Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is deploying a new artificial intelligence platform that could generate more than $60 million in annual gross operational benefits at full refining capacity, as the company seeks to improve production efficiency, protect output and strengthen its competitiveness.
The refinery will become the first industrial facility globally to deploy Honeywell Technologies’ Forge Plant Cognition platform, which combines industrial process engineering with artificial intelligence capabilities from NVIDIA and computing infrastructure from Dell Technologies.
Honeywell’s preliminary assessment estimates that the technology could deliver operational benefits exceeding 29 cents per barrel at the Nigerian refinery. At full-capacity throughput, these improvements could translate into more than $60 million in annual gross benefits, although the actual outcome will depend on operating conditions.
The projection highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence in large-scale industrial operations, where improvements in equipment reliability, production yields and process efficiency can translate into significant financial gains.
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For Dangote Refinery, the deployment marks a shift towards using advanced digital systems to extract greater value from its existing assets following the construction and commissioning of one of the world’s largest refining facilities.
The technology is designed to help engineers identify operational constraints, detect potential equipment problems before they escalate and address production bottlenecks that could limit throughput or affect product yields.
Unlike conventional industrial monitoring systems that primarily analyse operating data and generate recommendations, Forge Plant Cognition combines real-time plant information with engineering knowledge, advanced calculations and physics-based models to support faster operational decisions.
The system is expected to focus on improving refining margins, reducing unplanned downtime and making specialised engineering expertise more accessible to refinery personnel.
David Bird, managing director and chief executive officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, said the decision to adopt the platform reflected the company’s commitment to operational excellence, technological advancement 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. This investment reinforces our commitment to operational excellence, advancing technology and developing Nigerian talent to operate at world-class standards,” Bird said.
The deployment also forms part of Dangote Refinery’s efforts to build a workforce comprising more than 70 percent Nigerians, with the technology expected to help transfer specialised process knowledge to local engineers and operators.
By embedding engineering expertise in AI-powered tools, the refinery aims to enable Nigerian personnel to solve complex operational problems more efficiently and progressively reduce dependence on external technical expertise.
The initiative comes as industrial companies increasingly explore AI applications beyond administrative automation and customer-facing services, focusing instead on improving the performance of physical assets, reducing production losses and supporting complex engineering decisions.
Rajesh Gattupalli, president of Honeywell Technologies UOP, said the collaboration demonstrated how digital technologies could improve productivity, reliability and profitability in complex industrial environments.
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“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. 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,” Gattupalli said.
However, the projected $60 million annual benefit remains an estimate rather than a realised financial gain. Honeywell said its calculation was specific to the Dangote facility, based on preliminary data and subject to actual operating conditions.
The eventual financial impact will therefore depend on the refinery’s throughput, the operational constraints identified by the platform and the extent to which recommended interventions improve performance.
Royal Ibeh is a senior journalist with years of experience reporting on Nigeria’s technology and health sectors. She currently covers the Technology and Health beats for BusinessDay newspaper, where she writes in-depth stories on digital innovation, telecom infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public health policies.
