Control upgrade: BASF installs Experion in plastic processing units in Ludwigshafen

By Control Engineering Staff June 6, 2007

Honeywell Process Solutions will be installing its Experion process knowledge system (PKS) in two operating units in BASF’s sprawling Ludwigshafen chemical facility . The technology allows BASF to retain much of the legacy equipment while combining operation of the two units into one control facility and upgrading many functions.

“The solution we’ve delivered enables BASF to use its existing automation units for the next 15 years, but allows the customer to benefit from a new generation of operator interfaces,” says Paul Orzeske, vice president, Honeywell Process Solutions, EMEA. “In essence, this allows BASF to run a state-of-the-art system without the expense of a totally new system.”

Using Honeywell technology, BASF will have a more powerful process control system and more sophisticated HMIs. Combining two control rooms into one will enable BASF to improve its operator deployment using more advanced displays, alarms and reporting capabilities included in the Experion package.

BASF has 150 production sites and 95,000 employees worldwide. These two units in Ludwigshafen produce feedstocks for plastic manufacturing elsewhere in the facility. The overall site claims the record as the world’s largest chemical plant, covering 10 square kilometers with 80 buildings.

—Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, PWelander@cfemedia.com ,
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