Aspen Technology, Inc. announced that Heide Refinery, one of the most complex refineries in Europe, has licensed Aspen Generic Dynamic Optimization Technology (GDOT) software to achieve production levels more closely aligned to plan. The solution will be deployed to help improve refinery margins with real-time, closed-loop, dynamic optimization increasing the flexibility of operations. GDOT will maximize against operational constraints across the refinery and help to reduce finished product quality giveaway, improving business results. 

 

Heide Refinery has an annual processing capacity of 4.5 million tonnes of crude oil, equal to the oil demands of the entire state of Schleswig-Holstein. The refinery produces traditional petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and aviation fuel. It also produces light heating oil and base materials for the chemicals industry. Raffinerie Heide, which is one of the most complex refineries in Europe, is among the best in the continent in terms of utilisation and availability thanks to its strict standards of care in relation to maintenance.The refinery is part of Germany’s ambitious Westküste 100 project, focused on implementing industrial green hydrogen projects.

 

Juergen Wollschlaeger, CEO at Heide Refinery said: “AspenTech’s GDOT will improve agility in our response to changes in market conditions, such as those we are experiencing right now. It will optimize our production by continuously adjusting targets in the individual controllers within the Advanced Process Control layer so that they align with the economic objectives from planning and scheduling. Ultimately GDOT will optimize profits by minimizing finished product quality giveaway and maximizing production of the most valuable products.”

 

Matt Holland, vice president of sales for EURA, Aspen Technology added: “The global energy industry is facing a number of unforeseen challenges today. Operational flexibility for refineries is more crucial than ever in this environment. Our GDOT technology will give Heide Refinery the increased agility and flexibility in its operations that this unpredictable landscape demands.”