Ludwigshafen, Germany – November 2025 – BASF SE, the world’s largest chemical producer, has deployed ABB REM543 control devices across its 10 km² Ludwigshafen industrial park, reducing power-related unplanned downtime by 40% and improving power quality for 200+ production lines. The deployment, completed in Q3 2025, targeted the industrial park’s aging power distribution network, which was prone to voltage sags, surges, and component failures.
The Challenge: Power Instability Threatens Production Precision
BASF’s Ludwigshafen plant relies on a complex power distribution network to supply electricity to high-precision chemical synthesis processes, which require stable power with less than 1% voltage variation. Prior to the upgrade, the plant’s legacy control systems were unable to detect or mitigate power quality issues in real time, leading to 18-20 power-related downtime incidents annually, each lasting 2-4 hours. These incidents resulted in €3.6 million in lost production and rework costs annually. Additionally, the legacy systems lacked integration with BASF’s digital factory platform, preventing data-driven power management and requiring manual data entry, which led to 5-8% error rates in power consumption reporting.
“Power stability is critical for our chemical production processes—even minor voltage fluctuations can compromise product quality and put worker safety at risk,” said Dr. Markus Keller, Plant Manager at BASF Ludwigshafen. “Our legacy control systems were reactive rather than proactive, unable to prevent power quality issues before they impacted production. We needed a control solution that could provide real-time power quality monitoring, automate mitigation actions, and integrate with our digital factory systems.”
The Solution: ABB REM543’s Industrial-Grade Power Control
BASF selected the ABB REM543 for its robust design, advanced power quality monitoring capabilities, and seamless integration with industrial digital platforms. Key features of the REM543 addressing BASF’s challenges include:
- Real-Time Power Quality Monitoring: The REM543 monitors 50+ power quality parameters, including voltage sags, surges, harmonics, and flicker, with compliance to IEC 61000 standards. It triggers automatic alerts within 10 ms of detecting abnormal conditions, enabling proactive mitigation.
- Automated Mitigation Actions: The device’s programmable logic controller (PLC) capabilities automate corrective actions, such as switching to backup power sources or adjusting load distribution, to mitigate power quality issues before they cause downtime.
- Industrial-Grade Durability: Rated to IP65 protection class and designed to operate in temperatures from -25°C to 70°C, the REM543 withstands the harsh industrial environment of BASF’s plant, including exposure to corrosive vapors and dust. Its mean time between failures (MTBF) of 15 years reduces maintenance requirements.
- Seamless Digital Integration: The REM543 integrates with BASF’s Siemens-based digital factory platform via MODBUS RTU and OPC UA protocols, enabling real-time power data synchronization. This eliminates manual data entry and reduces reporting error rates to less than 1%.
The Results: Reduced Downtime & Enhanced Production Efficiency
Six months after deploying the ABB REM543, BASF’s Ludwigshafen plant has achieved substantial operational improvements:
| Metric |
Before REM543 Deployment |
After REM543 Deployment |
Improvement |
| Annual Power-Related Downtime Incidents |
18-20 |
10-12 |
40% Reduction |
| Annual Cost of Power-Related Downtime |
€3.6 Million |
€2.16 Million |
40% Cost Savings |
| Power Quality Issue Detection Time |
30+ Seconds |
<10 ms |
99.97% Reduction |
| Power Consumption Reporting Error Rate |
5-8% |
<1% |
80% Reduction |
“The ABB REM543 has transformed our power management approach from reactive to proactive,” Dr. Keller said. “The reduction in power-related downtime has directly improved our production efficiency and product quality, while the seamless integration with our digital factory platform has unlocked data-driven insights to further optimize our power use. We plan to deploy the REM543 across 15 additional production sites in Europe and Asia by 2029.”
Sarah Müller, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Industrial Power Solutions, commented: “Industrial facilities like BASF’s require control devices that can deliver reliable performance in harsh environments while enabling digital transformation. The REM543 is engineered to meet these demands, helping industrial operators reduce downtime, improve power quality, and enhance operational efficiency. BASF’s success demonstrates the device’s value in critical manufacturing applications.”
