GermanyChemicals and materials2026 – ongoingLinde
PowerOptimizer production scheduling for air-separation plants
Linde expanded automated production scheduling after testing PowerOptimizer in Germany
Problem
Electricity prices changed faster than manual production planning could accommodate. Air-separation plants often maintained steady output despite opportunities to shift production to cheaper hours.
Approach
Linde's AI team developed PowerOptimizer to calculate hourly production schedules while meeting weekly output targets. It sent production settings directly to plant controls. After a pilot in Röthenbach, Linde deployed it at other plants in Germany, Switzerland and the UK.
Results
No published figures
Takeaway
Bulk liquid storage gave plants room to shift production between hours while continuing customer deliveries.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Chemicals and materials
- Business function
- Production and quality
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Predictive analytics and MLOptimization
- Adoption
- Built in-house
- Goal
- Cost savings
- Evidence
- Company's own claim
Sources
Source summaries
Linde described automatic scheduling and the expansion following its German pilot. It reported cost savings without disclosing their size.
Linde described PowerOptimizer feeding schedules into plant control systems. It confirmed deployments in Germany, Switzerland and the UK.
Full details are in the original sources.
