SK Inno Leads Digital Transformation of World's Largest Ulsan CLX

Successful Digital Conversion of Over 10 Million Data Records for Essential Digital Transformation in Green Workplaces

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] SK Energy announced on the 17th that SK Innovation Ulsan Complex (Ulsan CLX) has successfully digitized over 10 million pieces of equipment management data. This is expected to bring innovative changes in enhancing the eco-friendly capabilities and efficiency of the world's largest petrochemical complex.

Ulsan CLX operates about 600,000 process equipment units tightly interconnected across approximately 2.5 million pyeong of land. Additionally, the vast amount of equipment-related data is intricately intertwined, making it difficult to grasp at a glance. Until now, to find the past history of specific equipment, systems and documents had to be searched individually, and maintenance histories and operational know-how were passed down experientially from seniors to juniors.

In 2015, Ulsan CLX recognized the need for digital transformation during the process of analyzing data related to equipment process operations for cost efficiency. Since 2019, it independently designed and developed a system for digital transformation, which finally bore fruit after about two years.

The next-generation equipment management system, OCEAN-HUB (OCEAN-H), led by the SK Energy next-generation equipment management system construction unit and thoroughly verified by Ulsan CLX production site members, has completed refining/building over 80% of the data and is scheduled to open in June.

OCEAN-H, which enables digital equipment management, can be considered the beginning of an equipment genome project. To predict equipment failures in advance and provide accurate maintenance methods, precise standard information such as material, design temperature and pressure, maintenance and failure histories of the equipment and similar equipment, and operating conditions are required, making accurate data essential. OCEAN-H is a system that can systematically accumulate accurate data, and in the future, based on OCEAN-H data such as maintenance history, big data and AI technologies will be introduced to enable the equipment genome project.

The standard information data for Ulsan CLX’s process equipment (about 600,000 units) exceeds an average of 20 types, with roughly over 12 million data points. Proper standard information was established, and a separate system for data refinement was configured to carry out data cleansing. Moreover, through intense meetings almost daily involving members from the field managing the equipment, production, Safety, Health & Environment (SHE), and technical organizations, an equipment management process was derived and repeatedly revised by reflecting feedback from field members to establish the optimal equipment management process.

Once OCEAN-H is implemented in June, digital integrated management of the entire Ulsan CLX process?including piping, all process equipment, buildings, and vehicles?will be possible. This is expected to be an innovative change that will enable Ulsan CLX to leap forward as a green complex, raising great expectations among the industry and Ulsan CLX members.

Jung Chang-hoon, team leader in charge of next-generation equipment management system construction, said, "Through innovation in work methods and efficient operation of an agile organization involving related departments, we successfully built OCEAN-H, which contains 60 years of equipment management know-how, contributing to Ulsan CLX’s advancement as a green complex."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.