Chemical operators can upgrade monitoring and control to maintain margins

Chemical producers have always been driven to maintain healthy margins, but right now they face considerable added pressure to do so from multiple directions.

According to Fitch Ratings, weak demand and ample supply will continue to constrain global chemical producers’ volumes and margins throughout 2024, with higher-cost regions such as Europe and Latin America especially hard hit.

At the same time, operators must boost their performance and play their part in the transition towards a low-carbon economy. In 2022, the chemicals segment produced 935 Mt CO2, which it has pledged to reduce to 548 Mt CO2 (-3.0% CAGR) by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. But sustainability is about more than just energy savings. Chemical companies are also expected to meet ever stricter environmental and safety standards all round.

Against this challenging backdrop, operators are looking to optimize their processes and fine tune production efficiencies. That typically means investing in digital systems to manage the plant-wide ‘big picture’, but underpinning any high-level automated solution are the smart sensors that feed it with high-quality plant data on key parameters such as temperature, pressure, and level.??

Today’s digital field instruments can detect process anomalies faster to improve product quality, optimize the use of resources and reduce waste. They can monitor the condition of assets and allow teams to switch to condition-based predictive maintenance strategies. They can even improve health and safety by reducing the need for people to enter hazardous areas.

It all adds up to a step change in production efficiency.

ABB’s range of field instruments for chemical industry applications enables operators to monitor all the process conditions needed to optimize their operations. Today’s instruments are designed to make it easier for users to install and operate monitoring points site-wide without major disruption.

For example, NINVA non-invasive temperature sensors provide a safe and fast way of introducing new temperature measurement points. In a recent application on a sulfuric acid plant, for instance, a NINVA TSP341-N was installed on a pipe using a clamp-on mounting, replacing an existing thermowell that had to be swapped out every few months because of corrosion*.

ABB 2600T pressure measurement options include absolute, gauge and differential pressure, with variants including multivariable transmitters and remote seals. They are available with classic two-wire, digital and wireless connections, again making it easier for operators to install a reliable solution that minimizes disruption.

Meanwhile, ABB’s CoriolisMaster flowmeters can measure mass and volume flow, density, temperature, and concentration in a single, compact unit. They are ideal wherever accurate measurement of chemicals is required for vessel loading or unloading, for example. Meanwhile Swirl and Vortex flowmeters help control energy costs by measuring steam flows used for process heating.

The comprehensive line up of instruments from ABB all feature a common human-machine interface (HMI), making it easier for users to configure, integrate and maintain a growing fleet of diverse measurement products.

Maintaining peak performance has never been more critical for chemical industry operators. Where there is simply no room for error, choosing the right field instruments provides a firm base on which to build more effective solutions.

*Application note - Temperature measurement with non-invasive technology | Sulfuric acid temperature measurement with TSP341-N (abb.com)