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CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WORLD'S FIRST DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM, CENTUM CONTINUES TO SHINE IN THE AREAS OF SAFETY, SECURITY, AND SUSTAINABLE AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS
Yokogawa Electric Corporation has announced the Release 7 concept and the launch of CENTUM™ VP Release 7.01, the 10th generation of its integrated production control system and part of the OpreX™ Control and Safety System lineup. The release coincides with the 50th anniversary of CENTUM’s original announcement in 1975 as the world’s first distributed control system (DCS).
Development Background
In addition to the dynamic changes in supply chains in recent years, countries have been strengthening regulations in response to growing awareness of the need to protect the environment. At the same time, the increasing use of digital technologies for complex applications—such as managing renewable energy utilization and analyzing data in cloud-based environments—has heightened security concerns. Meanwhile, as organizations continue to rely on existing physical assets, there is a growing need to transfer the expertise of seasoned operators and reduce the workload and mental burden on personnel responsible for systems that must operate continuously. Amid the increasing complexity of these industry challenges, both management and frontline personnel are expected to enhance competitiveness while balancing the stable production of high-quality products with the need to improve efficiency and profitability.
The Concept behind CENTUM VP Release 7
In response to these challenges, Yokogawa has developed CENTUM VP Release 7 based on the concept of enabling autonomous operations. The system aims to support sustainability by improving energy efficiency, accelerating decarbonization, and providing a safe and secure working environment. While retaining the reliability, stability, continuity, robust security, and comprehensive engineering and service network that have characterized the CENTUM series since its inception, Yokogawa is introducing new capabilities in three key areas:
Expanded Scope of Control and Monitoring: By securely aggregating data distributed across the plant, the system enables plant-wide status monitoring and extends the range of automated operations, supporting safer and more secure processes.
Predictive Monitoring through Process Condition Monitoring: By identifying process-specific operational events and predicting deviations from expected values, operators can respond proactively to maintain stable operations and improve energy efficiency.
Reduction of Operator Workload: By presenting future scenarios based on accumulated operator knowledge, the system supports informed decision-making. In addition, autonomous control AI can assume routine tasks to help ensure long-term operational stability and reduce both workload and mental stress.
Main Features of Release 7.01
Enhanced Security: To enable data-driven operations, securing critical infrastructure is essential. This release adopts recognized industry security benchmarks to strengthen the cybersecurity of control system components and improve the system’s overall security posture.
Expanded Control and Monitoring Scope with CENTUM: With the integration of OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) connectivity, CENTUM now supports a broader range of plant equipment and devices. OPC UA is a platform-independent standard that facilitates data exchange between devices from different manufacturers in the industrial automation sector. This update adds OPC UA client functionality to CENTUM.
Improved Engineering Capabilities for Large-Scale Projects: A new feature allows the merging and testing of multiple CENTUM-related engineering databases, supporting integration across plant systems. This enhancement promotes efficient, high-quality engineering and contributes to faster startup of new plants and smoother restarts of upgraded facilities.
Major Target Markets
Various process industries, including oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, steel, pulp and paper, electric power, and water treatment.
Applications
Operation monitoring and automatic control of plants and manufacturing equipment.
CENTUM VP Release 7.01 introduces functional updates in security, engineering, and monitoring that reflect evolving industry demands across sectors such as oil and gas, chemicals, and water treatment. The release is part of Yokogawa’s broader effort to support autonomous operations while maintaining system reliability and integration across complex plant environments.