Japanese and Chinese plants win Hart awards

Plants in Japan and China recently grabbed two top awards from the Hart Communication Foundation (HCF), which oversees the Hart Communication protocol used in intelligent process measurement and control field devices.

The HCF announced on December 18 that it had selected the Mitsubishi Chemical Corp ethylene plant in Kashima, Japan, as recipient of the 2009 Hart Plant of the Year Award. Then on January 13, HCF said that the Evonik Degussa Specialty Chemicals, in Shanghai, China, is being recognized with the Hart Innovative Achievement Award.

The Plant of the Year award won by Mitsubishi is given annually to recognize the people, companies and plant sites around the globe that are using the advanced capabilities of Hart communication in real-time applications to improve operations, lower costs and increase availability. The Innovative Achievement Award given to Evonik Degussa is presented to recognize exceptional achievement, ingenuity and innovation in using the power of Hart communication in real-time applications, HCF said.

In Japan, Mitsubishi Chemical is using the Hart Communication capability of over 800 interoperable field devices integrated with their DCS and asset management systems through multiplexers and Hart-enabled I/Os to access real-time continuous process variables and diagnostics. By accessing this real-time intelligent data it is able to diagnose abnormal process conditions and track equipment health 24 hours a day. As a result, peak production performance has reportedly improved with an estimated operational savings for the plant of US$20,000-$30,000 per day.

“Mitsubishi Chemical is a perfect example of how the power of Hart can be used to lower costs, improve plant availability and help keep a plant competitive,” said Ron Helson, Hart Communication Foundation executive director.