CelcomDigi said its collaboration with Petronas started with the deployment of a private 4G LTE network for Petronas
Malaysian oil company Petronas and compatriot telco CelcomDigi are collaborating to accelerate digital transformation in the energy sector using 5G, the later said in a statement.
The collaboration was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two-year strategic collaboration will see Petronas and CelcomDigi explore potential efforts using 5G to enable continuous improvements across Petronas’ operations.
Additionally, the collaboration will look into opportunities to integrate clean energy solutions into CelcomDigi’s enterprise offerings to drive adoption among Malaysian businesses.
Petronas’ Vice President, Group Technology and Commercialization Aadrin Azly said: “We pioneered the adoption of 5G technology for enterprise in Malaysia last year when we successfully adopted the 5G private network at the Regasification Terminal Sungai Udang (RGTSU) and witnessed increased efficiency in our operations.”
“This partnership offers us a great opportunity to expand the power of 5G for our enterprise and the wider community. We envision building a robust network infrastructure that’s able to cater to the growing demand for reliable access to high-speed internet within the oil and gas sector,” he added.
CelcomDigi’s Deputy CEO Albern Murty, said: “The MoU presents an opportunity to accelerate the modernization of oil and gas operations powered by 5G connectivity. In the last five years, we have worked closely with Petronas to implement private 4G LTE networks on offshore platforms and test digital use cases. We look forward to scale 5G-related improvements across other business areas, leveraging real-time connectivity and data analytics to optimize operations and actualize our shared clean energy aspirations for the oil and gas sector.”
The collaboration between the two companies began in 2019, with the implementation of a private 4G LTE network on Angsi, one of the largest offshore platforms for Petronas. Since then, the collaboration has resulted in 21 fully 4G connected offshore platforms.
The latest joint project is the deployment of a private 5G network on Kasawari Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Petronas’ offshore platform near Sarawak. The partners noted that Kasawari will be a testbed for 5G use cases.
Speaking about the benefits of the 5G private network, Petronas’ senior vice president of project delivery and technology, Datuk Bacho Pilong, previously said that the private network at RGTSU Melaka has improved operational efficiency and safety, supporting its business and sustainability targets.
The executive said that the 5G private network will be combined with other technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation.