TL;DR

• LNG producers are under pressure to execute projects quickly while managing growing competition and workforce challenges.
• Modern digital twin simulation delivers value across the entire facility lifecycle, not just operator training.
• Integrated simulation environments help teams test changes before deployment, reducing risk and improving uptime.
• Dynamic modeling makes simulation more scalable and practical for complex LNG operations.
• AI-enabled simulation tools are helping organizations accelerate model creation and engineering workflows.

As the world struggles with global demand for energy, the drive to produce LNG has increased at record pace in just the last few years. This has dramatically increased competition, making it important for organizations looking to expand their LNG operations to quickly execute successful projects to free up cash flow for further investment.

In many cases, this push for rapid project execution has led to smaller, more modular projects. These complex projects can be difficult to execute, and, even after successful execution, LNG plants struggle with the same workforce shortages impacting every industry. New plants need successful processes right from day one.

The key, explains Dawn Marruchella in a recent article in LNG Industry, is designing new facilities using simulation software that is part of a seamless technology portfolio.

“[Digital Twin simulation tools like Emerson’s DeltaV™ Mimic provide] a lifecycle tool that delivers continuous value from final investment decision through decades of continuous operation.”

Modern digital twin technologies create lasting value by supporting organizations from project planning through long-term operations and optimization.

These tools are not standalone simulation but are designed as part of an enterprise operations platform (EOP) built on a unified data fabric.

A Holistic Vision for Simulation

For decades, simulation has commonly been thought of as a training tool, and there is truth to that understanding. A digital twin can be a powerful training technology. Operators training on DeltaV Mimic software experience the same controls they will use in the control room and can be trained on a wide variety of situations, from common steady-state operations to more complex, rare occurrences like startup and shutdown.

However, the most effective LNG organizations have gone far beyond simulation as a simple training tool. Today’s organizations are taking that same simulation model and extending its use across the lifecycle of the facility, integrating it with engineering, operations, reliability, and more.

“In the EOP environment, simulation tools are seamlessly integrated with other automation software. Ultimately, a single evolving model becomes a collaboration sandbox for process engineering, controls, operations, and maintenance. Every change—graphics, advanced process control, state-based control, safety logic updates, and more—can be tested first, eliminating risk and error at every stage, while speeding project execution and increasing uptime during operations.”

An integrated simulation environment allows multiple disciplines to collaborate around a single source of truth while validating changes before implementation.

This means no more digital twins that train operators, then die on the vine after the plant is commissioned.

The Value of Flexibility

At the heart of this new paradigm of operation for simulation software is built-in flexibility. LNG operations are complex and consist of many different technologies and processes. For traditional simulation technologies, navigating this complexity can be costly, with teams needing to build complex, high-fidelity models for everything they want to simulate.

Modern simulation software like DeltaV Mimic uses dynamic modeling, empowering teams to use high-fidelity modeling for critical equipment and medium-fidelity options to scale simulation across balance-of-plant assets. But that’s not the only benefit of dynamic simulation. It also helps navigate the many different technologies LNG organizations will have in place.

“Ensuring the simulator can manage vendor-agnostic control system simulation and programmable logic controller (PLC) integration helps teams ensure that they can model any of their critical operations, regardless of the systems controlling them.”

Vendor-agnostic simulation capabilities make it easier for organizations to model complex environments that include equipment and systems from multiple suppliers.

In addition to DeltaV Mimic’s ability to deliver vendor-agnostic control simulation, it’s also much easier to update, to keep the simulation from straying from the live control system. DeltaV Mimic:

“provides intuitive synchronization features to quickly and easily bring plant models in line with the actual operating environment, even as changes are made to meet evolving needs.”

Keeping simulation models synchronized with live operations helps preserve accuracy and long-term value.

And with the rise of AI, modeling for digital twin simulation is becoming even easier. Today, the most advanced simulation software leverages AI support tools to accelerate model creation and create intuitive configuration development workflows to make engineering simulation easier, faster, and more affordable.

Building Long-Term LNG Performance

As LNG competition intensifies, organizations continue looking for new ways to improve project execution, workforce readiness, and operational performance. Digital twin simulation is proving to be far more than a training solution, enabling collaboration, validation, optimization, and continuous improvement across the entire facility lifecycle. Organizations that integrate simulation into their broader operations strategy will be better positioned to accelerate execution, reduce risk, and capture long-term value from their investments.