ABB has become Borussia Dortmund’s energy management partner, extending an existing collaboration to modernise electrical and building systems at Signal Iduna Park.
The partnership builds on years of technical work between ABB and BVB at the stadium, which can hold more than 81,000 fans on matchday and includes Europe’s largest standing terrace, the “Yellow Wall”. The venue has hosted Bundesliga, Champions League, World Cup and European Championship fixtures.
ABB said the arrangement covers energy management, electrical distribution and building automation, designed to integrate with the stadium’s existing infrastructure rather than requiring a rebuild.
Signal Iduna Park opened in 1974, and ABB and BVB have previously worked together on KNX-based building automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and energy management, within a framework certified to ISO 50001.
Borussia Dortmund holds climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative and operates a 5MWp photovoltaic system on the stadium roof, which the club describes as the most powerful installed on a football stadium. A 3.75MWh battery storage system is planned before the end of the year.
Under the new arrangement, ABB said the architecture is intended to be open and scalable, with potential to extend across BVB’s wider estate, including the Dortmund-Brackel training ground and academy, BVB FanWelt and future EV charging infrastructure.
Dr Christian Hockenjos, director of organisation and managing director of BVB Stadium Management GmbH, said: “Thousands of people come together to create something extraordinary at Signal Iduna Park. With ABB, we have a partner that shares our ambition to continuously improve performance – not only on the pitch, but throughout the infrastructure behind it. Building on our existing collaboration, we want to set new standards for efficient and future-ready stadium operations.”
Benedikt Scholz, director of internationalisation and commercial partnerships at BVB, said: “Our partnership with ABB demonstrates how a long-standing collaboration can lead to concrete solutions that deliver strategic value for both sides. Together, we are making Signal Iduna Park more efficient and future-proof.”
Mark Zwerner, VP strategic partnerships at ABB, said: “Signal Iduna Park combines the demands of critical infrastructure with the complexity of a building that has evolved over decades. By bringing together electrification, energy management and building automation through an open, scalable architecture, we can help Borussia Dortmund improve performance while maintaining reliable operations. What we prove here can provide a blueprint for complex buildings far beyond football.”
Main image: (Left to right: Carsten Cramer, Borussia Dortmund; Benedikt Scholz, Borussia Dortmund; Mark Zwerner, ABB; Dr. Stefan Rohrmoser, ABB; Dr. Frederic Nimmermann, ABB; Thomas Baltzer, ABB; and Dr. Christian Hockenjos, Borussia Dortmund
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