Rockwell Automation provide energy management at Dow

Dow Chemical Company has awarded a contract to Rockwell Automation to provide an energy management system at Dow's 1,500-acre petrochemical processing facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana.

Rockwell Automation's Power & Energy Management Solutions team will deliver a system that will incorporate real-time power monitoring and communications technology to increase system reliability, optimise energy use, and reduce electrical costs.

Among the key functions of the energy management system is power monitoring, which will provide Dow with real-time status and historical views of power system distribution and availability. This will enable Dow to make cost-effective energy decisions, as well as quickly identify and troubleshoot power distribution system problems to minimise process downtime. The system also provides diagnostics to ensure that transducers and data collection equipment is working properly.

The system also includes load shedding and tie line management functionality. The system will perform load shedding to quickly disconnect loads to preserve power system stability in the event of loss of utility power or power from any of Dow's on-site generators. The tie line management function verifies monthly electric billing and helps operators limit energy demand to reduce energy costs.

'It's critical that we closely monitor the condition of our steam and electrical system and maintain a supply and demand balance at optimum levels,' said Jim Landry, project manager at Dow. 'If we lose a piece of generating equipment, we need to be able to quickly look at our system and see if we can make up this energy from other units, or if we need to shed load. This is in line with our constant commitment to minimize cost and maximize plant reliability.'

'One of our functionality requirements was a system that would allow us to capture event data at each of the various remote sites,' Landry said. 'If an event happens at a remote site, the system will tell us precisely where the problem is and will capture pre- and post-event data detailing exactly what happened at the site. This is valuable information for enhancing the reliability of our distribution system.'

Established in 1956, Dow's Louisiana operation is one of the largest petrochemical facilities in Louisiana. The 1,500-acre facility, with 23 production units, manufactures more than 50 different basic and specialty chemical products shipped worldwide.

For more information about Rockwell Automation go to www.rockwellautomation.com