Industry News

Startup challenge winner partners with organizer to improve data-center sustainability

Oct. 14, 2024

ABB Robotics and Molg collaborate on robotic micro-factories to recover and recycle DC e-waste

ABB Robotics is collaborating with U.S. startup Molg to create robotic micro-factories to recover and recycle data center operators’ disused electronic equipment, commonly known as e-waste. Molg was recognized as a winner by ABB’s Motion drive business in its ABB Accelerating Circularity Startup Challenge 2023.

With global e-waste projected to rise to 75 million tons by 2030, the micro-factories will play a vital role in reducing the electronic waste, helping the data center sector operate more efficiently and sustainably, according to the Global E-Waster Monitor 2020.

“Through this collaboration, we continue to realize our vision of helping organizations operate more efficiently and sustainably,” said Craig McDonnell, managing director business line industries, ABB Robotics. With Molg, we are creating new applications for industrial robotics in a growing segment with circularity and sustainability at the core. Our solution enables the upgrading and automated disassembly of data center equipment, helping to create greater circularity in the data center sector through responsible disposal, recycling and reuse of components.”

Figure 1: Data centers are major contributors to the 2.6 million tonnes of e-waste generated worldwide each year.

Advances in computing such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and the cloud necessitate the need for data centers to upgrade and expand their facilities more frequently. Data centers are major contributors to the 2.6 million tonnes of e-waste generated worldwide each year, according to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 (Figure 1).

ABB Robotics continues to support innovation ecosystems through collaboration and venture capital investments. ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures participated with an investment in Molg’s seed round led by Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group, alongside Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Overture, Elemental Impact and Techstars Ventures.

Molg’s robotic micro-factory can autonomously assemble and disassemble complex electronic products including laptop PCs, servers and industrial electronics.

With many components also containing rare earth elements (REEs), the ability to maximize their recovery through automation also provides an economic opportunity to reuse them in the production of new electronic equipment.

The micro-factory solution is aimed at hyperscalers operating large networks of data centers and IT asset disposition (ITAD) companies.

“We are excited to have the support of ABB, a global leader in robotics and automation, as we continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in circularity and automation,” said Rob Lawson-Shanks, CEO and co-founder of Molg. “With this investment from ABB, we can accelerate our work to create more sustainable, circular manufacturing processes for electronics that ensure valuable materials are kept in circulation and enhance supply chain resilience.”