Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
ADNOC is turning the spotlight on the future of petrochemical operations, demonstrating how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming control rooms into fully autonomous, smarter and safer environments.
At ADIPEC 2025, visitors can experience a live demonstration of an AI-driven control room, which can detect, make decisions and act without human supervision.
In one scenario, the AI autonomously detects low oxygen levels in the flue gas, explains the corrective steps it takes, and restores safe operation.
Ayisha Alhashmi, Team Leader for Operation Support (PE Plants) at ADNOC, explained that the company is using AI to simulate the expertise of senior panel operators.
"This AI automation is placed in our control rooms to take immediate action on behalf of our operators," Alhashmi told Aletihad. "For example, if an upset happens during silent hours, the system can detect it, intervene, issue an alarm, and alert the operator, who can then step in manually if needed."
The autonomous operations control room, developed by Borouge in collaboration with global partners including Honeywell and Yokogawa, will be running at select ADNOC Gas sites this December.
It leverages AI systems that continuously monitor plant processes, manage abnormal situations in real time, and use intelligent algorithms to replicate human decision-making.
Alhashmi noted that AI-driven control rooms help reduce downtime by detecting issues early, enhance safety through continuous autonomous monitoring, and prioritise critical alerts to lower alarm fatigue.
By shifting operations from reactive to proactive, she added, these systems anticipate and mitigate problems before they escalate, ensure consistent performance across shifts, improve coordination between field and panel operators, and streamline handovers and reporting with automated documentation and chatbot interfaces.
