the way for advanced applications across other high-risk units. Key drivers behind adoption include: • Stricter regulations and safety standards : Regulators worldwide are raising the bar on safety and environmen- tal compliance. Agencies like the US EPA now recognise digital twins and other advanced technologies as reliable tools that replace scheduled inspections with ongoing monitoring. • Reliability and predictive maintenance : Corrosion- related failures remain a major burden. A single CDU out- age can incur significant losses. With ageing infrastructure, real-time corrosion surveillance extends equipment life and supports proactive maintenance planning. • Emissions reduction and energy transition : Sustainability initiatives are accelerating the shift towards low-carbon operations. Digital twins provide the operational visibility needed to reduce inefficiencies and CO₂ emissions. This is
upstream oil and gas companies via digitalisation, digital twins, and energy transitions. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Mumbai. Email: Jagadesh.Donepudi@kbc.global Michelle Wicmandy is the Marketing Campaigns Manager at KBC (A Yokogawa Company) in Houston, Texas, with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications. She serves on the Forbes Communication Council and has contributed to both academic and trade publications. Wicmandy holds a DBA in business adminis - tration. Email: Michelle.Wicmandy@kbc.global Ashok Pathak is the Technology Services Consultant at KBC (A Yokogawa Company) in India. He has more than 16 years of experi - ence in the process modelling and simulations of refinery and petro - chemical units. Ashok holds a Masters in chemical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Email: Ashok.Pathak@kbc.global
especially critical as refiners pro - cess more corrosive biofeeds and hydrogen-rich fuels. In short, CDU overhead digi - tal twins are becoming essential to modern refinery operations. By addressing corrosion risks alongside strategic priorities like compliance, asset integrity, and sustainability, digital twins are more than an innovation – they are Bringing Decarbonization to Life.
Petro-SIM Bringing Decarboniaztion to Life are marks of KBC. OLI is a mark of OLI Systems, Inc. and
References 1 Wicmandy, M., Donepudi, J., Tellez- Schmall, R., Revolutionising refining with digital twins, PTQ Q1 2024 , p.62. 2 Khattak, A., Corrosion in the oil & gas industry: A costly challenge, OGN, May 2025 (Vol 42/Issue 5). 3 NACE International, IMPACT Report, Assessment of the global cost of corrosion. 4 Dugan, G, et al. , Multiple corrosion mechanisms in crude distillation over- head systems, Digital Refining, July 2009. 5 Kumar, N., Watanabe, J., Digital twin: Corrosion prediction and digital advi- sory system . Yokogawa blog, August 21, 2020, Jagadesh Donepudi is the Director for Business Development South Asia at KBC (A Yokogawa Company) in India. He has more than 30 years of expe - rience adding value to refineries and
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