Rockwell, E+H alliance targets biofuels

London -Rockwell Automation and Endress + Hauser have formed a strategic alliance to provide their biofuels customers with an integrated approach to help biofuels producers optimise their production processes. The alliance covers the entire system design and implementation – from process design and seamless integration of instrumentation and automation, to life cycle support throughout the project.

Last year, EU leaders agreed biofuels should comprise at least 10% of the overall fuel production by 2020, while the US stipulated a six-fold increase in ethanol production by 2022. To meet such demand, biofuels companies are seeking to expand and optimise production, in part through increased automation and integration of facilities.

According to Rockwell, its process automation sytems can allow biofuel companies to migrate from existing systems or install new, single plant-wide platforms. The integrated offerings, it said, incorporate input from recently acquired companies: ProsCon (modular build and design of process systems);  Pavilion Technologies (model predictive and advanced process systems); and ICS Triplex (safety and critical control).

These technologies are to be integrated with Endress+Hauser's instruments portfolio of level, flow, pressure, temperature and analytical systems and devices to provide a high degree of interoperability. The goal, say the partners, is a seamless flow of information between key components of the manufacturing process – from the field instruments through ERP systems to provide real-time visibility of plant operations.