Honeywell Technologies has announced a new industrial artificial intelligence (AI) platform at Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery, aiming to improve operational efficiency and generate more than $60 million in annual gross operational benefits once the facility reaches full capacity.
The platform, called Forge Plant Cognition, combines industrial process expertise, operational data and AI capabilities to help refinery operators identify production bottlenecks, anticipate equipment problems and make more informed decisions.
The deployment marks a new development in AI use across the energy industry, where companies increasingly explore digital technologies to improve productivity and better use existing infrastructure.
Honeywell said Forge Plant Cognition is designed to help operators improve production throughput, increase product yields and identify opportunities to enhance profitability.
The system combines real-time operating data with engineering knowledge, industrial automation and physics-based models. These capabilities help operators understand complex plant conditions and assess potential improvements.
The platform also identifies emerging equipment and process issues, recommends corrective actions, and helps reduce unplanned downtime.
Unlike conventional systems that mainly analyse data and produce recommendations, Honeywell says the platform connects AI-generated insights with established engineering knowledge and operational workflows.
According to Honeywell, preliminary estimates suggest AI-enabled optimisation could generate operational benefits of more than 29 cents per barrel at the Dangote refinery.
At full-capacity throughput, the company estimates this could translate into more than $60 million in gross operational benefits annually.
However, the figure is a projection, not a confirmed financial saving. Honeywell said actual results will depend on factors including operating conditions, refinery utilisation, data quality, product margins and implementation costs.
The estimate also excludes the cost of implementing the platform.
Forge Plant Cognition is being developed using NVIDIA’s AI models and accelerated computing capabilities, supported by Dell Technologies’ AI infrastructure and services.
The technology combines AI agents that interpret operational data with digital-twin capabilities that can help simulate industrial processes. Physics-based AI models are also intended to support evaluating possible operational changes.
Together, these tools could help engineers examine production constraints, investigate problems and assess potential adjustments before applying them to real-world operations.
The platform is designed for use across refining, petrochemicals and liquefied natural gas operations.
The deployment builds on Honeywell’s longstanding relationship with Dangote.
Beyond improving refinery performance, the companies say the platform is intended to strengthen local engineers’ and operations teams’ capabilities by making specialist industrial knowledge more accessible through AI-powered tools.
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Dangote Petroleum Refinery CEO and Managing Director David Bird said the company selected the platform to optimise performance, improve the value of its operations, and advance how it manages its assets.
The refinery is also pursuing a major capacity expansion. Honeywell has been supporting plans to increase its nameplate capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028.
The announcement highlights a shift in how AI is being applied beyond chatbots, office software and digital services.
In industrial environments, AI can help interpret complex operating data, detect anomalies, support engineering decisions and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
For energy producers, even modest improvements in throughput, reliability, or product yields can have significant financial implications across large facilities.
However, the projected benefits of Forge Plant Cognition will need to be assessed against actual operating results as the technology is implemented.
For Nigeria, the initiative also shows how advanced AI systems are entering major industrial facilities across Africa, creating new opportunities to improve productivity and build local technical expertise.
AI Writer
Bio: Joseph Michael is an MBA graduate in Marketing from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and a passionate tech enthusiast. As a professional writer and author at AIbase.ng, he simplifies complex AI concepts, explores digital innovation, and creates practical guides for Nigerian learners and businesses. With a background in marketing and brand communication, Joseph brings clarity, insight, and real-world relevance to every article he writes.