Yokogawa's Shigeno: plant AI cut steam and CO2 by 40%

Yokogawa's pitch rests on a long history: its CENTUM integrated production control system has been in use for more than 50 years, and the company has extended that base into advanced control. The JSR deployment, the world's first use of the FKDPP algorithm developed with Nara Institute of Science and Technology, replaced manual valve adjustments by experienced operators and has run stably for more than four years while delivering energy and cost savings.

The Aramco case carries a personal thread: Shigeno worked on the contract while stationed in the Middle East, and he recalls that the autonomous control solution was accepted only on the third proposal. In 2025, multiple linked autonomous control AIs at the gas plant directly optimized acid gas removal, cutting amine and steam use by 10–15% and power use by about 5%.

Shigeno pushes back on the idea that Yokogawa is an AI seller. He says AI multiplies the company's existing control strengths, and that investors frequently ask how much AI contributes to sales and profitability. That question is likely to persist as the company pursues inquiries from Brazil and Middle Eastern countries and positions its roughly 150 AIs as a way to pass on skilled operators' know-how.