UPL announces entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gexcon AS, Norway, to progress its focus on Innovation Management in Process Safety, enabling UPL to strengthen the existing standards on Process Safety across its manufacturing facilities and projects worldwide. The MOU will build on the long-standing relationship between UPL and Gexcon AS to advance an operational excellence journey resulting in global leadership in the implementation of process safety and risk management.
“We are appreciative and proud of the trust UPL stakeholders have put to achieve excellence in manufacturing while continuous growth takes place. The next phase of UPL’s operational aspiration is aimed at achieving Global Leadership by strengthening the existing standards of process safety and risk management and work on R&D by building a Centre of Excellence,” said Vikram Shroff, Director of UPL group. “We look forward to supporting UPL in their process transformation to better identify, manage and deliver innovative ideas in process safety and risk management while handling hazardous chemicals”, said Mr. Sturle H. Pedersen, President and global CEO of Gexcon.”
The focus on Innovation in process safety and risk management will transform UPL’s ability to develop new high-performance standards in line with global leaders in manufacturing hazardous chemicals. The capability to develop and implement these standards will help UPL to reduce the risks from their operations to the Environment, personnel and assets. The goals of the Innovations in Process Safety Management focus will be to bring a cultural change among employees at all levels and improve the company’s standards by operating in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
UPL’s aspiration is to achieve Global Leadership in the implementation of process safety and risk management and work on Research and Development areas by developing a ‘Centre of Excellence’ (COE).
The MOU involves the use of Gexcon technology in process safety and risk management for UPL plants worldwide as well as in setting up a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in ‘Process Safety and Risk Management’ for Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals in Gujarat, India.
Gexcon developed over a period of more than 30 years an industry standard for CFD modelling. FLACS® is one of the best-validated tools for modelling flammable and toxic releases and the consequences thereof, in a technical safety context.
FLACS® is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use, software tool for modelling (dispersion, fire, and explosion) consequences in full 3D for typical flammable and toxic release scenarios. It is used extensively in the Oil and Gas and Process industries and also increasingly in the nuclear industry, in facilities with dust explosion potential and in many other fields.
This COE will be the first of its kind and will be ‘Pride of the Nation’. The COE will be equipped to provide solutions to sponsored projects from industry. There will be a separate section on VR/ AVR facilities developed by Gexcon AS.
The COE will focus on R&D activities in various research projects particularly relevant to estimating and mitigating the consequences of major industrial accidents. Gexcon’s current research projects include Joint Industry Projects, Fire modelling, with special emphasis on pool and jet fires (internal project) and state-of-the-art risk assessments and consequence modelling in the process industry.
“Gexcon is a valuable partner in enhancing our operational standards. I am confident that engaging Gexcon for this transformative project will support us in developing new ideas on process safety and risk management for our company,” said Vikram Shroff.
