29 Aug. 2024: DS Smith and ABB form a strategic partnership rooted in shared values and support of sustainability goals. As DS Smith's mill in Porcari, Lucca in Italy, embarks on an automation upgrade journey, ABB's expertise emerges as the catalyst for transformation. Together the two companies are helping shape the future of power and paper.

ABB’s long relationship with sustainable packaging producer DS Smith is partly because our business philosophies align so well. DS Smith is a leading global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services. ABB is an electrification and automation technology leader enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. Philosophies matter most when put into practice.

Advanced sustainability with cutting-edge automation upgrade
DS Smith’s mill in Porcari, Lucca in Tuscany, Italy makes a range of packaging grades, serving food, e-commerce, retail and industrial sectors. The plant operates two paper machines, with a new machine under construction. A market leader in containerboard, the Lucca Mill is the biggest mill of its kind in Italy, and, in keeping with DS Smith’s sustainability philosophy, uses recovered fiber as its feedstock.

“It’s gratifying to work for a company that sees that we can make a great contribution both to customers and to society, by applying our know-how to societal challenges,” said Fabrizio Sodini, Power Plant Manager, DS Smith. “At DS Smith, sustainability is integral to our circular business model. We are taking action to lead the transition to a low carbon, circular economy by designing out waste, keeping materials in circulation, improving energy efficiency, investing in new technologies and switching to renewable energy solutions. Working with likeminded companies, such as ABB, is a massive help in achieving our ambitious Now & Next sustainability goals.”

When the mill needed to upgrade the automation solution in the power plant, which provides energy for the paper production as well for the national grid, they asked ABB to make a proposal. ABB's process automation systems enable innovation while preserving continuity and protecting investments by allowing users to continuously and seamlessly evolve their existing control system to meet future needs. In the case of the Lucca power plant, ABB replaced an outdated IMMFP12 controller with a new SPC810ev controller, part of the new ABB Ability™ Symphony® Plus SDe Series, the next step for Harmony Rack Control and I/O. The project, booked in November 2023, and scheduled for execution in August 2024, is the first SDe Series project in Italy and Europe, and among the first in the world.

For the same power plant in Lucca, ABB will be also involved in a new project with the aim to upgrade the HMI software from Symphony 2.1 to 3.3.

ABB has devoted significant resources to protecting the customers’ Harmony Rack investments. ABB simplified the system architecture with a modern Ethernet backbone, and also took advantage of the latest microprocessor technology to improve spacing in the Harmony Rack environment. Upgrading the Harmony Rack installation is easy with space-fit modules, supporting rapid cutover so customers lose minimal production time.

A long-lasting partnership
ABB's long history of serving DS Smith dates back to cooperation in the cogeneration plant in the early 1990s. ABB installed drives, special permanent magnet motors and automation systems at the mill in 2011. In late 2022, ABB signed a deal with DS Smith to deliver an advanced digital solution to optimize steam and power generation at the Lucca mill, reducing fuel usage and carbon emissions. As part of the project, ABB implemented the ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® Steam and Energy Optimization software solution. The solution reduced the overall natural gas consumption by the mill’s cogeneration plant by 4 percent, and reduced carbon emissions by about 13,000 tons a year.

“This is another great example of collaboration and competence sharing across ABB teams,” said Sergio Durando, Local Division Manager, ABB Energy Industries Italy, Greece, Turkey and Algeria. “It’s been enjoyable to see Energy Industries and Process Industries Divisions work together to develop creative solutions for DS Smith.”

The continued success at DS Smith highlights the collaborative approach within ABB that signifies a unified dedication to fostering operational excellence through advanced automation and digital solutions.