Collaboration enables better quality with less use of resources

Digital Stambanan IndTech's overall goal is to work with value chains, from raw materials to end products and use. Through stronger collaboration between manufacturers, suppliers and customers, development and material use can be optimised, reducing resource losses, energy consumption and costs. Work is currently underway on three value chains: steel, copper and energy.

Kristian Sandström from RISE is leading the work in the Energy value chain. 
– In this industrial case, Mälarenergi's district heating production is at the centre. Here, raw materials in the form of recycled fuels are used and converted into heat to warm industrial buildings, public properties and a large proportion of households in Västerås and the surrounding area, explains Kristian. 

– I have worked with Mälarenergi for many years on process optimisation, maintenance and prediction. What we are doing in Digitala Stambanan is an extension of the results from previous projects. We have identified several obstacles to information exchange and data utilisation. We are now working to address several of these and thereby reduce both costs and climate impact.

Great potential for improving energy efficiency

– We see great potential in using better data and information to reduce energy losses in the grid, further optimise production and, together with our customers, achieve more efficient energy use, says Joacim Sundqvist, energy strategist at Mälarenergi. 

– We depend on all parts of the system working and synchronising with each other in the best possible way. This applies both to secure deliveries to us and, of course, to secure deliveries and services to our customers. Deliveries such as fuels and other materials, but also maintenance and asset management, as well as data and infrastructure. Participating in Digitala Stambanan gives us an opportunity to delve deeper into these issues ourselves, but also to look up and see what is being done in other industries with different conditions. Kristian continues: 

– What we ultimately want to achieve is to lower the supply temperature in the network. In other words, the temperature of the water sent out in the district heating pipe. With better predictions and data, Mälarenergi can reduce energy consumption and still deliver the right temperature to the customer. We want to create a system-wide AI solution that takes into account the domino effect that exists today. The district heating network is large and stretches many miles, which adds complexity when it comes to the impact of the weather.

– There is a complexity and many security aspects to resolve in order to effectively connect the various systems from both IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology) into a system-wide AI solution for automation. We have a plan for how to do this, which we will be testing shortly. Our lessons learned and solutions could be adapted to other process industries and could provide significant benefits in terms of energy savings and bridging architecture."

Digital Stambanan IndTech challenges Swedish industry

– The main task of Digitala Stambanan IndTech is to challenge Swedish industry to work with data-driven business models, explains Per Lundén, project manager at RISE. – We see great potential in working in a more data-driven way, as this enables more efficient use of resources and thus leads to a smaller climate footprint for industry. Digitala Stambanan strengthens Swedish industry through the digitalisation of value chains. The project is a collaborative project funded by Vinnova and participating companies. The work is now proceeding on two tracks through the strategic innovation programmes PiiA (Process Industrial IT & Automation), which is driving the Digital Main Line IndTech project, and Produktion2030, which is driving the Digital Main Line Production project. Read more about Digital Main Line IndTech.