Honeywell Experion PKS, HiSpec and Fieldbus attract attention at event
Posted: 27 October 2004
Honeywell’s recent participation at the 11th Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) elicited considerable industry interest, with demonstrations of Experion Process Knowledge Systems (PKS), HiSpec and Fieldbus at the 42 square meter stand.
Pipeline speaks with Hussain Al Atrakchi, Regional General Manager for Honeywell Process Solutions and Honeywell Building Solutions, and Executive Director for Honeywell Middle East, to find out more about Honeywell’s operations in the region.
Honeywell, a global control technologies leader, has been present in the Middle East for decades, this year marking 30 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, and over a decade in Oman and Egypt. But the company has witnessed an important strategic shift among its aligned customers, both upstream and downstream oil and gas majors, who have increasingly moved their bases and their priorities to the Middle East region.
Honeywell’s first project in the region was an Aramco control equipment contract in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1946. The company has since expanded its presence, with 14 offices and service centers in the GCC, Egypt and Levant countries.
Honeywell has over 350 employees across the Middle East and is the region’s leading supplier of advanced control technology to oil and gas, construction, refining and chemical industries. Honeywell is a partner to its customers, providing quality products and excellent after-sales service. Another factor in Honeywell’s expansion has been its investment in expert personnel. This year Honeywell Middle East recruited 60 more engineering staff and will take up to 40 more in 2005.
Honeywell is very committed to the Middle East and has shown its support through sponsorship of the Fieldbus Foundation End User Council – Middle East’s (FFEUC-ME) inaugural meeting ‘Multaqa 2004’ in Manama Bahrain last month. The Fieldbus Foundation is a non-profit organization consisting of over 350 leading process and manufacturing automation companies worldwide whose major purpose is to provide an open and neutral environment for the development of a single, international, interoperable fieldbus. The meeting brought international Fieldbus Foundation (FF) experts together in the Middle East region to share experiences with end user participants.
Al Atrakchi also explained that Honeywell has its own Users Group conferences of which one was held for the first time in the Middle East in Bahrain in March this year. The three-day Bahrain event was attended by 100 users of Honeywell systems, products and services. The Honeywell Users Group conferences are recognized for being among the best technical conferences in the world.
One of the company’s most meaningful commitments to the industry and region is the Honeywell Middle East Automation College, set-up in 1995 at its Middle East headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The college is a world-class training centre, providing training to Honeywell customers and its own staff. The center is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and brings to the region latest technologies, knowledge and experience from Honeywell’s global resource pool.
Al-Atrakchi said the tremendous growth in the construction sector, privatization of power and utilities has driven the need for power generation companies to reduce cost of operations. “In Saudi Arabia, power generation is growing at 12 per cent annually. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) alone registered a 9.85 per cent increase in electricity demand this year and 8.14 per cent in water demand,” he said.
Talking about some of Honeywell’s recent contract wins Al Atrakchi explained the status of the SABIC Ibn Zahr project and Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA). SABIC Ibn Zahr in Jubail Saudi Arabia involves the implementation of advanced process control solutions on two Unipol polypropylene units. Honeywell Profit NLC is ideally suited for polymer applications and delivers many benefits, including: improvement in plant throughput during periods of high polymer demand and plant constraints; reduction in grade transition times and process upsets; and increased operational stability.
This agreement continues the longstanding relationship between Honeywell - as Honeywell Turki Arabia Ltd. (HTAL) - and SABIC in the Middle East. Honeywell has worked on automation projects for a number of SABIC affiliates over the past 20 years in Saudi Arabia, and has earned a reputation as a leading supplier of advanced process control solutions and comprehensive services for the chemical industry.
Aluminium Bahrain is undergoing a plant expansion to increase production from 530,000 to 840,000 tonnes per annum with the construction of new Potline-5. Honeywell has provided the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Potline-5. ALBA joins a growing number of mining and metals customers that use Honeywell Business.FLEX® solutions to effectively manage their businesses. To better serve ALBA, Honeywell has partnered with the AST Group of South Africa, who will provide domain expertise in aluminum smelting and consulting services for the SAP scope of the project. The project is well underway and is expected to be completed in March 2005.
Honeywell clients include major oil and gas operators. In the building solutions sector it is major airports, hotels and shopping centers. Major projects under execution are for Aramco, Zadco, Adgas, Gasco, Adco, KJO, Sabic, Alba, KOC, QP and PDO.
Al Atrakchi said Honeywell was committed to enhancing the production operations of its customers’ plants, with its comprehensive portfolio of advanced control solutions down stream.
Posted by Alexander Lindsay, Editor Pipeline Magazine
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