Yokogawa Electric Corporation has unveiled the next-generation Release 7 concept and launched Release 7.01 of the CENTUMTM VP (CENTUM VP R7) integrated production control system, marking the 10th generation of the CENTUM series.

The development of CENTUM VP R7 focuses on enabling autonomous operations, improving energy efficiency, accelerating decarbonisation, and providing a safe and secure working environment.

The release includes expanded scope of control and monitoring, predictive monitoring through process condition monitoring, and reduced operator workload.

By securely aggregating data scattered throughout the plant, the scope of automated operation can be expanded, ensuring safer and more secure operations.

Additionally, R7 supports operator decision-making by presenting future scenarios that leverage operator knowledge and know-how, while autonomous control AI can take over from operators for long-term stable operation.

Key features of R7 include enhanced security, expansion of control and monitoring scope with CENTUM, and enhanced engineering capabilities for large-scale projects.

The release adopts industry security benchmarks to strengthen cybersecurity of control system components, expands the range of plant equipment and devices controlled and monitored by CENTUM, and adds OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) connectivity.

These enhancements aim to promote operational optimisation and enable high-quality and efficient engineering, contributing to the rapid startup of new plants and restarts of upgraded plants.

Mitsuhiro Yamamoto, Vice-President, Executive Officer, and head of the Systems Business Division at Yokogawa Electric stated, "In this VUCA era, the conditions required for manufacturing sites and management are becoming ever more complex. By realising stable operations and expanding the scope of autonomy, CENTUM VP R7 will help our customers achieve a more sustainable society and sustainable business growth."