Abstract
Intelligent asset life extension and optimization through digital solutions is gaining popularity within the mining and metallurgical industry, particularly as it relates to ESG. A significant amount of the assets operating today will still be in operation for the coming decades, with many more decarbonization-related assets to be deployed over the next decade as part of net zero strategies. Implementing a data-driven intelligent asset life extension and performance strategy allows assets to be optimized while achieving a longer lifespan than originally foreseen while avoiding significant ESG-related impacts. These potential ESG benefits can be in the form of improving asset performance, optimization and reliability through such things as reducing asset inputs or maximizing outputs, predicting failures such as through corrosion (such as with bio-oils in converted boilers), avoiding leaks, fires or even air releases to the environment such as from solvent-based CO2 capture systems, hydrogen through existing or novel storage technologies, or operational upsets. Upstream GHG emissions can also be reduced through avoiding asset replacement. Decisions taken to extend an asset’s life and improve its performance are usually based solely on technical and economic data, where now ESG related data can further inform the decision.
Norda Stelo will discuss how it has uniquely combined its asset reliability and integrity expertise with advanced data engineering and ESG, including greenhouse gas emission reduction and avoidance. Examples will be provided, including a case study of the intelligent management of one of Norda’s metallurgical processing partners’ critical assets for over 10 years, resulting in an average 20% increase in asset life and quantified carbon avoidance associated with avoiding manufacturing and installation of new equipment. As a part of this presentation, Norda will introduce its data-driven asset management platform, Stelar, which manages data from single or multiple assets across a facility to predict performance and maintenance requirements as well as manage all ESG-related data and use this to inform clean technology decision making. The presentation will use case studies to describe how Stelar:
- Automates and centralizes all data for all assets.
- Tracks and manages environmental performance.
- Increases quality of data across all assets
- Tracks historical data to gauge performance over time and track journey to zero
- Identifies why a given assets had a change in performance
- Models impacts that contribute to overall performance and optimization
- Automates all life-cycle environmental performance data across all assets
- Generates massive savings in time
In an effort to intelligently extend the life and performance of assets, it is imperative to collect, centralize and structure relevant quantitative and qualitative data to further increase their value. Norda will discuss how Stelar allows accurate and continuous calculation of the health status, operational and ESG performance and end of life of an asset. Companies will be able to make quick and well-documented decisions. Beyond more informed management decisions in a time and cost-effective manner, mining companies will now have convincing and credible data to use for ESG audits, investor-related requests and even carbon credit applications.