February 2024Editorial Comment

HP Tagline--Column--Editorial CommentDigital transformation: The many pathways to operational and project excellenceLee Nichols, Vice President, Content/Editor-in-Chief Throughout the history of the modern refining and petrochemicals industries, asset owners, project developers, and equipment and service companies have devoted countless expenditures in the research and development of new technologies. Ultimately, these technologies were born through the idea(s) of optimizing operations, building a more secure and efficient unit/plant or complex, increasing safety, increasing uptime and energy efficiency, reducing environmental footprint, and many others. In short, making a plant, system or project better. Over the past several years, the refining and petrochemicals industries have been transitioning into a new digital era, questioning, testing and adopting new digital technologies in hopes of advancing and optimizing operations, equipment and project lifecycles. Terms such as machine-learning, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual realities, and digital twins are now woven in the lexicon of hydrocarbon processing personnel around the world. As the processing industries have embarked into this digital era, Hydrocarbon Processing has been tracking the latest technologies and advancements that are propelling the industry forward. The industry’s digital transformation has even led to the publication’s launch of a Digital Technologies section, which is the primary focus of this issue. These pages contain the latest advancements in digital technologies and how asset owners and other HPI professionals are utilizing digital resources to boost productivity, increase safety and energy efficiency, mitigate emissions and ensure equipment operates optimally. This issues features various case studies that showcase how digital technologies are helping to optimize not only plant operations, but also entire value chains:

Gardner and McMullan provide an overview of digital lingo that is now rampant within the processing industries, as well as the five step process refineries take in their digital transformation journey.

McEleney showcases how digital technologies help specialty chemical companies improve process material flow and control, and boost yields and productivity.

Burton details how the latest process analyzers can help optimize process performance and reduce emissions.

An executive interview explains how autonomous control AI is being used within a chemical plant to increase efficiencies, reduce personnel workloads and optimize plant performance.

These are a few of the many pathways being traveled in the HPI’s digital journey. As digital technologies evolve, Hydrocarbon Processing will continue to be at the forefront to cover how these resources can benefit the processing industries. HPCoverAd—Shell revampContentsAd—Honeywell UOPMastheadAd—MerichemEditorial CommentAd—AFPM Annual MeetingGlobal Project DataAd—HPI Market Data 2024Viewpoint—Tanoguchi (Yokogawa Electric Corp.)Special Focus OpeningSPECIAL FOCUS—Gardner (KBC)SPECIAL FOCUS—McEleney (Emerson)Ad—PEMN CCS StrategySPECIAL FOCUS—McBul (OQ Specialty Chemicals)SPECIAL FOCUS—Burton (AMETEK Process Instruments)Ad—MEPECSPECIAL FOCUS—Bramson (ABS Group)Petrochemical Technologies—Delhomme (Linde Engineering)Maintenance and Reliability—AnwerTurnaround/Project Mgmt—BenomarAd—AFPM IPCEnvironment and Safety—Rodrigues (Saudi Aramco)Environment and Safety—Manelick (aeSolutions)Environment and Safety—Bowling (Seeq Corporation)Ad—PE Outlook 2024Carbon Capture—Carugo (Emerson)Ad—H2T CircTanks, Terminals and Storage—Advani (L&T Energy Hydrocarbon)Tanks, Terminals and Storage—Safamirzaei (Pasargad Energy Development Co.)Sales OfficeAd—HP Circ (Back Cover)