Ventia's engineering consulting subsidiary (ICD Asia Pacific) is partnering with our client, BlueScope, on key projects which will underpin its sustainability agenda moving forward, targeting emissions reduction using the development of digital twins.
The primary goal of the first project, launched in 2021, was to evaluate capital and operational alternatives, then develop strategies that would enable higher molten liquid production rates while ensuring effective, safe and sustainable operation of BlueScope's No.6 blast furnace.
To help meet this goal, a digital twin was developed to model the logistics of the molten liquid handling systems for the blast furnace. A digital twin is a virtual representation that serves as the real-time digital counterpart of a physical object or process.
Amongst the many benefits from the project was an optimisation of the use of rail locomotives and kress carriers that haul the liquid iron and slag away from the operating furnace for further refining. Using the digital twin to optimise use of these large and heavy vehicles, both in terms of the number required and best operating practice, the team developed a process that will deliver significant cost and sustainability benefits.
The reporting that's produced by the digital twin also provided useful data on movements of equipment that have aided BlueScope to further optimise (or eliminate) aspects of the civil and rail works within the project scope. This will result in reduced emissions, as well as optimising ongoing road-to-rail vehicle interactions.
Ventia's partnership on this project has led us to become involved in a second digital twin project, focused on carbon abatement activities at BlueScope Steel's Port Kembla site.
Both projects are currently under completion and Ventia looks forward to continuing to support and accelerate the emissions reduction journey of Bluescope and other clients as we work towards net-zero.
