ABB has launched a hydroelectric power generator refurbishment line at its Ring Motor factory in Bilbao, Spain. The move revives the site’s long history of producing hydropower technologies, with the new line set to support upgrades for aging equipment across Europe.
The facility will provide customers with a regional option to modernise generators as they reach lifecycle milestones. The company said upgrades will improve safety, efficiency, and performance for power plants.
Hydropower accounts for about 20% of Europe’s electricity production, with installed capacity of around 260GW. Much of the infrastructure is decades old, with generators typically reaching service lifetimes of up to 30 years. ABB said it already has refurbishment orders from Spain and Norway as operators seek to manage costs, extend asset life, and maintain reliability.
The Bilbao factory will produce new stators and use technologies such as the Micadur insulation system for stator bars. ABB said this will help reduce power losses and deliver efficiency gains compared with older equipment. The project adds to the site’s history, where more than 240 hydroelectric generators were built over 90 years. The new line will operate alongside the factory’s existing production of ring motors for mining.
“We are happy to launch this initiative supporting the hydroelectric market from our ABB Ring Motors factory – an opportunity shaped by ongoing customer engagement,” said Mikel Torre, General Manager, ABB Ring Motors Spain. “At a time when localised supply chains and near-shoring practices are more important than ever, we know we can ensure fast logistics, certainty in timelines and quality of service, backed by a track record of manufacturing excellence. We’re looking forward to building our relationships with new customers and believe that with our support they can choose to modernise aging infrastructure here in Europe and secure energy generation for decades more using refurbishment and upgrades.”
