Neste and Curious AI Launch AI-Powered Industrial Process Advisor

Neste Engineering Solutions and AI firm Curious AI are entering the production phase for NAPCON Advisor, an artificial intelligence application aimed at enhancing industrial process operations.

The NAPCON Advisor assists process plant operators with their daily decision-making. Initial tests utilizing the NAPCON Simulator and real-world process data have shown the system's capability to accurately predict long-term process outcomes and suggest optimal control actions. The technology is now moving into pilot testing, with a commercial launch slated for 2020.

The development addresses industry-wide needs for improved operator training, situational awareness, and decision support in the face of increasing digitalization and global competition. The NAPCON Advisor combines Neste Engineering Solutions' extensive process expertise with Curious AI's machine learning techniques for process prediction and optimal action sequence generation.

Test results indicated the system can accurately forecast complex, non-linear real-life processes. Furthermore, the AI-suggested actions were found to be safe and efficient, reportedly leading to higher plant profits during mode changes compared to unaided human operators. "Curious AI has developed an efficient and robust approach... demonstrating that real-world processes can, in fact, be handled with machine learning," stated Curious AI CEO Harri Valpola.

Neste Engineering Solutions sees the NAPCON Advisor as a significant advancement in supporting process operators in running operations safely and economically. "We are looking forward to bringing it into the market next year," said Jyri Lindholm, Head of Product Management at Neste Engineering Solutions. The company's NAPCON products focus on production optimization, quality, safety, and operator training.