The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced, on Monday, the inclusion of Saudi Aramco’s Yanbu Refinery within the “Industrial Lighthouses” network, in appreciation of its efforts in the effective application of advanced technologies, which seek to provide many operational, commercial and environmental benefits.
According to a statement by Aramco, Yanbu Refinery is the fourth Aramco facility to be included in this global network, along with other major facilities, such as the Abqaiq oil processing plant, the Uthmaniyah Gas Plant, and the Khurais oil production facilities.
The statement added that the Yanbu Refinery is one of 21 new facilities added to the prestigious network, which now includes a total of 153 manufacturing facilities around the globe. Aramco is the only international energy company to be represented by more than two facilities.
“This new recognition by WEF reflects Aramco’s sustained focus on the development and deployment of state-of-the-art 4IR (Fourth Industrial Revolution) technologies, which enhance our operations and contribute to our sustainability objectives,” said Ibrahim Al-Buainain, Aramco Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing.
He continued: “At Yanbu Refinery, we have successfully harnessed 4IR use cases to improve profits, increase production and expand processing capacity, while simultaneously reducing energy consumption, waste generation and gas emissions. Such achievements reinforce our position as a technology leader in our industry and highlight the benefits for our industry of adopting cutting-edge solutions.”
The Yanbu Refinery is part of the Saudi Aramco refining, chemicals and marketing portfolio, and one of the largest refining businesses in the world. It processes crude oil to produce refined products such as liquid petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil and asphalt.
The refinery was operated on the western coast of the Kingdom in 1983, to meet local demand for refined products. Its initial design capacity of 170,000 barrels per day of Arab Light crude was later expanded to process 235,000 barrels per day of Arab Light.
