KBC Announces Strategic Partnership with AVGI to Help Oil Refiners Drive Profitable Petrochemical Growth

The combination and interoperability of Petro-SIM® and COILSIM1D provides capital efficient design and optimization to petrochemical refinery integrated facilities

HOUSTON, Aug. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — KBC (A Yokogawa Company) is extending its engineering simulation capabilities through a strategic partnership with AVGI, the leading source of simulation and optimization software for modeling olefin technologies. The software solution will deliver capital efficient plant design and optimization through end-to-end modeling of integrated oil refining, aromatics, and steam cracking complexes.

Petrochemical demand growth is rapidly becoming the largest driver of global oil consumption. The International Energy Agency forecasts that petrochemicals will account for more than a third of the growth in oil demand by 2030, and nearly half by 2050. Yet, most oil refineries only convert c. 5-20% of crude feedstocks into petrochemicals. This creates incentive to optimize and re-configure existing facilities, as well as invest in new capacity to meet the demand.

Using reactor simulations for a broad range of feedstocks, furnace and coil geometries, and operating conditions will optimize yield and energy. Integration and data exchange between Petro-SIM and COILSIM1D will enable integrated refinery-petrochemical complexes to maximize their profitability.

"Integration of COILSIM1D with Petro-SIM will open up a wide range of steady state, online and offline simulation opportunities," comments Andy Howell, CEO of KBC. "Integrated models supporting dynamic real-time optimization will further mitigate the risk in transitioning to more petrochemicals in the product slate."

"Through our research capabilities with Ghent University, we are continuing our extensive research into steam cracking technologies. We value this new partnership with KBC for expanding industry access to our know-how and intellectual property," said Kevin Van Geem, Managing Director of AVGI. "We know a large proportion of the oil refining industry get a lot of benefit from KBC's Petro-SIM. Its interoperability with COILSIM1D and use in end-to-end simulation for petrochemicals will unlock even more value for them."

The COILSIM1D module will be available for use in Petro-SIM by October. To find out more please contact your local KBC sales representative or send an email to [email protected], and one of our experts will be in touch. Alternatively, please contact your local Yokogawa sales representative.

About Petro-SIM
Petro-SIM is a process simulator that brings together data and science through a digital framework that is not just scalable but also readily accessible to give people the ability to solve the right problems in real time without abandoning the fidelity and accuracy of the solution. It gives users the ability to create models that reflect a continuously changing reality so they can troubleshoot today's problems and optimize for tomorrow. With Petro-SIM 7 we invite you to Embrace the Science, Empower your People and Enter Digital with us.

About COILSIM1D
COILSIM1D is simulation and optimization software for the ethylene industry developed based on over 40 years of independent research and modelling of thermal cracking reactions by the Laboratory for Chemical Technology of Ghent University. COILSIM1D boosts profitability of steam crackers by maximizing yields and optimizing the process, using highly accurate reactor simulations for the widest possible range of feedstocks, furnace and coil geometries, and operating conditions. The microkinetic model incorporated in COILSIM1D is the most accurate reaction network available for steam cracking of hydrocarbons.

About KBC
KBC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric Corporation, is all about excellence in the Energy and Chemical industry. We make excellence real for our customers through the actions of our people fused with our technology and best practices. We provide leading software and expert services, powered by the cloud, to assure process operations achieve their full potential. Our customers achieve operating performance that surpasses ordinary standards, now and into the future. For more information, visit www.kbc.global.

About AVGI
AVGI is a company based in Ghent that develops and licenses software — specifically COILSIM1D — and provides consulting services in steam cracking to the petrochemical industry. AVGI was spun off from Ghent University in 2015 but remains closely affiliated with Ghent University's Laboratory for Chemical Technology. For more information, visit www.avgi.be.

SOURCE KBC – A Yokogawa Company