Emerson and Aramco Join Forces to Boost Refinery Efficiency with AI

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: Global automation leader Emerson has made a groundbreaking announcement regarding a successful collaboration with Aramco, a leading energy and chemicals company, to deploy an AI-driven optimization solution.

The cutting-edge technology was achieved by integrating Emerson's Aspen Hybrid Models™ into Aramco's refinery planning framework.

This innovative approach combines first-principles models, deep domain expertise, and industrial AI to capture nonlinear relationships in yield and quality responses, significantly enhancing the accuracy of refinery planning models.

The deployment has already achieved remarkable results, with yield and quality prediction accuracy of up to 98.5% in key refinery units.

Emerson and Aramco's collaboration has implemented hybrid AI models in Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) and Platformer Units, which has enabled precise feedstock blending, minimized gaps between planning and execution, and improved the accuracy of margin forecasting across Aramco's global refining network.

Aramco's director of the global optimizer department, Ahmad Alkudmani, stated that this deployment represents a significant milestone in the company's AI strategy and its long-standing relationship with Emerson.

Key benefits of using Aspen Hybrid Models include:

Emerson's technology allows Aramco to create highly accurate nonlinear optimizations using thousands of converged simulation cases built upon rigorous first-principles models calibrated with actual plant data.

This approach provides Aramco with a powerful, scalable, and robust tool for global refinery planning.

Aramco continues to set the standard for operational excellence through digital innovation, said Claudio Fayad, chief technology officer of Emerson's Aspen Technology business.

This deployment demonstrates the tangible value of combining deep domain expertise with advanced AI.

Emerson is a global automation leader delivering solutions for the most demanding technology challenges, enabling customers to optimize operations and accelerate innovation.