Emerson Process Management has won a $4 million contract to automate the modernization and expansion of the zinc extraction process for Boliden Odda AS, a major zinc producer and refiner in Norway.
Engineering is under way, and start-up is complete in the first phase of the project.
As main automation contractor, Emerson, in cooperation with Outokumpu, is planning, designing, and engineering the process automation system as part of a PlantWeb digital plant architecture to optimise the new extraction process in Odda, Norway.
Boliden Odda will benefit from advanced control and improved process uptime and maintenance efficiency, while maintaining its excellent environmental performance.
“We are pleased to help Boliden Odda AS by augmenting the production efficiency of their new process with the efficiency improvements delivered by PlantWeb,” commented John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management.
“PlantWeb has delivered dramatic reductions in project engineering costs, and significant improvement in operations efficiency in thousands of installations around the world.
The new direct leaching process of zinc concentrates was designed by Outokumpu to improve the cost efficiency and versatility of production.
It will enable the use of a wider quality range of zinc concentrates, increasing the volume to the plant by about 10 percent.
The modernization will lay the foundation for cost efficient technology in any future expansion.
The Boliden Odda installation of PlantWeb architecture will use the DeltaV digital automation system with embedded advanced control that includes auto-tuning, fuzzy logic, neural networks and model-based predictive control.
Process and equipment health will be continuously monitored as intelligent field devices perform diagnostics and communicate status via Foundation fieldbus networks.
AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager within the DeltaV system provides easy access for operations and maintenance personnel to maximise operational performance.
Approximately 55 Foundation fieldbus segments provide communications for more than 400 instruments.
Also, 25 Profibus DP segments provide control interface to 400 motors.
The DeltaV system will include 9 operator and maintenance workstations with 18 controllers, and connect with an OSIsoft Real-Time Performance Management System.
A second phase of the project will add further controllers, doubling the system capacity to 10,000 DST tags.
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