ABB has been announced as the main automation and electrification contractor for South American barley malting company Maltería Oriental SA (MOSA) as it extends operations and looks to significantly reduce raw water consumption.

• ABB secures contract with Uruguay’s first and largest malting company Maltería Oriental SA (MOSA)
• Global technology leader ABB now responsible for automation and electrification as plant increases process production from 140,000 to 220,000 tons of barley malt per year
• ABB’s solutions will support resources efficiencies at the plant, including up to 70 percent water recycling

From its plant located to the north of Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, MOSA plans to expand its production capacity by using fully automated operations and high technological standards overall. The malt producer and trader supplies to Brazil’s renowned breweries, which can use up the plant’s entire stock when demand is high, but also across the continent and occasionally to Europe.

To support MOSA’s production target of 220,000 tons of barley malt per year, ABB will expand the process control system and update to ABB Ability™ System 800xA version 6.1. This will shorten project execution time, enable greater scalability and enhance flexibility and efficient engineering. ABB’s engineers will also work closely with the customer on communication network improvements and electrical integration of the medium voltage (MV) network.

Aligning with the requirement for automated functionality, ABB will include production data recording and analysis and a centralized control room for several production units. This will help to minimize human intervention on the plant floor. Increased cyber security assurances come from improved network switches with better network management capabilities.

MOSA, which was established more than 85 years ago, was Uruguay’s first malting house and from its strategically important location within striking distance of farms and the port, has become the largest. A process water recycling facility was added to reduce raw water consumption by up to 70 percent.

“Our requirements to expand production operations while balancing resources usage, including water, and create a more efficient and safer working environment is a challenging mission,” said Martin Uhlig, Plant Manager, Maltería Oriental SA. “We have selected ABB as they are not only a long-term and trusted partner, but also for the company’s capabilities, through automation and electrification technology advancements, to integrate all parts of our plant and help deliver results for increased production. We look forward to continuing our journey together.”

“Many food and beverage customers are operating with tight margins and at maximum capacity, but as ABB we have an opportunity through our technologies to enable better, more informed decision making,” said Javier Román, Project Operations Manager, ABB. “We’re confident that by working with Maltería Oriental SA we can use our process control system and associated improvements to empower their business growth, as well as achieve their quality and environment goals.”

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our #1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations.