U.S. Data Centers, Nuclear Power Drive Record Orders for ABB

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Data centers and nuclear power plants drove much of ABB's North American orders in the first quarter, with company executives optimistic about demand growth over the coming year.

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'Buoyant' Market Means Record Orders

ABB Incorporated saw its global orders for first-quarter 2026 jump to a record-high US$6.65 billion, a 51% increase from the same period last year that the company attributed to "buoyant market dynamics." The Swiss-based company, which develops electrification, automation, robotics and similar technologies, reported 70% growth in the U.S. alone, where it is rushing to respond to rising demand from the data center sector.

According to Industrial Info Resources data, ABB and its subsidiaries are involved in more than US$12 billion worth of active and proposed projects across the U.S. and Canada, more than US$7 billion of which is attributed to projects under construction.

More than 90% of the total U.S. and Canadian project investment is attributed to mining developments. ABB executives noted in a quarterly earnings-related press release that mining orders increased slightly during the first quarter, but the global market environment remained "generally capex-muted."

Among the most significant mining developments involving ABB is BHP Group Limited's Jansen Potash Mine & Mill in Leroy, Saskatchewan. BHP picked ABB to deliver, install and commission three friction hoists and a related electrical system for the project. ABB heralded the development in a separate press release: "This is a milestone project for the mining industry, as one of the two production hoists will have the largest production capacity in the world, able to transport payloads of 75 metric tons."

Phase I of the Jansen project started construction in mid-2022 and currently is set to wrap up in the second half of 2027. ABB also is expected to provide equipment for Phase II, which would not begin construction until 2029 at the earliest. Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Plant and Project databases offer details--including capacities, investment values and necessary equipment--in a plant profile and project reports on Phase I and Phase II.

"For demand linked to process industries, mining orders increased slightly, while areas like pulp & paper, chemical and metals declined," ABB said in its press release. "Activity among nuclear customers increased." Indeed, ABB picked up one of its most significant North American orders in recent years during the quarter, when Bruce Power selected it to supply modernized, more efficient generator-control systems to its Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Tiverton, Ontario.

ABB said the technology it plans to deliver to the Bruce facility "will help extend the life, reliability and efficiency of eight units." Industrial Info Resources is tracking six projects slated for the Ontario complex, totaling more than US$46 billion of investment. For more information, readers can consult a detailed list of project reports.

By the Numbers

• More than US$12 billion: Total investment in U.S. and Canadian projects featuring ABB's services
• US$6.65 billion: ABB's record-high orders for first-quarter 2026
• More than US$46 billion: Total projected investment in projects at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario

Data Centers Drive Electronics Demand

"All main customer segments recorded double-digit order growth [in the first quarter], and data centers by as much as triple digits on broad strong demand," ABB said. The company's U.S.-based developments include several in the electronics-component market, one of which is owned by ABB itself: an electrical conductor-manufacturing plant in Selmer, Tennessee.

ABB started construction on the facility last summer, with plans to meet rising demand for conductors from data-center developers, as well as from the construction and utility markets. It is expected to wrap up toward the end of the year. For more information, readers can consult a plant profile and project report.

ABB also is providing automation and electrification support for Topsoe A/S' solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) factory in Chester, Virginia. The project, which was allocated funds under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, started construction in February and is expected to produce 1 gigawatt per year of SOECs. These products will be used in the production of zero-carbon (or "green") hydrogen. Fluor Corporation is providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services.

For more information on the Chester development, readers can consult a plant profile and project report.

ABB's global net income for the quarter stood at US$1.34 billion, a 20% increase from the same period in 2025. Global revenues were reported to be US$8.73 billion, an 18% increase.

"All in all, the first quarter progressed largely according to plan, despite a backdrop of yet another escalation in geopolitical tension," said Morten Wierod, the chief executive officer of ABB, in the press release. He noted the ongoing conflict in the Middle East "adds uncertainty to the global trading climate, although to date, demand for our electrification and automation offerings has remained overall resilient and supportive to our raised ambitions for 2026."

Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for active and proposed projects featuring ABB's services across the U.S. and Canada.

Subscribers to Industrial Info Resources' GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Key Takeaways

• ABB's major customer segments recorded double-digit order growth in the first quarter.
• The company reported 70% order growth in the U.S. alone.
• Executives say ABB's business remains resilient amid the ongoing violence in the Middle East.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth US$30.2 trillion (USD).