SK Energy, PTC Korea team up for smart plant construction business

SK Energy Co., South Korea’s top oil refiner and energy company, said on Wednesday it has teamed up with PTC Korea Co. to jointly enter the global smart plant construction business.

The two companies signed a business cooperation pact, under which SK Energy, an affiliate of SK Innovation Co., will utilize PTC Korea’s computer software technology such as its Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) platforms to develop “various smart plant solutions.”

PTC, formerly Parametric Technology Corp., is a computer software and services company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

The company, a pioneer in computer-aided design (CAD) modeling software, sells software products and builds IoT and AR platforms across industries.

“Through this partnership, we aim to take our technological prowess in building smart plants to the global market,” said Seo Gwan-hee, chief of SK Energy’s technology and facilities division.

OCEAN-H SYSTEM

Under the contract, SK plans to use PTC Korea's software technology in its next-generation facility management system OCEAN-H, or optimized & connected enterprise asset network hub.

OCEAN-H, a system that systematically accumulates data on energy and chemical industry facilities within factories, is used to improve efficiency and safety in plant operations.

The two companies have been collaborating since 2022 in the construction of smart plants, which SK Energy first introduced to the energy and chemicals industries in 2016.

As part of their cooperation, SK Energy has already applied PTC Korea’s AR system for its scaffolds, structures installed on construction sites for worker safety.

A piping design and quality inspection system using PTC’s AR technology is also under consideration, an SK official said.

"Effective utilization of digital technology brings about significant benefits in addressing labor shortages in industrial sites. We will closely collaborate with SK Energy to further advance its smart plant business,” said Kim Sang-gun, country manager of PTC Korea.

Write to Sang-Hoon Sung at uphoon@hankyung.com


In-Soo Nam edited this article.