The wide-ranging possibilities for application of digital twin technology are underscored by the recently announced deployment of digital twin solutions from Kongsberg Digital both for fertiliser plant operations and a carbon capture project run by Yara International.
Under a two-year agreement, Kongsberg Digital will develop an operational twin for Yara International's at Herøya production facilities in Porsgrunn, southern Norway, as well as a project twin for a carbon capture project at Yara's plant in Sluiskil in the Netherlands. Yara says it intends to use Norwegian-based Kongsberg’s digital twin technology more widely in its production facilities globally.
“With this technology, a significant improvement in the work process is expected, thereby leading to a more efficient workday for engineering, maintenance, and operations," Merete Østby, Digital Manager at Yara's Porsgrunn facility, said.
The operational twin for the production facility at Herøya will use industrial data from the factory, along with technical data and equipment documentation, to create a contextualised work surface to enable better decision-making. It will create detailed 3D models of the plant and its units, and will also provide related maintenance, operational, and facility information gathered from the factory's sensors and data sources.
Meanwhile, for the carbon capture project at the Sluiskil facility, digital twin technology will be deployed for a carbon capture unit is being built to convert carbon dioxide gas to liquid, which will then be transported by ship for injection and storage in reservoirs in the North Sea.
The digital twin will play an important role in the pre-operational stage of this project, contributing to more efficient collaboration and preparations for data transfer. Kongsberg says the digital twin will establish a "digital thread" through all project phases and into the operation and maintenance phase.
Yara signed an agreement with carbon dioxide transport and storage supplier Northern Lights in November 2023 that enabled the first cross-border transportation and storage of carbon dioxide. The company aims to reduce its annual carbon emissions from ammonia production at Yara Sluiskil by 800,000 tons a year. The gas will be liquefied and shipped by Northern Lights to permanent storage on the Norwegian continental shelf, 2.6 kilometres under the seabed. Operations are due to start in 2025 and continue for 15 years.
Improved insights
Shane McArdle, Kongsberg Digital’s CEO, said the agreement with Yara will build on existing cooperation between the wider Kongsberg group and the international fertiliser firm, delivering technology that provides Yara with improved insights and new opportunities for facility optimisation.
“For Kongsberg Digital, this marks a significant milestone as this agreement demonstrates our use of digital twin technology and how we are solving common challenges across the process and chemical industry,” he said.
Roar Nilsen, Program Manager at Yara International said the technology had the potential to optimise operations by gathering and visualising large amounts of data and information on a simple and user-friendly platform.
“Together with Yara's Digital Production Platform – our industrial IoT platform – this opens up entirely new possibilities for data-driven insights," he said.
(Photo: Personnel at Yara's Porsgrunn facility in Norway/Yara International)
