en.Wedoany.com Reported - Large-scale infrastructure projects commonly face challenges of cost overruns and schedule delays. Schneider Electric observes that digital transformation is a key pathway to addressing this challenge, with digital twin technology evolving from a design visualization tool into an intelligent platform covering the entire asset lifecycle.
According to estimates by the McKinsey Global Institute, large-scale infrastructure projects worldwide experience an average cost overrun of 80% and delays of 20 months. This data indicates that advancing digital transformation can no longer be postponed. Over the past three years, digital twin technology has matured significantly, expanding beyond early design visualization to become an asset intelligence platform based on physical behavior models. Such platforms remain continuously connected to real-time operational data throughout the asset lifecycle. This transformation is unfolding in infrastructure projects across sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Virtual commissioning is one of the core applications of this shift. Traditional commissioning follows a linear sequence: design completion, equipment installation, and then testing. Virtual commissioning overturns this logic by constructing a high-fidelity digital replica of the physical asset before construction begins. Engineering teams can verify control logic, test fault scenarios, and identify integration conflicts before laying a single cable. Testing and risk mitigation are moved to the pre-construction phase, where design changes implemented in software cost far less than corrections during physical commissioning.
The convergence of IT and OT is a key enabler of digital twins. Historically, edge control systems operated in isolation from enterprise data layers. Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure open architecture bridges this gap, transmitting real-time telemetry data from field devices to the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System) layers, while feeding real-time operational data into simulation environments. This unified data environment ensures continuous alignment between engineering models and operational reality, facilitating faster commissioning and more precise decision-making.
The value of digital twins extends beyond the commissioning phase. By keeping the digital twin synchronized with the physical asset, operators can support predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and future upgrade simulations after project handover. Additionally, a shared data environment enables collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including government clients, engineering contractors, system integrators, operations teams, and regulatory bodies, reducing disputes caused by scope creep and rework. For example, smart city projects consist of interdependent ecosystems of energy, water, transportation, and communication infrastructure, where isolated design followed by integration attempts often leads to delays. Schneider Electric's AVEVA simulation tools, combined with EcoStruxure's edge intelligence layer, aim to provide scalable digital continuity solutions for such complexity.
While digital twins cannot resolve the financial constraints limiting infrastructure delivery, they can significantly reduce the technical and operational risks that exacerbate these issues—a contribution in itself.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
