By Hennie Colyn, direct sales executive, Process Automation at Schneider Electric.
Hennie Colyn, direct sales executive, Process Automation at Schneider Electric.
Today’s brownfield plants are typically characterised by outdated equipment and processes, and face challenges ranging from inefficient operations to safety hazards. However, all is not lost ,as these plants stand to gain a lot from digitalisation and automation.
In contrast to greenfield plants, brownfield plants are generally underused or even abandoned, which makes the move to digitalisation even more compelling, as the infrastructure already exists and can be modernised, with substantial benefits.
Indeed, the integration of digital technologies has the potential to not only address the abovementioned challenges, but also move brownfield plants back into the twenty-twenties, benefiting from increased efficiency, safety and sustainability.
The brownfield plant’s journey towards digitalisation and automation offers important sustainability benefits such as:
• Reduced fossil fuel demand: digitalisation aids in optimising energy usage, leading to a reduction in fossil fuel demand within manufacturing processes.
• Improved green total factor energy efficiency: the adoption of digital technologies enhances overall energy efficiency, contributing to greener and more sustainable operations.
• Decline in pollution-intensive production: digital transformation reduces the production scale of pollution-intensive enterprises, mitigating the environmental impact.
• Carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction: through advanced data analytics and automation, brownfield plants can actively monitor and reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with global sustainability goals.
Despite the above benefits, there will also be some challenges. Like many new or ongoing projects, resistance to change is often the greatest barrier of all. Humans are habitual creatures and the adage ‘if it’s not broken ...’ sums it up nicely. Here, it’s important to roll out a change management strategy that educates employees on the importance of modernisation through digitalisation and automation.
Similarly, when digitalising and automating plants, the changeover must keep pace with the needs and expectations of customers, again ensuring that change management is handled in a sensitive manner.
Importantly, a clear vision for the transformation must be communicated to ensure the abovementioned resistance is handled in a productive manner, ultimately leading to operations that are agile and make the most of this new era of digitalisation and automation.
To bring a brownfield plant back to life, consider the following important steps:
• Evaluate your current digital landscape to understand the existing digital infrastructure and identify areas for improvement.
• Put into place effective leadership, which is crucial for driving digital transformation aligned with broader business strategies.
• Foster a culture that embraces change, coupled with transparent communication, to address concerns and build consensus.
• Optimise existing processes to integrate digital technologies seamlessly for maximum efficiency.
• Prioritise data management and curation, to harness the full potential of digital technologies.
• Identify and deploy technologies tailored to the needs of brownfield plants.
• Develop a skilled and adaptable workforce capable of leveraging digital tools effectively.
• Collaborate with reliable technology partners to ensure a smooth and successful transition.
Overcoming the bottling industry’s fragmented visibility Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Beverage bottling facilities are among manufacturing’s most energy-intensive environments, yet many still operate without granular insight into where that energy goes. Rezolia Muller-Potluri of Schneider Electric explains how tiered metering architecture and advanced
Read more...What you need is a nerve centre for your building Schneider Electric South Africa
SCADA/HMI
Schneider Electric’s Anoop Hariparsad explains how a building management system acts as a single nerve centre, cutting energy use and improving safety and guest experience.
Read more...New chiller line for high-density AI data centres Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric has launched the Uniflair XCA, a new series of air-cooled and free-cooling chillers designed for artificial intelligence-driven, high-density liquid-cooled data centres.
Read more...Turning system integrators into trusted technology partners Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design
Schneider Electric’s Alliance Partner Programme is repositioning system integrators from hardware suppliers into lifecycle-value partners. Oriel Soupen explains the competency framework, certification model and real-world results that are already helping African system integrators win higher-value, longer-term engagements.
Read more...Schneider Electric introduces next-generation BlokSeT switchboard Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric has launched its next-generation BlokSeT low-voltage switchboard in West Africa, offering high reliability, predictive maintenance capability and digital integration for critical infrastructure and industrial applications.
Read more...Why renewable projects need integrated protection and control
IT in Manufacturing
Fragmented secondary plant integration in renewable energy projects causes costly delays during commissioning. ACTOM Protection and Control’s Secondary Plant Integration solution consolidates all secondary systems under a single engineering framework, reducing risk and accelerating grid
Read more...When digital twins move from concept to critical tool
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Digital twins are moving out of the lab and onto the mine, the factory floor and the transport network where they predict failures before they happen. Amritesh Anand looks at where they earn their keep, the data and integration work behind them, and the security questions every organisation should ask before switching one on.
Read more...How a digital foundation can overcome the LNG trilemma Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing SCADA/HMI
The LNG sector is racing to add capacity, but without a digital backbone, growth creates complexity rather than capability. Christophe Begat of Schneider Electric explains how connecting data, systems and analytics across the LNG value chain can resolve the trilemma of secure supply, lower emissions and tighter costs.
Read more...You can’t digitise a blackout Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Across East Africa, smart meters and AI promise cleaner, more reliable power, but digital tools cannot optimise a grid too weak to carry the load. Schneider Electric’s Symphrose Ochieng sets out why operators should strengthen physical infrastructure first, then add digital capability in phases.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version