Sweden’s Preem awards refinery project to Hyperion Cyprus

Hyperion Systems Engineering Ltd, the Cyprus-based independent Operator Training Simulator (OTS) supplier, has been awarded a project for the supply and implementation of an OTS for a refinery unit at Preem Petroleum in Sweden.

The OTS solution will be implemented at the Preemraff refinery at Lysekil, Sweden, the largest oil refinery in the country, and one of the biggest in Europe. The system will be a key part of the drive to sustain and improve operational excellence through the use of dynamic process simulation. This new OTS implementation will also serve as a pilot project at Preem to demonstrate the tangible benefits of investment in training simulators and will be used for operator training, control system check out, and ongoing engineering and operational analyses.

An OTS may be used throughout the plant lifecycle to train operating crews, resulting in fewer operating errors and quicker and safer startups and shutdowns, improve plant reliability due to improved response to abnormal situations, optimize throughput and product quality, and provide the basis for evaluation of control strategies.

Nicholas Alsop, Head of Advanced Process Control at Preemraff, said, “Preem have had considerable success working with dynamic models over several years. Benefits have been seen in the areas of process control, engineering and operations improvements. We have established this project to show how pre-existing models can effectively be used as the basis of an OTS. We selected Hyperion based on their experience and flexibility in developing a solution that met our specific needs.”

Dean Jones, VP of Modeling and Simulation Solutions at Hyperion, added: “Hyperion believes capturing value from dynamic simulation across the lifecycle is a key aspect to maximizing the return on investment in simulation technology.” 

Preem Petroleum accounts for 75% of Swedish refinery capacity. Its two refineries at Lysekil and Göteborg are among the most modern in Europe with an annual refining capacity of 16 mln metric tons. Over 50% of production is exported, making Preem one of Sweden’s largest exporters.

With headquarters in Cyprus and subsidiaries in the UK, Russia, Greece, India and Bahrain, Hyperion employs engineering professionals who have implemented over 200 projects worldwide. It has one of the world’s most experienced teams of resource in the field of dynamic simulation and operator training. The company’s team of simulation and modeling professionals have implemented OTS projects for companies such as BP, Sasol, Luberef, Motor Oil Hellas, Exxon, Texaco, Chevron, Shell, Saudi Aramco, Ferrostaal, in the refining, oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and power generation industries.