Honeywell announced on Monday that it was launching its Forge Plant Cognition platform at the refinery, with the technology designed to optimise performance in complex industrial operations through advanced AI capabilities.
According to a statement, the platform will leverage technology from NVIDIA and Dell Technologies to help improve industrial processes and support more efficient plant operations.
The deployment comes as the Dangote refinery pursues an ambitious expansion programme aimed at increasing its nameplate capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, with Honeywell already providing support for the expansion.
Honeywell said preliminary data suggested that the AI platform could deliver operational benefits exceeding 29 cents per barrel at the Lekki facility. At full-capacity throughput, the projected benefits could amount to approximately $60m annually.
The company, however, noted that the estimates were based on preliminary data and were not guaranteed, indicating that the actual benefits would depend on operational performance and the implementation of the technology.
The introduction of industrial AI is expected to support efforts to improve efficiency across complex refinery operations, where even marginal gains in processing performance can translate into substantial financial benefits at high production volumes.
Beyond its operations in Nigeria, Honeywell has also been selected to support the development of a new mega-refinery planned for Lamu County, Kenya, extending its involvement in major refining projects across the African continent.
The latest deployment underscores the growing role of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the petroleum refining industry, as operators seek to improve productivity, manage operating costs and maximise returns from large-scale industrial investments.