Nigeria's Dangote Refinery Introduces Honeywell Industrial AI Platform

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 26, U.S.-based Honeywell announced the launch of its industrial artificial intelligence platform Forge Plant Cognition, which has been first deployed at the Dangote Refinery in the Lekki area of Lagos, Nigeria. The platform integrates NVIDIA AI technology, Dell computing infrastructure, and Honeywell industrial automation technology, targeting refining process optimization. According to preliminary estimates, when the refinery operates at full capacity, the platform is expected to generate more than $60 million in gross operating benefits annually.

The platform launched by Honeywell can connect to real-time operating data from the refinery and, by combining process calculations, physical models, and equipment operating parameters, identify bottlenecks in the production process and analyze unit throughput, product yield, and equipment operating conditions. The system can also detect potential equipment failures and process anomalies, provide adjustment recommendations to operators, reduce unplanned downtime, and offer technical support for production scheduling and troubleshooting.

The platform adopts AI infrastructure jointly built by Dell and NVIDIA, uses NVIDIA Nemotron open models to process industrial operating data, leverages Omniverse technology to build a digital twin of the refining production process, and employs Cosmos and Metropolis vision AI technology to identify on-site anomalies. The PhysicsNeMo framework is used to build and train physical models, supporting process simulation and unit operation optimization.

In the application at the Dangote Refinery, Honeywell estimates based on preliminary operating data that AI optimization can deliver more than $0.29 per barrel of crude oil in gross operating benefits. Calculated at full-capacity operation of the refinery, annual gross benefits are expected to exceed $60 million. This figure represents projected benefits before deducting implementation costs and is not an already-achieved annual savings amount; actual results also depend on factors such as unit operating conditions, crude oil slate, and capacity utilization.

Honeywell is also participating in the Dangote Refinery's capacity expansion, assisting it in raising its design crude processing capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day through optimization of existing facilities, with completion planned within three years. The AI platform will connect to the refinery's existing production systems and also support local engineers and operators in equipment diagnostics and process adjustments. The Dangote Refinery plans to gradually increase the proportion of Nigerian employees to 70%.