Emerson’s pivotal role in digital journeys

Widad Haddad, Emerson’s general manager for the UAE, Oman, Yemen and Lebanon, talks to The Energy Year about the extent to which digital transformation has materialised in the post-pandemic era and the scalable approach the company provides to customers across the hydrocarbons value chain. Emerson is a global provider of automation solutions.

To what extent have digital transformation initiatives materialised in the post-pandemic era?
The evolution of digital transformation was already underway before the pandemic, and Emerson has played a pivotal role in assisting companies on their digital journey. Our solutions are designed to empower our customers in their digitisation efforts, which have gained even greater significance following the pandemic.
Over the past few years, we have witnessed a strong acceleration in the deployment of digital transformation solutions. Pilot projects have been successfully executed, and companies have sought ways to swiftly adopt digital solutions to meet immediate business objectives.
Given the current focus on sustainability, we have seen strong adoption in the area of energy management, emissions reduction and process efficiency. Across our customer base, digital transformation has significantly enhanced operations, leading to operational excellence – an area in which we excel as specialists. Emerson offers a diverse portfolio of solutions that enable our customers to achieve these outcomes.

What kind of scalable approach do you offer to customers across the hydrocarbons value chain?
Emerson offers a comprehensive and scalable approach to customers throughout the hydrocarbons value chain, encompassing upstream, midstream and downstream operations. With a broad portfolio of solutions, we are well equipped to drive digital transformation across the industry.
When engaging with customers, such as ADNOC and its subsidiaries, we begin by understanding their specific key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives. From there, we adopt a scalable approach. Our portfolio’s breadth allows us to start with pervasive sensing, employing sensors to collect data from assets. Subsequently, we can progress to implementing software applications that extract meaningful insights from the collected data, contextualised for the customer’s operational environment.
Over time, automation through machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and other cutting-edge technologies helps the customer to deploy decision support and automated workflows.
We tailor our approach to each customer’s unique environment and critical objectives, and overall operational vision, ensuring a phased expansion that aligns with their needs.
Emerson’s commitment to scalability and adaptability enables us to support customers at various stages of their digital transformation journey, empowering them to unlock value and optimise operations across the hydrocarbons value chain.

How do you contribute to better energy management and the predictive maintenance of downstream assets?
Emerson plays a significant role in improving energy management and predictive maintenance of downstream assets, delivering tangible benefits to companies in the industry.
In the realm of energy management, we assist organisations in addressing challenges such as energy monitoring and dashboarding, emissions reduction approaches and steam optimisation. Many plants experience significant energy losses, resulting in substantial economic implications. By conducting in-depth analyses of asset operations and performance, we identify areas for improvement and recommend specific technologies that can yield substantial cost savings.
Simultaneously, we focus on minimising unexpected shutdowns and downtime. Predictive maintenance, rather than reactive approaches, is critical in this regard. Our comprehensive evaluation encompasses valves, instrumentation, control systems, and software of assets to assess performance and identify potential future failures.
Embedded with smart predictive technology, our solutions enable proactive maintenance strategies. With our advanced software, we analyse historical data, allowing us to predict the performance and potential equipment failures that could impact plant uptime. This empowers organisations to take preventive measures, optimising operations and minimising disruptions.
Furthermore, Emerson’s acquisition of over 55% of AspenTech in mid-2022 enhances our capabilities in predictive maintenance and solutions. This collaboration brings sophisticated analytics and valuable business insights to every operation, driving operational excellence and performance optimisation.
Emerson’s dedication to energy management and predictive maintenance, coupled with the integration of AspenTech’s expertise, positions us as a leading provider of comprehensive solutions that enable better decision-making, improved efficiency, and reduced costs for downstream assets in the industry.

What inroads has Emerson made in the areas of digital twins, big data and cloud computing?
Our digital twin solution is implemented in collaboration with organisations to drive operational efficiency. It offers a powerful platform for simulating and adjusting plant parameters without disrupting ongoing processes. This capability proves invaluable for training operators before they operate a real plant, facilitating a seamless transition and enhancing operator competency.
In greenfield projects, the digital twin solution proves highly beneficial. It enables parallel simulation of the plant environment while construction is under way, allowing employees to gain hands-on experience virtually. By the time the actual plant is commissioned, the operators are already well versed in its operations, leading to accelerated processes and significant time and cost savings.
In the domain of big data, it is important to pick and separate the data that can be analysed to bring true value. We collaborate closely with AspenTech to tackle this challenge. The ability to sift through terabytes of data and identify the most relevant and useful information is crucial. Leveraging technologies such as data lakes, data analytics and AI, we empower organisations to gain actionable insights and make informed decisions swiftly.
Cloud computing has gained traction in the GCC region, and Emerson has embraced this trend. We have witnessed a shift from hesitancy and resistance to a growing acceptance of cloud storage and computing, supported by robust local infrastructure. Much of our technology is cloud based, and we work closely with Microsoft Azure to provide cutting-edge solutions in this domain.

