Page 44 - ENGINEERING REVIEW NOVEMBER 2022_Neat

ENGINEERING
REVIEW INDUSTRY FOCUS

Engineering the plant

of the future –

Connecting data, people

and processes

Digital twins are integral to the creation and
operation of sustainable, efficient and future-
proof industrial facilities says Amish Sabharwal,
Executive Vice President, Engineering Business
Unit, AVEVA.

ndustrial organizations across sectors the United Nations(UN) Climate Change denied that this was in part due to
as varied as energy, power, marine, Conference (COP 26). Following the the pandemic, which pushed many
Ichemical, and mining are accelerating pause of the pandemic, industrial organizations to speed up their
their digital transformation projects to leaders have also recognized the prime digitalization efforts to support project
drive efficiency to stay profitable and opportunity to build back greener. stops and starts, remote work, and
competitive amidst complex challenges To navigate the necessary transition more agile plant operations. This
and eroded margins. to a more sustainable future, the acceleration also enabled them to see
Not only are they are having industrial sector must take a multi- the many benefits digital transformation
to manage growing regulatory faceted approach, from driving a could offer in today’s rapidly shifting
requirements and shifting market circular economy through the value business landscape, and the
demands, priorities around energy chain to electrification on existing plants opportunities to improve in the future.
transition and net-zero goals are also and growing capital investment in the
mounting as the world responds to the areas of renewable energy, net zero and Digital twins are paramount to the
challenge of climate change. carbon capture facilities. plant of the future
These challenges reflect an increasing This shift to greener plants isn’t just To meet the needs of the future,
need for efficient, data driven, green essential for a company’s reputation, Owner Operators and Engineering,
facilities, which is adding pressure on it’s become a prerequisite for gaining Procurement and Construction
industrial businesses to transform how regulatory approval and securing companies (EPCs) need to build clear
they engineer, build and operate new funding, as governments put new laws strategies that empower connected
and existing plants. in place to support more sustainable workers to drive sustainable outcomes
practices. It’s understandable then, that and increase engineering efficiency

Industry’s role in supporting a the naturally cautious industrial sector and operational agility now. One way
more sustainable future has become more open to change. to do this is by connecting engineering,
This year, sustainability and the According to McKinsey, digital operations and maintenance data, the
environment are at the forefront of adoption in the industrial sector grew people that generate and consume this
minds more than ever before following six to tenfold in 2020. It cannot be data, and all related processes. When

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