Pursuing net-zero ambitions and delivering on decarbonization goals may seem daunting at first, but with a baseline understanding of your carbon performance you can identify the best solutions to achieving sustainability targets while improving overall efficiency.
There are several solutions based on a balance of technical, commercial and practical drivers that can be applied toward decarbonizing the everyday operations of a facility or asset. Here are a few practical steps on how to improve the integrity of new and existing infrastructure and ultimately reduce unwanted emissions.
Begin by establishing a baseline of your current infrastructure and applying a digital solution to inspect the facility or asset to identify where problems are already occurring or have a potential to occur. Robots and drones equipped with cameras and sensors can be deployed to capture high-resolution imaging and data to indicate where anomalies or trouble areas are located.
Next, look to address potential failures with ongoing maintenance and repairs to pre-existing infrastructures. Being equipped with the data of where operational anomalies are occurring or are at risk to occur is just the first step. Applying those insights to reinforce and modify equipment is where the difference is really made.
Planning for ongoing maintenance and routine services through scheduled shutdowns and turnarounds can prevent the need for emergency repairs and disruptions to operations later. Additionally, by investing the time in preventative services and applying the data-driven information gathered to prioritize focus areas in a facility, you can ensure the facility will continue to operate at a higher efficiency with lower fugitive carbon emissions.
Finally, ongoing inspections with autonomously operating robots can track the performance and progression of an aging infrastructure over time to identify corrosion, slow leaks and other gradually evolving issues that could pose a problem later. This takes condition monitoring from being a passive reporting process to an active intervention process. Additionally, by utilizing digital monitoring solutions that capture in-depth data analysis, anomalies can be detected earlier on than when a human inspector may observe them.
Continuous monitoring of vibration, temperature and other key data from thousands of points throughout a facility or asset can also enable operators to quickly identify any anomalies and allows them to respond to these changes quickly. A couple of examples of operators that have benefitted from this type of monitoring are: a gas plant that was able to identify methane leaks around their compressors, and a coal processing plant that could see via digital modelling that there was significant insulation loss within their operating reactor. In both instances, the operators were able to respond to and repair the identified issues in an efficient manner, allowing them to maintain normal operations and prevent potential equipment failures.
This monitoring can also be complemented with acoustic emission inline inspections, where state-of-the-art monitoring technology includes sensitive acoustic devices that can "listen" for leaks. This is a smart approach that fortifies existing monitoring solutions.
Older assets face more complex challenges in reducing emission intensity. It is often less efficient and logistically and economically challenging to replace or revamp pre-existing infrastructure. However, these aging parts and equipment can contribute to fugitive emissions as they fail or degrade.
Digital solutions have a major part to play in decarbonization, from the technologies to generate and deliver new energy sources to the innovations that will transform how we use them. Leveraging data and these digital solutions can also offer a less capital-intensive route to optimizing operational performance, targeting energy production and minimizing waste.
Stephen Kelman is the director of growth and development for operations Americas at Wood. He has 10 years of experience in supporting operations and maintenance activities across the energy and industrial sector.
For more information, visit www.woodplc.com or call (337) 205-1711.
