Honeywell launches industrial AI platform at Dangote refinery, estimates $60 mn in annual benefits
Honeywell Technologies has launched its Forge Plant Cognition industrial AI platform at Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Nigeria, with the company estimating potential annual gross operational benefits of more than $60 million at full-capacity throughput.
The platform combines Honeywell’s industrial software and process expertise with NVIDIA’s AI computing technology and Dell Technologies’ infrastructure. According to Honeywell, preliminary estimates indicate that the platform could deliver operational benefits exceeding 29 cents per barrel at the refinery. The estimates exclude implementation costs and are not guaranteed.
The deployment will use refinery operating data to identify production constraints, analyse process conditions and help engineers assess operational issues. The platform is also intended for use in petrochemical plants and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities.
AI platform combines operational data with process models
Forge Plant Cognition is built on Honeywell’s Forge Cognition platform. It combines real-time operating data with engineering knowledge and physics-based models to analyse industrial processes and support operational decisions.
The system is designed to identify bottlenecks that may affect throughput, examine equipment and process anomalies, and recommend corrective actions. Whether these functions translate into higher production or lower operating costs will depend on the results achieved at the refinery.
The platform uses several NVIDIA technologies alongside Dell’s AI infrastructure. NVIDIA Nemotron models will power AI agents that interpret operational data, while Omniverse libraries will support the creation of digital twins of the refinery and its processes.
Digital twins are virtual representations of physical assets that can be used to simulate operating conditions and assess potential changes. The platform will also use NVIDIA Cosmos models and the Metropolis Video Search and Summarisation Blueprint for vision-based anomaly detection. NVIDIA’s PhysicsNeMo framework will support the development and training of physics-based AI models.
Dell Technologies will provide the infrastructure through its Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA, with Dell Services supporting the deployment.
Honeywell Technologies UOP president Rajesh Gattupalli said the project demonstrates the application of AI to industrial operations. Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals chief executive David Bird said the company selected the platform to support operational performance and workforce development.
Dangote links deployment to workforce development
The deployment is also intended to support Dangote’s plans to develop local engineering and operational capabilities. Honeywell said the platform would give refinery personnel access to specialised process knowledge through AI-powered tools.
Dangote aims for Nigerian nationals to account for 70% of its workforce as operations expand. The company expects the use of digital tools to support employee training and reduce reliance on external expertise over time. The announcement did not specify how the deployment would affect staffing levels or quantify the expected training benefits.
Refinery plans capacity expansion to 1.4 million barrels per day
The AI deployment comes as Dangote pursues plans to expand the refinery’s processing capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day within three years.
Honeywell and Dangote announced the expansion plan in November 2025, with the project involving the optimisation of existing assets and the addition of production capacity. The capacity target is separate from the new AI deployment.
Located in Lekki, the Dangote facility is one of the world’s largest single-train refineries. Its expansion is intended to increase its crude processing capacity and output of refined petroleum products.
Based on preliminary data, Honeywell estimates that Forge Plant Cognition could deliver operational benefits of more than 29 cents per barrel at the Lekki refinery. At full-capacity throughput, this could amount to more than $60 million in annual gross benefits for the facility.