Honeywell control system improves waste plant efficiency

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) has announced that its Experion Orion Console has been implemented at Riikinvoima Oy’s waste incineration plant in Finland to help improve safety, productivity and environmental compliance.

The two-position Experion Orion control room technology is based on a human factor study and incorporates intuitive graphics that allow safer, faster and more consistent operations, from process start-ups to abnormal situations and alarms. Its ergonomic design reduces fatigue and creates a healthier working environment as well as higher situational awareness for plant operators.

“A crucial factor for the success of this project was a joint workshop, in which we defined key elements of the human-machine interface (HMI) design,” said Juha Räsänen, Managing Director at Riikinvoima Oy, a provider of sustainable energy. “Now we are able to control our process in a standardised way, no matter who is running the plant, and react to any changes in the boiler condition quickly. This is how we can convert waste into energy in a safer, more environmentally friendly and efficient way, allowing us to cost-effectively deliver energy to our customers.”

The new technologies are enabling Riikinvoima Oy to run its circulating fluidised bed boiler — the first of its type in Finland — at an optimal level, meeting strict environmental regulations. As well as the console, the Leppävirta site will implement Honeywell’s Field Device Manager, which uses smart instrumentation to perform device configuration and management capabilities. It will also add Control Performance Monitor, an application that monitors, diagnoses and remedies control asset issues, allowing Riikinvoima Oy to detect problems and predict maintenance needs as early as possible.

Joe Bastone, Global Experion Product Director at HPS, described it as “a control room of the future”.

“Our solution combines human factors science with advanced technology to present critical data to operational engineers in a totally new way,” he said. “This has helped improve and standardise process control at the site, unleashing new production efficiencies that are strengthening the business.”