Using Asset Performance Management Insights to Lower Emissions and Aid the Energy Transition

For decades, the best-run energy producers have leaned into Asset Performance Management (APM) programs and software to enhance their operational excellence. Doing so requires effort on the part of people and organizations to change how they work as best practices and software alone cannot do the work. But when done so well, the results are impressive: Up to 40 percent reductions in reactive maintenance and EH&S events, up to 6 percent increase in availability and up to 10 percent lower inventory costs, to name a few.

We believe, the energy industry must expand the definition of operational excellence, incorporating the added challenge of decarbonizing their production processes in the pursuit of providing reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy.

Fortunately, APM is designed to play a foundational role by  providing insights that can help organizations identify opportunities to optimize their asset reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of industrial processes and energy systems. In turn, more optimized processes can result in lower emissions. Efficiency alone can have the potential to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions by around 20 percent for a typical oil and gas industrial, and most energy efficiency levers are net-present-value positive, even before the potential cost of carbon taxes is considered.

How is this possible? APM is designed to enable the customer to engage strategies and technologies that help monitor, analyze, and manage the performance of critical assets throughout their lifecycle. Although decarbonization is far from the first thing that comes to mind when discussing APM, organizations using GE Vernova’s software are discovering more tangible ways to use data to track and measure emissions impact.

Early Anomaly Detection and Predictive Maintenance: Asset Performance Management is designed to utilize near real-time data, sensors, and predictive analytics to detect anomalies and deviations from normal operating conditions in assets. By identifying early signs of inefficiencies or malfunctions, APM helps address issues before they escalate, thus preventing breakdowns that can be emissions intensive. Within Asset Performance Management, users can leverage features such as Digital Twin comparison to help ensure assets are operating within expected thresholds. This detection also helps maintenance teams optimize performance, which can impact fuel consumption and output.

One of the primary goals of Asset Performance Management is to enable maintenance interventions based on the actual condition of assets rather than pre-set schedules. By shifting to a preventative or predictive model, asset anomalies can be mitigated far in advance, again impacting overall performance.

Efficiency Optimization: Asset Performance Management is designed to focus on optimizing the efficiency of assets. Efficiently operating assets consume fewer resources, such as energy and raw materials, to achieve the same output. This can translate to reduced emissions associated with resource consumption and energy use. Using an APM that is engineered with industry expertise, organizations are empowered to deploy strategies that are developed to help get the most out of each asset. This enables for the digitization of associated work and thus helping organizations improve efficiency.

Minimizing Process Upsets: Unexpected process upsets and equipment failures can lead to emissions spikes. APM's near real-time monitoring and predictive capabilities helps identify factors that could lead to upsets, enabling operators to take preventive actions and maintain stable operations. To expand, imagine if you knew an asset would require maintenance weeks in advance and could align current maintenance strategies to include that asset? Rather than waiting for the asset to fail and re-dispatching maintenance teams, the work can be done in the same process—saving you and your employees time and resources – and potentially travel and other elements that add to emissions.

Energy Consumption Reduction: Asset Performance Management helps identify opportunities for reducing energy consumption by monitoring asset performance and identifying areas where energy efficiency can be improved. One area that APM can help reduce consumption is by monitoring the heat rate of assets in the field. Using asset reliability software in conjunction with performance monitoring can help power generators optimize maintenance schedules to reduce heat rate and fuel use.

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Asset Performance Management is designed to provide decision-makers with data-driven insights into asset performance, asset health, and efficiency. This enables more informed decisions about equipment upgrades and operational changes that can impact emissions. By generating a single pane of glass for organizations, APM can be composable to leverage data from across applications to achieve a common goal. In the case of emissions, relevant data can be aggregated from across systems and used to generate insights to achieve decarbonization goals.

Aligning asset performance to emissions reduction goals: APM involves continuous monitoring, analysis, and improvement of asset performance. By continually optimizing operations, Asset Performance Management can be used to align how assets are operated, maintained, commissioned and decommissioned towards operations are more efficient, in a way that’s scalable for future needs.

To really understand the power of Asset Performance Management to reduce emissions, we’ll look at an all-too-common occurrence: A trip. This refers to the unplanned shutdown or shutdown of a refinery's operations. This can have significant implications for fugitive emissions. According to McKinsey & Company, 57 percent of all emissions from the oil and gas industry are fugitive and preventable.

Fugitive emissions are unintended releases of gases, vapors, or liquids from industrial processes, equipment, or facilities. These emissions can include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and other pollutants that contribute to air pollution and environmental concerns. The impact of a refinery trip on fugitive emissions can be substantial due to various factors:

1. Startup and Shutdown Emissions: During a refinery trip, especially during startup or shutdown procedures, there can be heightened fugitive emissions due to the release of gases and vapors from equipment that is being brought online or taken offline. Valves, pipes, seals, and other components may release gases into the atmosphere as pressure and temperatures change.

2. Pressure Relief: To ensure safety, pressure relief valves may release gases to prevent overpressure during a shutdown. These releases can contribute to fugitive emissions, especially if the gases released are volatile or contain pollutants.

3. Seal Degradation: Seals and gaskets in equipment, such as pumps and valves, may degrade over time. A refinery trip can exacerbate this degradation, leading to increased leakage and fugitive emissions.

4. Temperature Variations: Temperature changes during a shutdown or startup can cause components to expand or contract, potentially affecting the integrity of seals and connections. This can lead to increased fugitive emissions.

5. Maintenance Activities: Refinery trips often involve maintenance activities, such as repairs and replacements. These activities may require the opening of equipment, resulting in fugitive emissions if not properly managed.

6. Flaring: Flaring, a controlled burning of gases, may occur during a refinery trip as a safety measure to prevent the accumulation of combustible gases. While flaring is designed to minimize environmental impact, it can still result in the release of emissions.

Predictive analytics, such as GE Vernova’s SmartSignal equipment downtime prevention software, is designed to help mitigate unplanned downtime such as a plant trip. SmartSignal can detect, diagnose, predict, and prevent critical failures for many of the factors listed above. SmartSignal analytics are built on unrivaled industry expertise and proven across the world’s largest energy organizations. Unlike generic AI/ML solutions, SmartSignal provides users access to powerful Digital Twin blueprints designed with OEM knowledge that accelerate time-to-value.

In the pursuit of emissions reduction and sustainability, APM emerges as a strategic enabler. By helping teams to operate assets optimally, efficiently, and reliably, APM directly contributes to lowering resource consumption, energy use, and emissions. As industries transition towards greener practices, APM serves as a cornerstone for optimizing operations, enhancing environmental stewardship, and achieving long-term sustainability objectives.