The Potential of the Industrial Metaverse in the Energy Sector

Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote speech in 2021 might have shot the term Metaverse into the mainstream, but it wasn’t a new idea, nor the first time it was discussed. Science fiction writer Neil Stevenson first coined it in his 1992 novel Snow Crash as a place where the characters could go to escape a dreary totalitarian reality.

The Metaverse has been gaining traction for quite some time now. With Meta and its competitors leaving no stone unturned in their quest to keep discovering this futuristic concept, we've all got a glimpse into what the Metaverse could look like in the future. But, the potential scope of this technology extends far beyond gaming and entertainment. Various forecasts predict global Metaverse revenue to hit the $800 billion mark by 2024, a significant increase from approximately $500 billion in 2020. While the exact contribution of the industrial sector to this revenue remains up in the air, it's clear that Metaverse will have a considerable impact on industrial operations.

Unlocking New Possibilities

Industries are taking a bold step towards creating their own metaverses, also known as Industrial Metaverse – digital ecosystems incorporating cutting-edge technologies, including digital twins, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The goal? To revolutionise interactions with people, assets, processes and objects. These industrial metaverses provide an immersive, real-time, collaborative environment that fuses the digital and physical worlds, enabling businesses to simulate real-world scenarios. The benefits? Streamlined workflows, improved communication, optimised processes and enhanced collaboration, all leading to better decision-making. The energy industry is no exception to this trend, and embracing it can lead to decreased operational costs, increased productivity and a competitive edge in today's fast-paced digital world.

Immersive project progress & design reviews, virtual collaboration, and immersive training are just a few examples of the remarkable capabilities of the metaverse for the energy industry. Moreover, the metaverse allows for remote monitoring and maintenance of critical infrastructure. And with the possibility of expanding its capabilities to AI/Machine Learning (ML) model retraining, cutting-edge robotics R&D and energy & emissions analysis, the metaverse is set to revolutionise how the energy industry operates.

Dr Abdullah Al-Halafi, Networks and Systems Specialist and Digital Twin leader, Saudi Aramco suggests that, "the industrial metaverse can function as a digital ecosystem founded on Digital Twin technology, fused with virtual and augmented reality tools, and powered by artificial intelligence and the industrial internet-of-things. This integration will provide real-time status updates, creating immersive and collaborative virtual multi-dimensions for industrial facilities during their entire lifecycle. The metaverse will act as a digital twin for various assets and utilised at a corporate level; this wouldn't be something for the public to consume."

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Unleashing the Senses of Digital Technologies

The industrial metaverse is not merely a single technology; rather, it represents an integrated ecosystem, “Digital technologies for an asset or facility can be compared to human senses in that they serve as crucial means to collect, process, and interpret information from the surrounding environment, ultimately helping to improve integrated operations. Just as human senses work harmoniously to provide a comprehensive understanding of our environment, digital technologies should be seamlessly integrated to interact and exchange information for optimal results.” Said Wassim Ghadban, Vice President of Global Innovation & Digital Engineering at Kent.

The Energy industry is already undergoing a transformative change with the advent of the Industrial Metaverse, and Subject Matter Experts from ADNOC, Aramco, and Kent have pulled together compelling examples of this ground breaking development.

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Engineering Design Intelligent Reviews

The metaverse boosts collaboration and design innovation for energy companies in a virtual environment. Engineers and stakeholders can interact with 3D/4D/5D models, simulations, and data to identify potential issues, optimise designs, and make informed decisions. By allowing real-time collaboration among geographically dispersed teams, the metaverse reduces time spent on revisions and improves design quality.

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Project Progress Reviews

In the era of the industrial metaverse, project reviews have evolved into a more immersive and precise experience. Stakeholders are now able to virtually visit project sites, assess progress, and tackle issues in real-time, increasing collaboration and accuracy. The metaverse also offers the option to overlay project timelines, advanced work packages, data, and key performance indicators, enabling teams to track progress and mitigate issues more efficiently. The digital twin capabilities of the metaverse provide a comprehensive view of ongoing projects and their effect on corporate plans, further enhancing strategic planning and implementation.

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Workforce Training and Development

Immersive training through the metaverse can revolutionise workforce development in the energy industry. By leveraging VR and AR technologies, employees can undergo realistic training scenarios, safely practice complex procedures, and develop skills in a controlled environment. This hands-on approach to training not only accelerates learning but also reduces the risks associated with on-site training.

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Remote Operation and Maintenance

The industrial metaverse is transforming operations and accelerating remote monitoring and maintenance in the energy sector by integrating IoT devices, sensors, and real-time data. Through the metaverse, engineers can access a virtual replica of assets and equipment, allowing them to troubleshoot issues, perform maintenance, and monitor performance from any location. This streamlined approach reduces the need for on-site visits, increases operational efficiency, and minimises downtime. The digital twin functionality also allows companies to test and validate new maintenance strategies before implementing them in the physical world.

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AI/ML Models Development and Retraining

The industrial metaverse can provide a virtual environment for AI/ML models to be trained and tested. This can help to improve the accuracy and performance of the models. It can also be used to simulate real-world conditions and scenarios, which can help to test the robustness of AI/ML models and through what-if analysis, the models will generate enormous sets of data that will be used to retrain train AI/ML models and achieve much higher performances.

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Robotics and Autonomous Aerial Vehicles R&D

The metaverse has the potential to revolutionise the way that we develop and use robots in the industry. By using the metaverse, we can create robots that are more efficient, effective, and safe. The metaverse presents myriad possibilities for advancing robotics. For example, it can be used to:

o??Create virtual simulations of robots and their environments. This can be used to test and train robots without the need for physical robots or environments.

o??Design and prototype new robots. This can be done using virtual tools to create and test new robot designs.

o??Communicate with robots. This can be done using virtual interfaces to send commands to robots and receive feedback from them.

o??Collaborate on robot projects. This can be done using virtual tools to share ideas and work on robot projects together.

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Energy and Emissions Analysis and Optimisation

The metaverse offers a chance to pinpoint energy inefficiencies and fine-tune facility emissions at every stage of the lifecycle - from initial design to ongoing maintenance and operation. Engineers will be able to track the energy consumption of different parts of the process. It is possible to identify areas where energy is being wasted or can be optimised, and improvement actions can be simulated instantly.

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Final Thoughts on Embracing a New Era in Energy

It is clear that the Industrial Metaverse has immense potential to revolutionise operations in the energy industry. With its ability to create seamless interactions between people, assets, processes and objects from anywhere in the world at any time, the industrial metaverse could be a game changer for the future of the energy industry, one that we believe should be embraced.

By Dr Khaled Al Blooshi, Vice President, Digital Projects & Innovation at ADNOC – Dr Abdullah Al-Halafi, Networks and Systems Specialist, Saudi Aramco - Wassim Ghadban, VP of Digital and Innovation at Kent

?The full article is published in Oil&Gas Middle East, which you can find here:?https://bit.ly/43oxTPw