As we get ready for SMRP 2025 in Fort Worth (October 6–9), the reliability profession stands at a crossroads. Uptime, maintenance costs, and failure modes remain foundational, but a new imperative is front and center: industrial decarbonization, especially managing and controlling CO₂.
Decarbonization is tied to permitting, ESG mandates, stakeholder scrutiny, and the economics of energy transition. Reliability teams that ignore CO₂ systems risk being sidelined in strategy and execution.
The Intersection of Reliability & CO₂ Systems
- Reliability as a lever: Better maintenance reduces inefficiencies and energy waste. Tools like IoT, digital twins, and condition-based monitoring integrate emissions. Better reliability = fewer losses = lower footprint.
- CO₂ systems are assets too: Pipelines, compressors, valves, scrubbers—each has failure modes and degradation. Capture infrastructure must be managed as critically as pumps or turbines.
- Data & integrity matter: Bad master data or disconnected systems cripple carbon reporting. Reliability teams must ensure integrity and timeliness as they collaborate with sustainability functions.
- Innovation in the carbon-removal space: Companies like Climeworks pioneer direct-air-capture technologies and carbon-removal solutions.
What to Watch (and Push) at SMRP 2025
- Sessions on carbon systems: Position CO₂ infrastructure as core, not add-on.
- Real-world case studies: Learn how plants fold capture into existing reliability programs.
- Vendor demo story: Ask, “Can your platform detect CO₂ leaks, slips, or integrate emissions data?”
- Cross-disciplinary panels: Push for joint reliability + sustainability + operations discussions.
- Networking prompts: “How do you balance emissions targets with uptime?”
Challenges to Conquer
- Systems integration: CO₂ overlays strain existing architectures.
- Cross-functional tension: Teams often misalign on incentives.
- Unfamiliar failure modes: Leaks, efficiency loss, corrosion, pressure dynamics.
- Data silos: Reporting tools, controls, and asset-health systems rarely connect seamlessly.
Why This Matters
- Reliability pros who master CO₂ gain strategic influence, bridging operational excellence with sustainability.
- Competence in decarbonization becomes a leadership differentiator.
- Organizations aligning reliability with emissions targets reduce risk: fewer surprises, penalties, and stranded assets.
To learn more, reach out to Aztech Reliability:
□ (225) 271-4356 | ✉️ [email protected]
Message our team members directly: Brandon Zuppardo, Andrea Zuppardo, Blake Racca, or Drew Irby.
By Drew Irby on behalf of the Aztech Reliability Team
