Nobian – European Leader in Salt and Essential Chemicals 

Nobian is a European leader in the production of salt, essential chemicals and energy that serve a wide range of industries, from construction and cleaning to pharmaceuticals and water treatment. Recently, the video wall inside the control room of Delesto, Nobian's power plant in Delfzijl, was completely renewed. We spoke with Roel Swiersema, responsible for process automation at Nobian, about the role of their control room and the benefits of the new video wall.

Balancing the power grid with flexible chlorine production
At Nobian, chlorine production is adjusted based on the availability of electricity, helping to stabilize the national power grid. As renewable energy sources increasingly influence the grid, fluctuations in energy availability have become more frequent. In moments of low supply, grid operators rely on flexible producers that can quickly scale production up or down. Nobian plays a vital role in this system, continuously adjusting its production capacity to maintain grid stability.

Inside the control room
"We monitor both the generation of electricity and heat in our control room," Roel explains. "We make sure that the companies located at the Delfzijl Chemical Park receive sufficient heat, while part of the electricity is fed back into the national grid. We also provide all utilities for the entire site, including cooling water, drinking water, process water and air. Everything that other companies on the site need in terms of utilities is produced and managed here. It's a centrally organized utility operation.

In our control room, we supervise all these processes. The systems are configured for maximum energy efficiency, and most operations run automatically. Our operators primarily monitor performance and intervene only in case of failures or emergencies."

A renewed video wall for sharper insight
The control room was fully renovated in 2008, and the video wall installed at that time had reached end-of-life. Nobian decided to upgrade to a new Barco LED video wall. "The availability of our old system had dropped due to outdated technology," says Roel. "The new LED wall delivers a much sharper image and is far more energy-efficient. The previous system used gas discharge lamps, which consumed significantly more power. Switching to LED technology not only saves energy but also provides a much longer lifespan. We expect at least another ten years of reliable performance."

Operational visibility through DCS integration
The video wall displays data from a Distributed Control System (DCS) that collects, analyzes and visualizes industrial process data. "The DCS application automates our processes," Roel continues. "The video wall primarily shows our main power distribution overview, and secondarily other plant processes. Operators can choose which sources to display, such as electricity generation, steam production, and water or air distribution. The video wall provides a complete overview of all running processes. During an incident, it serves as the central point of coordination for the entire team."

A trusted collaboration
"Our experience with INTER has been very positive," says Roel. "Communication with both the office and the engineers on site was smooth. Whenever we had a question, INTER approached it with creativity and always found the right solution."