BASF installs Honeywell technology at chemical complex
Published by Nicholas Woodroof,
Editor
Hydrocarbon Engineering,
BASF has opened a control room equipped with Honeywell Process Solutions’ (HPS) Experion® technology at its waste incineration complex in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
The control room was officially inaugurated on 28 November 2017, by Dr. Uwe Liebelt, President, BASF European Site and Verbund Management, and Vimal Kapur, President of HPS.
HPS re-designed the plant’s control room with BASF’s Industrie 4.0 initiative in mind. Virtualisation technology delivers consolidated plant information to operators via eight large-screen Experion Orion Consoles, which also embed traditionally separate Microsoft® Office desktop applications alongside the distributed control system one. Two Experion Collaboration Stations enable BASF to run production meetings more efficiently by using real-time data and online documents.
As part of the Experion process knowledge system, 29 C300 controllers and 20 000 I/O modules facilitate plant-wide monitoring, improve safety and fire protection, and increase reliability. In addition, a new MediluX lighting system in the control room improves visual conditions for operators day and night, reducing eyestrain and fatigue.
Kapur said: “This strategic project is a prime example of how Industrie 4.0 is transforming industrial operations. Previously, BASF operators had to gather and piece together data to form a high-level view. Now, critical information is digitally consolidated and streamed onto central displays, transforming efficiency, productivity and decision-making.”
The plant’s six incinerators process hazardous waste that cannot be reused or recycled and convert it into steam and electrical power. The clean, reusable energy is channeled back into BASF’s production processes, helping the company save resources and reduce emissions.
“Thanks to excellent cooperation with Honeywell, our 60-year-old plant now has one of the most modern control rooms in the world,” said Dr. Karin Flore, Head of Waste Incineration, BASF.
The incineration plant serves more than 200 BASF production facilities within the company’s flagship, 10 km2 production site, as well as facilities outside the complex. The reliability of the plant is critical to the company’s wider production operations because any standstill could potentially affect the chemical complex.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/19012018/basf-installs-honeywell-technology-at-chemical-complex/
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