Digital Twin Technology: A Key Innovation in the Energy Sector
In the energy industry, where high stakes demand high performance, technologies must address core operational challenges while delivering clear value. Digital twin technology is leading this transformation by offering a solution that addresses risk, cost, and efficiency across construction and operational phases. Particularly in managing data centres and other critical facilities, digital twins provide real-time data and insights, empowering decision-makers to make informed, proactive choices that reduce uncertainty and improve project outcomes.
Real-Time Data: A Cornerstone for Informed Decisions
Accurate, real-time data is essential for understanding and managing physical assets in a dynamic environment. In the energy industry, where factors such as operational delays or equipment failures can have significant cost implications, real-time data supports quick response and informed decision-making. By converting data into intuitive, actionable insights, digital twins help stakeholders reduce risks, cut operational costs, and achieve greater transparency across the entire asset lifecycle.
Unasys’ Holistic Digital Solution: The “Digital Thread”
Unasys has expanded the digital twin concept with the “digital thread”—an integrated, continuous data flow that supports a project’s entire lifecycle. Drawing on decades of experience in asset-heavy industries, Unasys has developed a digital thread that supports every phase of an asset's lifecycle, from construction and commissioning to operations and decommissioning. This approach ensures that data centres and other energy projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of quality.
By adopting this holistic digital thread, Unasys not only enables improved project execution but also enhances operational efficiency, sustainability, and revenue generation. Unasys’ extensive experience across complex energy projects—over 50 major projects worldwide—makes Unasys well-suited to transfer expertise into other industries, optimising processes in construction, handover, and operational management.
The Role of the Digital Thread in Lifecycle Management
The digital thread is an ongoing flow of information, ensuring that all critical data is acquired, transferred, and updated throughout each stage of the project. Unasys’s lifecycle management focuses on early project definition and meticulous planning, which facilitates smoother project execution, timely client approvals, and risk minimisation. This proactive approach enables early project close-out, ensuring technical and commercial goals are met and reducing the likelihood of penalties or delays.
Moreover, Unasys’s digital thread incorporates a transfer of responsibility across each key lifecycle stage—from engineering and construction to completion and commissioning. This systematic approach, honed initially in the oil and gas sector, has proven transferable across diverse industries, from offshore energy to emerging renewable sectors.
Why Unasys?
Founded in 2000, Unasys has supported over 50 complex energy projects globally. Our commitment to robust, adaptable digital solutions places us at the forefront of innovative lifecycle management. By applying the digital thread, Unasys bridges the gap between traditional project management and modern digital capabilities, delivering enhanced transparency, efficiency, and control across complex projects.
Digital twin technology, and specifically the digital thread offered by Unasys, is redefining project management in the energy sector. With real-time insights, seamless lifecycle management, and a track record of successful project execution, Unasys enables clients to meet today’s challenges with cutting-edge solutions. As the demand for reliable and sustainable energy grows, Unasys is equipped to lead the industry into a more connected, efficient future.