Honeywell Technologies has launched Forge Plant Cognition, an industrial AI platform built with NVIDIA AI and accelerated computing capabilities, and Dell Technologies’ AI infrastructure. The platform is designed to help refining, petrochemical and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) operators generate greater value from their existing assets and transform plant operations.
Launching first at Dangote’s petroleum refinery in Lekki, Nigeria – one of the world’s largest single train refineries – the project is targeting an increase in throughput while strengthening the capabilities of its local engineering and operations teams. Based on preliminary data, Honeywell Technologies estimates that AI-enabled optimization with Forge Plant Cognition could deliver operational benefit[1] of more than 29 cents a barrel at the Lekki Refinery. At full-capacity throughput, this would generate more than $60 million in gross benefit per year for this specific facility.
“Industrial plants are among the most complex operating environments in the world, with enormous potential to realize greater performance and value using digital technologies and connected solutions,” said Rajesh Gattupalli, President, Honeywell Technologies UOP. “By collaborating with Dangote to launch Forge Plant Cognition, we are demonstrating how AI can help transform industrial operations, driving new levels of productivity, reliability and profitability at significant scale.”
Built on Honeywell Technologies’ recently launched Forge Cognition platform, the new solution combines process technology expertise, industrial automation and AI capabilities to help operators identify performance constraints, anticipate problems and translate insights into actions that improve operational outcomes. Unlike conventional AI solutions that primarily analyze data and generate recommendations, Forge Plant Cognition is designed to move beyond simply monitoring and responding by combining real-time operating data, engineering knowledge and Honeywell Technologies UOP’s deep process expertise with trusted calculations and physics-based models.
Forge Plant Cognition is designed to help deliver value across three critical areas:
Capture hidden margin: Identify bottlenecks and help optimize throughput, yield and product value across interconnected processes.
Protect production: Detect emerging equipment and process issues, recommend corrective actions and help minimize unplanned downtime.
Scale industrial expertise: Embed specialized process knowledge into AI-powered workflows, helping operators and engineers make faster, more consistent decisions.
With more than a century of experience designing and operating refineries, Honeywell Technologies UOP has a deep understanding of how even the smallest changes in operating conditions can impact efficiency and throughput. Specialized AI capabilities are designed to use integrated intelligence based on this information to identify operational constraints and recommend actions to improve plant performance.
The platform is powered by Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA and supported by Dell Services. NVIDIA Nemotron open models power agents that understand and interpret operational data, while NVIDIA Omniverse libraries help create a digital twin of the plant and its processes for simulation-based training and planning. Additionally, NVIDIA Cosmos open models with the NVIDIA Metropolis VSS Blueprint enable vision AI agents for real-time alerts and detection of anomalies. NVIDIA PhysicsNemo framework is used for building, training, and fine-tuning efficient and performant physics AI models at scale to realize innovative digital twin integrated agile plant optimization workflows.
Driving Expanded Value with Dangote
Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Nigeria, one of the world’s largest single-train refineries, will integrate its operating data with Honeywell Technologies’ process expertise and AI-powered optimization capabilities to help identify operational constraints, accelerate troubleshooting and enable more informed decisions.
“We chose Honeywell Technologies’ Forge Plant Cognition because the platform can deliver unrivaled industrial expertise combined with differentiated AI capabilities to help us optimize performance, unlock greater value from our operations and evolve how we operate our assets,” said David Bird, CEO and Managing Director, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE. “This investment reinforces our commitment to operational excellence, advancing technology and developing Nigerian talent to operate at world-class standards.”
Beyond operational performance, Forge Plant Cognition will support Dangote’s commitment to developing a highly skilled local workforce. By embedding specialized process knowledge into AI powered tools, the platform will help engineers and operators access expert guidance, accelerate problem-solving and build technical capabilities. As Dangote expands its workforce, these capabilities will support its goal of developing a workforce that is 70% Nigerian, reducing reliance on external expertise over time.
Building on nearly a decade of collaboration, the two companies recently announced that Honeywell Technologies is helping the refinery increase its capacity from 650,000 to 1.4 million barrels per day within three years, by optimizing existing assets and speeding up market delivery.
