Emerson, a global automation company based in St. Louis, Missouri, announced the release of new software solutions intended to automate critical processes within the refining industry. The company states that the new tools are designed to accelerate decision-making and help refineries adapt more quickly to fluctuations in the market.
The newly introduced products, Crude Schedule Optimization and Multi-Blend Optimization, are available within the Aspen Unified Scheduling platform. According to the company, these tools integrate planning, scheduling, and blending functions into a single system. This integration aims to replace disconnected tools and manual data gathering, which Emerson describes as time-intensive workflows that can hinder efficiency during periods of market volatility.
Claudio Fayad, chief technology officer at Emerson's Aspen Technology business, noted that refinery schedulers are managing increased complexity and crude market volatility with the same amount of time. He stated that automating these workflows allows experienced teams to focus on higher-value decisions while enabling newer engineers to contribute more rapidly.
The company claims this approach results in stronger operating margins and improved operational decisions across the organization.
The Crude Schedule Optimization feature utilizes data from Aspen Unified PIMS to automatically determine optimal crude receipts, transfers, blends, and production schedules. By minimizing manual work and allowing for rapid scenario testing, the tool aims to improve scheduling precision and reduce errors. This enables refineries to respond faster to crude market fluctuations and price opportunities.
The Multi-Blend Optimization component simultaneously optimizes the recipe for each individual batch of blended product within the scheduling window. It continuously adjusts product qualities and balances production against market conditions and operational constraints while ensuring compliance with quality specifications. Emerson says this process helps refineries reduce quality giveaway, lower blend component costs, and improve overall profitability.
