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S-Chem DCS Upgrade

Engineering & Marketing International
Technology

Aveva

Industry

Chemical Plant

Client

S-Chem

Country

KSA

Goals

Validated Matrikon & PI on Windows Server 2016 & Emerson DeltaV 14.LTS

Upgrade Matrikon OPC products for reliable communication & redundancy

Manage licensing for testing and permanent system activation

Perform thorough I-FAT and SAT on all upgraded components

Challenges

Verified legacy Matrikon OPC on updated OS and Emerson platforms

Managed licenses across temporary and permanent environments

Resolved complex OPC issues with multiple third-party systems

Maintaining PI Interface node synchronization and redundancy

Solutions

Verified compatibility and upgraded Matrikon OPC components

Handled I-FAT and SAT testing and troubleshooting onsite and remotely

Installed and configured redundant PI OPC Interfaces on six nodes

Rehosted Matrikon licenses seamlessly to avoid operational downtime

Results

Upgraded Matrikon and PI components with confirmed compatibility

Reliable OPC communication and full redundancy established across interfaces

License transitions completed smoothly, minimizing downtime and risk

Comprehensive acceptance testing ensured readiness and client confidence

S-Chem DCS Upgrade – 2022-2023

Between 2022 and 2023, EMI was awarded the contract to manage a critical upgrade of Matrikon and PI System components for S-Chem in Saudi Arabia. This upgrade was essential to ensure full compatibility of the existing OPC communication infrastructure with the newer Windows Server 2016 and Emerson DeltaV 14.LTS platforms. EMI conducted extensive testing, configuration, and troubleshooting across multiple components to maintain seamless plant operations during and after the upgrade.

The project involved upgrading multiple Matrikon OPC products, including OPC Tunneller, Modbus Server, and Redundancy Broker units. EMI coordinated licensing management for temporary test systems and permanent operational environments, guaranteeing uninterrupted service.

The team also performed rigorous Integrated Factory Acceptance Testing (I-FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) at S-Chem’s plant, ensuring that all upgraded components met performance and integration requirements.

In parallel, EMI upgraded and configured the PI OPC Interfaces on six interface nodes to provide robust, redundant data communication between PI Interfaces and PI Servers. Troubleshooting complex OPC communications among various third-party systems was a major focus, and EMI successfully maintained synchronization and redundancy, vital for data integrity and plant reliability. The project culminated in a smooth license rehosting process to avoid downtime and ensured operational continuity.