Hydrocarbon Processing - April 2021 - 20

Executive Viewpoint
TF: Plant optimization goes together
with digitalization. Today, operators have
access to a host of digital technologies that
can enhance the energy efficiency of their
equipment and processes. For instance, a
1%-2% efficiency increase in a gas turbine
can reduce annual carbon dioxide (CO2 )
emissions by thousands of tons per year.
The Shanghai Orient Champion Paper Manufacturing Center is a good example. After considering several options,

the customer selected two of our gas
turbines to generate clean power. The
result was 24% less energy consumed, a
60% decrease in CO2 emissions and an
annual savings of approximately 20%.
Additionally, operators can reduce
unplanned shutdowns and minimize
emissions associated with venting and
de-inventory by improving equipment
uptime through performance analytics
or remote diagnostic services.

Contact XRG to
discuss alternative
fuels, efficiency
improvements,
and other novel
technologies.

Now is the time to
evaluate your options
for reducing CO2
emissions from your
fired heaters and
boilers.

FUEL
CONVERSIONS

EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS

EMISSIONS
REDUCTION

REIMAGINING
HEAT TRANSFER
www.xrgtechnologies.com

HP: With advancements in
new digital technologies to
optimize plant operations,
how can companies protect
their systems from
cyberattacks?

TF: The cyberattack on a Saudi Arabia refinery a few years ago demonstrates
the aggressive nature of hackers who
openly target critical energy infrastructure. While the attack was unsuccessful, a
holistic view that involves securing both
physical operations and software is vital.
Visibility is the ultimate challenge the
process industry faces because equipment operators cannot mitigate cyberattacks they cannot see. We have partnered
with another organization to address
the visibility gap by developing a novel
end-point monitoring and protection
system that uses artificial intelligence
(AI) to detect and thwart attacks across
a network. Incorporating these types of
advanced systems as part of a layered,
defense-in-depth strategy makes it possible to secure a facility and safely leverage digital technologies.
HP: Digital tools and
technologies are nothing
without people. How can people
and digital tools co-exist
to increase plant safety,
productivity and profitability?

TF: You are absolutely right. At its
core, digitalization is about empowering
people to make more informed decisions
and connecting the dots with data-driven insights. It is also about enabling new
ways of working-for example, transitioning from reactive to predictive maintenance or moving towards unmanned
operations by shifting resources to remote control centers.
We recently partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a
report-Transforming the energy industry with AI-that shows how oil and gas
companies are using AI for automated
monitoring and detection of cyberattacks. While the report discusses the increased need for companies to digitally
transform their businesses to remain
competitive and secure, one of the key
takeaways is realizing that digital transformation is not something any organization can achieve independently. The
human element of collaboration and
partnerships are critical to success.

APRIL 2021 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com

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Hydrocarbon Processing - April 2021

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