Modern steel plants now harness the surplus gas generated during the manufacturing process to generate electricity, lowering their need for external power sources. However, the technology continues to advance, and Capital Engineering & Research Corporation designed the world’s first ultra-high-pressure, subcritical gas generator set with the smallest installed capacity, which increases efficiency by more than 60% compared to older surplus gas generators. To put the technological breakthrough into practice, they decided to install the 60-megawatt project into the Jiangsu Longteng Special Steel plant. Responsible for both the design and construction, they faced technical and coordination challenges compounded by a short timeline and limited space. To prevent clashes and simultaneously construct the physical factory and its digital twin, they needed to use open modeling applications in a connected data environment.

They used Bentley applications to establish a collaborative design platform for team members in various project disciplines who worked in various locations. With Bentley’s open-source applications, they built a digital model of the entire factory with an engineering data center to achieve digital delivery based on full lifecycle information, establishing the foundation for intelligent plant operations. The visualization capabilities helped the team reduce design errors and create a simulation of the construction process, allowing them to optimize the schedule and work within a limited space. The new gas generator significantly reduces the cost of steel while also reducing gas emissions by 1.4 million cubic meters.