To what extent is the UAE a regional leader in the area of cybersecurity?
The UAE has emerged as a notable leader in the cybersecurity space, instilling confidence among users as they adopt new technologies. Previously feared sources, such as cloud computing, are now embraced with the assurance of robust cybersecurity measures.
Over the past few years, there has been a remarkable increase in cybersecurity awareness. Organisations now prioritise cybersecurity audits, recognising its paramount importance in their agendas. This heightened consciousness stems from the understanding that cyber-attacks pose significant risks and threats.
Interestingly, approximately 90% of cyber-attacks in the country originate from within UAE organisations, highlighting the need for robust defence mechanisms and technologies that safeguard companies from internal threats.

How positive is the energy landscape outlook in the UAE, and how does Emerson fit in it?
The energy landscape outlook in the UAE is increasingly positive, with a wave of new ventures and projects on the horizon. While major investments in large-scale projects have been limited in recent years, the UAE is now witnessing the emergence of exciting initiatives across the hydrocarbons value chain as well as the diversified industry landscape.
As the UAE ramps up its traditional oil and gas business, it is also making strong investments in renewables projects. The urgency to implement these projects quickly is driven by the realisation that delays could result in investors and companies seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Emerson is actively involved in the UAE’s clean energy transition. Notably, our technology is powering the Barakah Nuclear Power Station, the only nuclear power plant in the Arab world. With our engineers onsite and our Ovation control system in control, this partnership showcases the UAE’s commitment to cleaner energy solutions and the diversification of its energy mix. Emerson is proud to support the UAE in this endeavour.
Furthermore, our global expertise and experience make us well positioned for top projects in areas such as nuclear and hydrogen. Additionally, the waste-to-energy plant under construction in Dubai will also utilise our Ovation control system. These accomplishments underscore Emerson’s role as a key technology provider for future projects in the UAE.

How strong will Emerson’s contribution to the UAE’s local manufacturing sector continue to be in light of upcoming projects?
With a manufacturing presence in the UAE since 2009, we have established ourselves as a leader in producing instrumentation and technology locally. Our commitment to localisation and local content is a testament to our dedication to supporting the country’s economic growth.
Through close collaboration with ADNOC, we have been able to provide valuable support and supply various components for brownfield projects, enhancing existing installations. As the new wave of projects emerges, we anticipate that ADNOC will increasingly leverage our local manufacturing assets to meet their requirements.
In November 2022, we solidified our partnership with ADNOC through a strategic agreement aimed at capitalising on local manufacturing opportunities in the UAE. This partnership will encompass the exploration of existing and potential capacities for manufacturing valves, instrumentation and related accessories locally. It extends to areas such as programmable logic controllers, machine condition monitoring systems, distributed control systems and emergency shutdown systems.
Emerson’s manufacturing capabilities and solutions are poised to play a pivotal role in strengthening the oil and gas sector in the country. By leveraging our expertise and resources, we aim to support ADNOC and other entities in achieving their goals, fostering local manufacturing and contributing to the growth and development of the UAE’s economy.

How are you fostering sustainability through your “Greening Of, Greening By and Greening With” schemes?
At Emerson, sustainability is deeply embedded in our global and regional strategy, and we actively embrace it through our environmental sustainability framework “Greening Of, Greening By, and Greening With” schemes. These principles guide our commitment to environmental responsibility and drive our actions towards a greener future.
“Greening Of” Emerson encompasses everything that we do as an organisation to improve our own sustainability performance by reducing our emissions profile, optimising energy consumption and water consumption. For example, our Dubai office and facilities are equipped with solar panels that generate 50-60% of the power we consume, reducing our reliance on traditional energy sources. We actively explore additional initiatives and practices to further enhance our sustainability performance.
“Greening By” Emerson is focused on the end use of our products, and how our broad automation portfolio, right from our intelligent devices to our control systems and our industrial software can be leveraged by our customers to accelerate their own sustainability journeys. We’re very active across our global customer base helping industrial operations drive emissions abatement, optimise energy use and reduce carbon footprint.
“Greening With” Emerson is focused on our work with cross-sectoral stakeholders such as technology providers, industrial stakeholders, academic institutions and even regulatory bodies to drive sustainable innovation and support sustainability related policies and regulations.
Overall, through our “Greening Of, Greening By, and Greening With” schemes, we demonstrate our firm commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. By integrating sustainability into our operations, influencing our partners to embrace greener practices, and implementing sustainable initiatives within our own organisation, we strive to contribute to a more sustainable future for all.

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