-as-a-Service solution. Let’s start with the first one.

ABB invested in HESStec for both HESS and BESS

Founded in 2018, HESStec has 40 employees and specializes in designing, engineering, delivering and
operating BESS and HESS based on ultracapacitors and battery cells. The company’s solutions address
critical energy challenges including EV fast-charging infrastructure, peak shaving for commercial
buildings, power reliability for manufacturing, and optimizing renewable energy integration for
industrial sites. As the latest addition to ABB’s growing innovation ecosystem, this investment will enhance ABB’s position in the rapidly growing energy storage market. With its hybrid energy storage technology based on battery cells and ultracapacitors, HESStec is best positioned to provide solutions that not only deliver benefits to customers but also address power quality and reliability issues
in commercial and industrial facilities, microgrids and islands with its grid-forming capabilities.

Eugenio Domínguez, CEO of HESStec said: “By combining ABB’s global reach and comprehensive electrification expertise with our specialized knowledge in energy storage systems, we can deliver more innovative and effective solutions to customers worldwide, helping them navigate the complexities of the energy transition. The collaboration with ABB provides us with an industrial vision, and capital committed to accelerate the deployment of solutions that will enable a stronger, more resilient and fully decarbonized grid. Moreover, we are enhancing our industrial capacity with a proprietary manufacturing plant and a one-of-a-kind megawatt-scale grid laboratory in Europe.”

ABB and the Battery Energy Storage Systems-as-a-Service

With HESStec’s scalable and cutting-edge hybrid energy storage technology, the
partnership will drive new product optimization and market expansion opportunities for ABB in
connection with the BESS-as-a-Service offering. What is this all about? The offer includes all hardware, software and lifecycle support, with ABB managing deployment, maintenance and optimization so businesses can focus on their core operations while improving energy efficiency, resilience and long-term sustainability. Designed to be technology-agnostic, BESS-as-aService works with any type of battery technology, giving customers the flexibility to take advantage of the latest innovations without being tied to a single system.

Stuart Thompson, Division President, at ABB’s Electrification Service Division, said: “In today’s volatile energy market, businesses need reliability and cost predictability above all else. Customers tell us that while they want to deploy the latest technologies to improve energy security and reduce their emissions and costs, they face financial obstacles. By shifting from capital expenditure to a more predictable operational expenditure approach, ABB’s BESS-as-a-Service enables businesses to immediately strengthen their energy security, slash peak demand charges, and generate new revenue streams.”