It is difficult to imagine any energy sector greenfield project or new-build to get the go ahead from sponsors without the use of digital twin technology, according to a prominent industry expert.
The name of the technology offers a hint about its characteristics. A digital twin is an interactive digital depiction of a physical object or process presented in the digital or virtual context of its environment or operational setting, underpinned by advanced data gathering.
Simply put – digital twins simulate real outcomes, structures and situations with the sole purpose of making better informed decisions based on advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). So, when it comes to new projects, the technology helps companies try virtually before they buy in to the venture or commission the undertaking, as well as address any design changes or flaws.
According to Simon Bennett, Head of Research and Innovation at industrial software and consulting firm AVEVA, its simply indispensable these days. “There are several use cases for digital twins across the industrials complex – heavy industries, mining, food and beverage, consumer packed goods and more. But one sector where we see incremental moves toward adoption is energy.”
Speaking to Forbes at the AVEVA World 2023 Conference in San Francisco, U.S., Bennett said: “There are two facets to this. The first being that the energy sector is under pressure to decarbonize and focus on sustainability, while the second is all about improving throughput and margins, and lowering costs.
“At AVEVA, we believe the two are intertwined. Our customer base in general and the energy sector in particular is coming around to this viewpoint. Ultimately, it’s not just about decarbonization but helping customers to see their sustainability outcomes more clearly.”
And Bennett, who’s been at AVEVA for over 15 years, believes the sector is no longer a laggard. “That may have been the case 10-15 years ago but not anymore. Of course, heavily regulated industries like nuclear power are miles ahead of oil and gas companies in terms of digital twin technology adoption but that’s not to say that energy majors are still cagey about adopting it.”
What’s more, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors find it imperative to draw up a digital twin – in partnership with vendors like AVEVA – as part of the bidding processes for any new build being commissioned by their energy major paymasters.
Those commissioning projects demand efficiencies and a lower carbon footprint, and EPC contractors compete to deliver it. For them the cost of fixing design issues are so high once project work has started, that taking up digital twins tends to be a no-brainer. “EPCs want to see competitive differentiation in what they offer, our [digital twin] solutions are becoming mission critical to their pitches to project sponsors.
“At the heart of the process is data centricity – the real underpinning of what the digital twin that’s been created for a project (or process) is all about. Essentially, talking hold of data and getting value out of it.”
Path of natural progression
And it has come to a head over the last decade or so. “Computer-Aided Design (CAD), or the deployment of computers to create, modify, or optimize a design or concept, replaced paper drawings and plans. It’s only natural that digital twins are notching up CAD 3D designs to a virtual replica or simulation of a process, such as the operation of a refinery that’s about to be built, or a renewable project like a new wind or solar farm.”
The progression then naturally leads on the industrial metaverse, or the immersive combination of the physical and digital world intermediated via virtual reality and augmented reality with use of headsets. “Some of it is already possible. For instance different project stakeholders in different parts of the world logging in and simultaneously examining the digital twin concept with use of a virtual headset.”
Usage for legacy estate must not be understated
Nobody questions the business case for digital twins anymore. While the deployment of the technology for new builds maybe headline grabbing in industry journals, its usage on legacy infrastructure need not be understated.
“The twin can be built and deployed, and in majority of use cases often is, for existing energy infrastructure. Engineering data is the core of a digital twin across assets’ life cycles.
“With legacy assets, such data is often distributed across multiple tools, data sources and teams. Our engineering information management solutions provide the basis of a digital twin and give owner-operators and their relevant stakeholders intuitive access to all the engineering data in a transparent, automatic, visualized way with context through a single platform,” Bennett added.
That’s the fiercely competitive multibillion dollar business AVEVA and its competitors are toughing it out in. “Industrial organizations are under increasing pressure to create and build digital twins to drive greater efficiencies from all stages of their value chain, creating and operating more efficient, profitable, and sustainable assets. Legacy infrastructure will not be left behind, rather fine tuned for a low to no carbon future. Digital twins and learning from data are mission critical in such a setting.”
Of course, the intense competition and lucrative business potential is keeping AVEVA on its toes. “We spend 25% of our headline annual revenue on research and development (R&D) from AI to cloud computing. The competition and the desire to constantly improve our service offering keeps us honest.”
From conceiving the new to decommissioning the old – the energy sector’s digital twin story is only just beginning. Afterall, a technology that saves millions on capital projects and operational costs and reduces the time engineers spend on finding information is only going to get bigger.
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