Emerson has been selected by Technip Energies to provide automation technologies for the SkyNRG sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The project is positioned as Europe’s first dedicated greenfield SAF production facility and represents a major application of modern industrial control and safety technologies in the emerging sustainable fuels sector.

DeltaV Integrated Control and Safety System

Emerson will deploy its DeltaV integrated control and safety system (ICSS) across the facility. The architecture combines the DeltaV Distributed Control System with the DeltaV Safety Instrumented System.

The system will provide several critical functions, including:

• Process control
• Safety shutdown
• Fire and gas detection
• Real-time operational monitoring
• Plant-wide automation integration

For a complex greenfield process facility, integrating these functions into a coordinated automation architecture can simplify engineering and commissioning while providing operators with centralized visibility.

Automation for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production

The SkyNRG facility is currently under construction and is expected to begin operations in 2028, with planned production of approximately 100,000 tonnes of SAF per year.

The plant will convert residual fats and greases into sustainable aviation fuel. The resulting fuel is designed as a drop-in aviation fuel, meaning it can be blended with conventional jet fuel without requiring modifications to existing aircraft or fueling infrastructure.

The project will include several interconnected process areas, including the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) process, feedstock pre-treatment and an on-site hydrogen plant.

This makes the automation architecture particularly important because multiple process units need to operate together while maintaining stable process conditions and appropriate safety functions.

Digital Asset Management

Emerson will also provide AMS Device Manager for plant asset management.

The software can provide engineers and maintenance personnel with information from intelligent field devices, including device diagnostics and equipment health information. This creates a digital connection between field instrumentation and maintenance activities.

For a new facility, implementing asset-management technology from the beginning can provide a foundation for condition monitoring and more data-driven maintenance practices throughout the plant lifecycle.

Flexible Field-Level Architecture

Another important technology being deployed is DeltaV Electronic Marshalling with distributed CHARMs.

This architecture can reduce traditional field wiring requirements while providing additional flexibility when plant designs change during later engineering stages.

That flexibility is particularly relevant to first-of-a-kind industrial projects. Changes to process equipment, instrumentation or control requirements can otherwise result in significant rewiring and engineering work.

Distributed I/O and electronic marshalling can help simplify these modifications while maintaining the connection between field devices and the control system.

Supporting Future Industrial Operations

The project also demonstrates how automation is becoming an important component of the energy transition.

New sustainable-fuel facilities require the same fundamental capabilities as conventional process plants—reliable control, safety systems, instrumentation and asset management—but they often introduce new process configurations and integration challenges.

By deploying a digitally enabled automation architecture from the beginning, SkyNRG can establish a control and asset-management foundation designed for long-term operation.

Outlook

Emerson’s involvement in the SkyNRG project highlights the expanding role of DCS, safety systems, intelligent instrumentation and asset management in emerging energy industries.

As sustainable fuel production scales, automation will remain essential for maintaining stable processes, improving operational visibility and supporting safe plant operation.

The combination of DeltaV DCS, DeltaV SIS, AMS Device Manager and distributed CHARMs provides a modern automation architecture for the new SAF facility and demonstrates how process automation technologies are being applied to next-generation energy infrastructure.