Decarbonisation Technology - February 2025 Issue

Looking to the 2030 decarbonisation challenge, including Scope 1 and 2 emissions, Deloitte pointed to the future of energy, where companies are “optimising production and reservoir management through the use of digital tools such as IoT sensors, digital twins, and virtual reality to model scenarios, monitor operations, track emissions and energy usage and proactively maintain equipment” (Deloitte, 2020) . Through a digital twin, a site’s existing energy consumption data is combined with an existing infrastructure map, and proposed energy management solutions and their interactions with the site can be assessed before any installation is commissioned. Harnessing data allows for stress-testing: building a digital twin enables the evaluation of technologies in diverse conditions and for potential issues to be identified and rectified at the design stage. For example, where there may be conflicts between existing infrastructure and planned electrification technologies, these can be identified at the outset. This approach provides the necessary issue resolution, helping to ensure the crucial reliability of power and optimising performance at the earliest opportunity in the project timeline. O&G companies may be looking for a range of options for both short- and longer-term electrification. The accumulation of data through AI-driven microgrid EMS can assist in the evaluation of these opportunities. When considering investor appetite for O&G electrification and sustainability, comprehensive modelling of intricate Behind the Meter power flows and systems can improve investor confidence to gain vital funding and project approvals. This is particularly powerful if the energy management technology partner has genuine grid emulators that are able to recreate real-time grid supply on the digital model and thus guarantee accuracy. Conclusion O&G is in a state of flux. The sector has a huge role to play through the energy transition and beyond. Fifty-plus companies – accounting for more than 40% of global oil production – have signed up to the OGDC, pledging their commitment to net-zero operations by 2050. Yet many decarbonisation elements are outside of their direct control. Managing and documenting

Figure 3 Deploying a digital twin can inform a sustainability strategy Scope 1 and 2 emissions is vital for companies seeking to thrive in the coming decades. Mitigation is critical on the journey to net zero. Companies wanting to plan, monitor, measure, and demonstrate steps towards decarbonisation through the energy transition need accurate data. While negotiating Scope 3 emissions presents a more complicated challenge than Scope 1 and 2 – as is true for all sectors – the electrification of O&G operational processes and infrastructure has a significant role to play in addressing overall net-zero ambitions and commitments. O&G is vital to the global economy and is a sector uniquely placed to lead a secure energy transition. It has the expertise, infrastructure, and experience in managing complex projects and complicated supply chains – all necessary to negotiate net zero. The sector has the appetite for innovation that is vital for global decarbonisation. Throughout the energy transition, data – its collection, management, and capacity to inform short- and longer-term management technologies such as microgrids, AI-driven energy management, and digital twins can make decarbonisation less of an unknown quantity. Data-driven insights into energy infrastructure can help de-risk investment in electrification, smoothing the path to net zero. sustainability strategies – is crucial. Along the net-zero journey, energy

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Daniel Mardapittas