AVEVA and HMEL partner to drive digital transformation in the refining sector

By Staff Report February 15, 2025 11:26 am IST

AVEVA and HPCL Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance digital transformation in India’s refining and petrochemical sector. The agreement aligns with the government’s Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives and supports the nation’s Net-Zero 2070 vision.

AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, and HPCL Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL), a leading Indian integrated refining and petrochemical company, have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement enables both companies to advance digital transformation in India’s refining and petrochemical sector, aligning with the government’s Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives while supporting the nation’s Net-Zero 2070 vision.

With India’s refining capacity set to increase from 250 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) to 450 MMTPA by 2030, digital solutions will be crucial to ensuring facilities operate at global standards of efficiency and sustainability.  AVEVA offers its portfolio of industrial software solutions, including its cloud-based industrial platform, digital twins, advanced analytics, and AI-driven technologies, along with comprehensive support services and global implementation expertise.

A digital-first organisation, HMEL operates one of India’s most modern integrated refinery-petrochemical complexes—the ‘Guru Gobind Singh Refinery’—in’ Bathinda, Punjab. With powerful capabilities in refining operations, deep domain knowledge, and extensive technical expertise in petrochemical manufacturing, the complex comprises an 11.3 MMTPA crude oil refinery and a 1.2 MMTPA multi-feed cracker along with 1.2 MMTPA polyethylene (PE) and 1.0 MMTPA polypropylene (PP) plants. Leveraging the latest technology and partnering with the best has enabled HMEL to deliver stellar operational performance and profitability with strict adherence to safety and environmental standards.

Through this MoU, they seek to collaborate on initiatives such as the development of a Centre of Excellence and a next-generation Refinery Command Centre by leveraging technologies such as real-time operational intelligence, process optimisation, predictive maintenance, and supply chain enhancement.

Ajit Kulkarni, India Market Head at AVEVA, said, “Energy-related initiatives are crucial to India’s future as they align with the nation’s goals for reducing carbon emissions, improving energy security, and fostering sustainable industrial development. This collaboration marks a milestone in building a more sustainable and energy-efficient future for India’s refining sector. By combining advanced digital solutions with HMEL’s operational expertise, we aim to drive measurable improvements in energy efficiency and sustainability and optimise resource utilisation. This partnership highlights AVEVA’s commitment to supporting India’s transition to cleaner, more sustainable industrial operations through technological innovation that will help meet the country’s evolving energy demands and environmental goals.”

Prabh Das, Managing Director and CEO, HMEL, added, “As one of India’s most advanced integrated refinery-petrochemical companies, HMEL is committed to setting new benchmarks in operational excellence through digital innovation.  HMEL is excited to partner with AVEVA to augment the digital transformation of the refinery-petchem sector. This collaboration aims to combine our refining expertise with AVEVA’s digital solutions to explore new opportunities for our customers. Together, we look forward to working towards innovative solutions that could benefit India’s energy sector and end users.”

The MOU was signed by Harak Banthia, CFO, HMEL, and Ajit Kulkarni, India Market Head, AVEVA India, in the presence of senior officials from HMEL and AVEVA, demonstrating both companies’ strong commitment to this partnership.

Through this collaboration, HMEL and AVEVA aim to work together to establish new industry standards for digital transformation in refining, contributing to India’s energy security and sustainability objectives while creating a blueprint for the future of intelligent refining operations.