Saras participates in OPTIMIZE 2021

The Saras Group works every day to create sustainable value in a continuous transformation process that develops innovation and relies on the best international partnerships.

The pillars of the Group’s performance are the skills and high professional standards of the people that work in the Group, and the deployment of modern digital technologies and process innovation along the entire supply chain. Together, they have made the Saras Group one of the leading refineries and an important energy player in the Mediterranean region.

OPTIMIZE 2021, organised by Aspentech, is the leading global event on digital innovation, dedicated to leading companies in technologically advanced industries that need to accelerate their digitalisation journey in response to the “new normal” of quickly changing markets.

This event shares best practices and innovative solutions for achieving operational excellence, managing resources in a safer, greener and faster way, regardless of market conditions.

At the OPTIMIZE 2021 event, the Group contributed by participating in two workshops: “Fostering Diverse and Inclusive Communities Across the Process Industries” – Key Industry Topic, Diversity Equality & Inclusion, organised by AspenTech’s Women’s Leadership Forum and “Asset Performance Management”.

The first panel was attended by the Head of ICT of the Saras Group and the Head of Business Analytics of Sardeolica. The two managers described their experience of working in the process industries, highlighting the growing specialisation of women in areas that were previously predominantly male, such as industrial engineering and IT. This developing trend enables women, also in these sectors, to reach and assume high-level positions, and thus to lead and manage digital and technological innovation processes.

In the “Asset Performance Management” session, Sardeolica’s Head of Business Analytics presented the project “The Digitalization Journey of Sardeolica Wind Farm”, aimed at increasing the efficiency of production processes through digital innovation.

The project, developed by Sardeolica and Aspentech, involves – for the first time in this sector – the application of Aspen Mtell® software to the wind farm’s turbines. This innovative software makes it possible to detect faults in the wind turbines, thereby preventing failures that can occur frequently, especially during periods of strong wind, and cause long downtimes and high production losses.

Sardeolica has been producing electricity from renewable sources since 2005. The wind farm consists of 57 wind turbines with a total capacity of 126 MW and an annual energy yield of approximately 250 GWh.

The Saras Group is one of the main European oil refining operators, and is also active in the electricity generation sector. Directly and through its subsidiaries, the Group sells and distributes petroleum products on national and international markets. In addition, the Group produces and sells electricity through its subsidiaries Sarlux Srl (IGCC plant) and Sardeolica Srl (wind farm). The Group also supplies industrial engineering and research services to the oil, energy and environmental sectors through its subsidiary Sartec Srl.