Anatomy of Steam Plant

Looking to achieve the next level of control over its vast operations, Sasol, a diversified petrochemical, mining, and energy company, asked representatives from Invensys, a global industrial automation, transportation and controls vendor, to explain more about its new Dynamic Performance Measures (DPM) approach to strategic operations management. DPM is said to support the creation of an operating environment where everyone from workers on the plant floor to plant managers and corporate executives make informed decisions. More critically, they can view the contribution those decisions have on achieving strategic business objectives immediately, making it possible to fine tune actions in near real time. With that level of information visibility, assets are not only managed, but optimized. Enterprise performance management (EPM) is made possible, and operators and controls engineers are empowered to directly affect bottomline costs. Based on this knowledge of DPM, Sasol chose to use its Infrachem Utilities and Syngas division for a DPM pilot project. Infrachem produces electricity, demineralized water, and steam used in the production processes of several internal customers, including Sasol's mix of plants that produce petroleum and diesel fuel from coal and natural gas, as well as chemical products, including polymers, solvents, olefins, waxes, and nitrogenous products. Infrachem's Steam Station 1 and Steam Station 2 were deemed ideal pilot sites. They were then operating below capacity due to a reduction in steam demand that had shifted focus from maximum utilization to minimal cost. They also provided a manageable, self-contained project for prototyping a real-time performance measurement system that could validate alignment with the company's manufacturing strategy and then be deployed more broadly.