… targets 70% Nigerian workforce as AI accelerates local engineering expertise
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is set to become the first industrial facility to deploy Honeywell Technologies’ newly launched artificial intelligence platform, in a major technological advancement projected to deliver more than $60 million in annual gross operational benefits at full refining capacity.
The deployment of the platform, known as Forge Plant Cognition, will position the Lekki-based refinery at the forefront of AI-driven industrial operations, combining Honeywell Technologies’ process engineering expertise with NVIDIA’s artificial intelligence capabilities and Dell Technologies’ computing infrastructure to improve refining efficiency, maximise output and strengthen operational reliability. Announcing the development, Honeywell Technologies said the new platform would make its global debut at Dangote Refinery, one of the world’s largest refineries, as part of efforts to unlock greater value from existing industrial assets and transform how complex refining and petrochemical facilities are operated.
According to preliminary assessments, the technology could generate operational benefits exceeding 29 cents per barrel at the refinery. At full-capacity throughput, Honeywell estimates that the improvements could translate into more than $60 million in annual gross benefits. The company, however, clarified that the projection was specific to the Dangote facility, based on preliminary data and subject to actual operating conditions. The development represents another significant step in Dangote Refinery’s technological evolution, as the company moves beyond the construction and commissioning of a world-class industrial complex towards the deployment of advanced digital systems designed to maximise productivity, strengthen competitiveness and support its ambitious expansion programme.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, David Bird, said the decision to adopt the technology reflected the refinery’s commitment to operational excellence, innovation and the development of Nigerian engineering talent.
“We chose Honeywell Technologies’ Forge Plant Cognition because the platform can deliver unrivaled industrial expertise combined with differentiated AI capabilities to help us optimize performance, unlock greater value from our operations and evolve how we operate our assets,” Bird said. “This investment reinforces our commitment to operational excellence, advancing technology and developing Nigerian talent to operate at world-class standards.”
Unlike conventional industrial monitoring systems that primarily analyse operating data and generate recommendations, Forge Plant Cognition is designed to integrate real-time plant information with engineering knowledge, advanced calculations, and physics-based models to identify operational constraints and support faster, more informed decisions. The technology will enable refinery engineers and operators to detect potential equipment and process problems before they escalate, identify bottlenecks affecting production and recommend corrective actions to improve throughput, product yields, and overall plant performance. Honeywell explained that the platform would focus on three critical areas: identifying opportunities to improve refining margins, protecting production by reducing unplanned downtime, and making specialised engineering expertise more readily available to plant personnel. By combining these capabilities, the system is expected to help operators extract greater value from existing equipment while strengthening the reliability and efficiency of interconnected refining processes. Forge Plant Cognition would help transfer specialised process knowledge into AI-powered tools accessible to local engineers and operators, enabling them to solve complex problems more efficiently and develop advanced industrial capabilities. The initiative supports Dangote Refinery’s objective of building a workforce comprising more than 70 per cent Nigerians, while progressively reducing dependence on external technical expertise.
President of Honeywell Technologies UOP, Rajesh Gattupalli, described the collaboration with Dangote as a demonstration of the potential of artificial intelligence to transform large-scale industrial operations.
“Industrial plants are among the most complex operating environments in the world, with enormous potential to realize greater performance and value using digital technologies and connected solutions,” Gattupalli said. “By collaborating with Dangote to launch Forge Plant Cognition, we are demonstrating how AI can help transform industrial operations, driving new levels of productivity, reliability and profitability at significant scale.”
